"Vidura Approaches Maitreya"

 

Skandham-3.1

 

Chapter-4.

 

 

Slokam- 1 to 36.

Vidura Approaches Maitreya:-

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(1) Uddhava said: 'After, with the permission of the brahmins, partaking of the offerings they [the Yadus] drank liquor of which they spoilt their minds and touched each others hearts with harsh words. (2) At sunset, they who lost their balance of mind because of the faults of that intoxication, saw the destruction of the bamboo's [with which they started fighting one other] take place. (3) The Supreme Lord, who from His internal potency foresaw the end, went to the river the Sarasvatî and after sipping water He sat down underneath a tree. (4) I was told by the Lord of the Surrendered who vanquishes all distress, that indeed I should to go to Badarikâs'rama to see you about Him who desired to destroy His own family. (5) Yet in spite of His wish I, o subduer of the enemy [Vidura], followed behind the master not able to bear separation from His lotus feet. (6) I saw Him, my patron and master, sitting alone thinking deeply taking shelter of the goddess at that riverbank, while He doesn't have to take shelter. (7) Beautiful with His blackish color, of pure goodness and peaceful with His reddish eyes, He could be recognized as having four arms and yellow silken garments [Vishnu]. (8) Resting with His right foot on His thigh against the young Banyan tree He looked quite cheerful having left His household comforts.

 

 

(9) At that time [Maitreya,] a great devotee and follower of Krishna-dvaipâyana Vyâsa [Vyâsadeva], a well-wisher and friend traveling the three worlds, on his own accord [also] arrived at that place. (10) Although attached to the Lord of Salvation was the sage in a pleasing attitude attending with a lowered shoulder, while He, kindly smiling particularly seeing me, allowed me to rest and spoke to me. (11) The Supreme Lord said: 'I know from within what you desired in the days of yore when the wealthy ones who built this world were sacrificing. I give you that which is so difficult to achieve by the others, o wealthy one: the association with Me you desire as the ultimate goal of life. (12) This life now is of all your incarnations, o honest one, the ultimate one because you achieved My mercy; as it is because of Me that in the seclusion of quitting the worlds of man you came to see what you saw in your unflinching devotion [:Vaikunthha]. (13) Long ago, in the beginning of creation, I told Brahmâ on the lotus that came out of My navel of the knowledge of the supreme of My transcendental glories, clarifying that which the theists call the Bhâgavatam.'

 

 

(14) Thus being favored by His addressing me, I at each instant being the object of the Supreme Personality His mercy, out of my own affection saw my hairs standing on end and with my eyes hazy of smearing my tears, I with folded hands said: (15) 'O my Lord, for those who live to Your feet, which are so difficult to obtain, it is in this world all a matter of the four goals of life [dharma, artha, kâma, moksha; religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation], but yet I have no preference for them, o Great One, as I am anxious to serve Your lotus feet only. (16) Although without desires You engage in all kinds of activities, although unborn You still take birth, although the controller of eternal time, You take shelter of the fortress out of fear for Your enemies and although You enjoy in Yourself You lead a household life in the association of women; this bewilders the intelligence of the learned in this world. (17) Although You are never divided under the influence of time, You call me in for consultation asking me in Your eternal intelligence o master, as if You are bewildered while that is never so; that is boggling my mind, o Lord. (18) If You think my competence sufficient, then please, my Lord, tell me in detail about the sum total of the knowledge, the mystery and supreme enlightening of Your own Self, the way You told it Brahmâji, as the Supreme Lord for crossing over the ocean of miseries.'

 

 

(19) Thus being prayed to by me from the core of my heart, He, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord of the beyond, instructed me on His transcendental situation. (20) So I thus worshiped under the instruction of the master and studied the reality of the soul, understanding the path by respecting His lotus feet and reached, after circumambulating Him, this place with sadness in my heart due to being separated. (21) Thus, my best one [Vidura], I am now in pain without the pleasure of seeing Him and will go as instructed by Him to Badarikâs'rama [in the Himalaya s] for association. (22) There Narâyana in the incarnation of His humanity and Supreme Lordship [Nara and Narâyana] as a sage amiable to everyone did severe penance for a long time for the welfare of all living beings.

 

 

(23) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing from Uddhava about the unbearable of the annihilation of his friends and relatives, the learned Vidura pacified, by means of transcendental knowledge, his rising bereavement. (24) As the great devotee of the Lord and best among the Kaurava's was leaving, Vidura in confidence submitted the following to the chief in the devotional service of Krishna. (25) Vidura said: 'The Lord of Yoga enlightened you on the mystery of the transcendental knowledge of one's own soul - now of your own good self please tell it to me for the reason of being worth of Vishnu and the servants who wander for the interest of others.' (26) Uddhava then said: 'Turn yourself to the worshipable sage, the son of Kushâru [Maitreya] who stays nearby and who was directly instructed by the Supreme Lord while quitting the mortal world.

 

 

(27) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus discussing with Vidura the nectar of the Universal Person His qualities, he was greatly overwhelmed thereof at the bank of the Sarasvatî river and after passing the night that way as in a moment, the son of Aupagava went away.'

 

 

(28) The king [Parîkchit] asked: 'How could it be that after the destruction that came over the Vrishni and Bhoja dynasty, the great leader in command among them, the prominent Uddhava was the only one to remain after the Lord completed His pastimes as the Master over the three worlds?

 

 

(29) S'rî S'uka said: 'The cursing of the brahmins [of the Yadu-dynasty] was only a plea, factually it was the [Lord His] unfailing desire to end the excess of His own family after which He gave up His universal appearance and thought to Himself: (30) 'Having disappeared from this world the knowledge of Myself and My shelter will certainly befall Uddhava directly, who is at present the foremost of the devotees. (31) Uddhava is not in the least inferior to Me as he is never affected by the material modes and therefore as the master of the knowledge of Me may remain to disseminate it in this world'. (32) Thus being perfectly taught by the spiritual master and source of all vedic knowledge of the three worlds he [Uddhava] reached Badarikâs'rama and was fulfilled in being absorbed in the Lord. (33) Vidura also heard from Uddhava about how Krishna, the Supersoul, extraordinarily assumed a form for the ways of the world and also most gloriously worked Himself above it. (34) His entering the body is for as well the persevering great sages as for others very difficult to understand and for the beastly ones simply a mental disturbance. (35) This was also true for Uddhava himself, o best amongst the Kuru's, when he thought of how Krishna had remembered him, and having left, the devotee cried out loud overwhelmed by the joy of ecstasy.

 

 

(36) O best of the Bharata's, Vidura thus having passed his days on the bank of the Yamunâ [see 3:1.24], thereafter reached the holy waters of the Ganges where he, the son of Mitra [in the sense of being the incarnation of Yamarâja as the son of a s'ûdra, see 1.13:15], met the sage Maitreya.