a saint among politicians

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A Saint Among Politicians

SATURDAY, 30 APRIL 2016 / PUBLISHED IN ARTICLES /

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From B!" #o $o%&'%

By Vraja Bihari Dasa

http://www.dandavats.com/?cat=2http://www.dandavats.com/?cat=2


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Pro()%)*+ )*-)r#)o* .or #&' or% r+'#

%'mo!r!

“We say God’s on our side but the more important

question to ask is are we on God’s side…” (GeorgeWashington)

Democracy is supposed to be ‘by the people, of the

people, and for the people,’ but I fear it may soon be

redened as ‘buy’ the people, ‘o’ the people, and ‘far’

(from) the people,” exclaimed Suresh, a !"year"old man I

met #hile returnin$ to the temple from an outstation

pro$ram% &e #as disappointed that India, the #orld’s

lar$est democracy, recorded 'ust !"!* pollin$ in the

recent elections% Suresh also noted that o+er ! of the

members elected to parliament ha+e criminal cases

a$ainst them% -.he meanin$ of elections is lost,

democracy is in peril, and #e ha+e no inspiration to loo/

up to%”

Mahatma Vidura, a spiritual leader

0ac/ at the temple, I re1ected on the comments of Dr%

2%3%4% 2bdul 5alam, the honorable former 3resident of

India, #ho re+ealed his inspiration to be an unsun$ hero

of ancient India 6ahatma 7idura, a minister at the

/in$dom of &astinapura% Dr% 5alam e+en composed a

poem extollin$ 7idura’s $lories%

7idura #as born of a maidser+ant at the royal palace of

&astinapura (no# Delhi), the hot"seat of intri$uin$

politics% &is astute #isdom and $enuine concern for the

5uru family the rulers of &astinapura earned him the


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position of a minister% Dhritarastra, althou$h older of the

t#o brothers #ho inherited the /in$dom, #as blind from

birth and thus dis8ualied to be the emperor himself%

&o#e+er, he ruled the /in$dom on behalf of his brother3andu #ho #ent to the forest to perform penances% 2fter

the untimely death of 3andu #hile in the forest,

Dhritarastra eyed the throne, #antin$ to depri+e the sons

of 3andu (3anda+as) the le$itimate heirs from inheritin$

the /in$dom% &e #ished that his e+il son, Duryodhana,

ta/es o+er the /in$dom% 6ean#hile Duryodhana de+ised

one sinister plan after another to /ill the +irtuous

3anda+as, and Dhritarastra silently appro+ed the plans%

7idura #as a pure de+otee of the Supreme 3ersonality of

9odhead, :ord 5rishna, and he carried out the :ord’s #ill

by ser+in$ &is de+otees, the 3anda+as% 7idura #as pained

to see terrible in'ustices repeatedly in1icted upon the

3anda+as% &e used his political acumen to help the

3anda+as secretly escape from a house that Duryodhanahad planned to set re to, #ith an intention to burn them

to death% ;hile he re+ealed his lo+e for the :ord by

ser+in$ the 3anda+as, 7idura also re+ealed his

fearlessness in confrontin$ Duryodhana and his


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.hrou$h a cheatin$ $amblin$ match, Duryodhana

banished the 3anda+as to a thirteen"year exile% :ater,

#hen the 3anda+as returned and demanded their ri$htful

share, Duryodhana openly refused% 2 #ar seemedimminent% 2s 7idura’s desperate appeals fell on deaf

ears, 5rishna, in a last attempt to a+ert bloodshed, came

as a peace messen$er on behalf of the 3anda+as%

Duryodhana foolishly and unsuccessfully tried to arrest

5rishna, and #hile lea+in$, 5rishna declared that the

destruction of 5aura+as #as no# certain% 7idura a$ain

ur$ed Dhritarastra to heed to $ood counsel% Dhritarastra

al#ays consulted 7idura, /no#in$ him to be a $enuine

#ell"#isher of the family% &o#e+er due to #ea/

heartedness, coupled #ith his spiritual blindness, he did

not accept 7idura’s counsel but tacitly supported his

#ic/ed son%

7idura’s untirin$ eorts to ser+e the /in$dom #ere

misunderstood by Duryodhana% In the royal assembly,7idura #as humiliated, condemned for disloyalty to the

throne, and accused of bein$ a traitor in the $uise of a

friend% &e #as ordered to lea+e the /in$dom at once%

7idura’s decades of faithful ser+ice, far from bein$

ac/no#led$ed, lea+e alone bein$ appreciated, #as

re#arded #ith un$ratefulness and insult%

Vidura’s response to a crisis

7idura #as hurt, yet #ith his de+otional intelli$ence he

sa# the :ord’s plan at #or/% &e sa# Duryodhana as a

+ictim of lust for po#er, and a puppet in the hands of the

:ord’s illusory ener$y,maya% &e sa# himself as a


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fortunate recipient of the :ord’s mercy, and thus silently

than/ed Duryodhana for this act% .he banishment #as a

blessin$= it $a+e him a chance to practise exclusi+e

de+otional ser+ice to 5rishna, #ithout any hindrance% &esoon left on a pil$rima$e to holy places to #orship

5rishna%

.he attraction to 5rishna $a+e 7idura not only the

stren$th to stand for truth but also the ability to tolerate

personal in'ustices% Durin$ his tra+els he met >ddha+a, a

close associate of 5rishna% ?ather than lament at his

personal tra$edy, 7idura expressed ea$erness to hearfrom >ddha+a the acti+ities of :ord 5rishna% .his

excitement to /no# about 5rishna /ept him happy durin$

the terrible crisis of his life%

7idura’s example sho#s that culti+atin$ an intimate

connection #ith 5rishna helps us hold on to sacred

principles, and remain enthusiastic e+en as the political

#eather $ets turbulent by the day% .he inner stren$th and

#isdom that naturally de+elop by sincere practice of

5rishna consciousness /eep the de+otee serene and

happy at all times% In star/ contrast, the recent elections

sa# the ousted ministers cry foul and openly hurl

accusations at each other%

;hile modern politicians’ careers are tainted #ith corruptand immoral practices, and their characters shrouded in

suspicion, 7idura’s example sets the standard for all

leaders to be 9od conscious% Srila 3rabhupada, the

founder of IS5@AB, repeatedly expressed the need for

political administrators to be spiritual practitioners% &e


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e+en su$$ested to Indira 9andhi, the former 3rime

6inister of India, to holdkirtanas, chantin$ of the holy

names of the :ord, in 3arliament, and help ministers

de+elop 9od consciousness%Renunciation v/s Service to Society

Is 7idura, by his renunciation, indicatin$ that a leader

should $i+e up his ser+ice to his people and $o to the

forest insteadC Bo 7idura, e+en in his tra+els, constantly

thou$ht of the #elfare of the $eneral populace that has

become a+erse to de+otional ser+ice to :ord 5rishna% &is

heart burned in compassion for the suerin$ people%

Durin$ his tra+els he also met 6aitreya ?ishi, another

$reat sa$e, and discussed #ith him the methods for

spiritual a#a/enin$ of the mis$uided masses% .hus a

spiritual leader, #hether li+in$ in the forest or at a palace,

carries the spirit of ser+ice in his heart, and oers the

best he can, to brin$ people closer to 9od%

2 sincere de+otee’s practice of 5rishna consciousness

softens his heart #ith emotions of lo+e and compassion

to#ards all li+in$ entities% .his is because a de+otee sees

all bein$s as parts and parcels of his dear :ord, 5rishna%

7idura’s sel1ess ser+ice and unparalleled compassion

reached its perfection #hen he returned to &astinapura

after the #ar at 5uru/setra%In the fratricidal #ar, the 5aura+as #ere annihilated and

3anda+as, directed by 5rishna, $ot bac/ their ri$htful

share% .he 3anda+as, ho#e+er, continued to care for

Dhritarastra% 7idura returned to the palace, not to sta/e


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any claim on his share of the property, but to educate his

blind brother Dhritarastra% Despite suerin$ the pains of

old"a$e, and the death of his hundred sons, Dhritarastra

continued to see/ material comforts, li+in$ at the houseof the +ery men #hom he plotted to /ill his entire life%

7idura chastised Dhritarastra and ordered him to

renounce #orldly attachments and practice de+otional

ser+ice% 7idura’s #ords, thou$h apparently harsh and

sarcastic, came from his compassionate heart% &is speech

acted li/e a sur$eon’s scalpel that cuts only to heal%

7idura’s #ords cut Dhritarastra’s material attachments,

and restored his spiritual +ision and determination% .hat

+ery ni$ht the blind Dhritarastra secretly left the palace

to pursue 9od consciousness and e+entually achie+ed a

spiritually exalted destination%

Earlier #hen humiliated and banished, it appeared 7idura

didn’t $et much success in his political career, yet no# by

bein$ compassionate e+en to one #ho passi+ely #atchedhis humiliation, he re+eals the real understandin$ of

success to oer the best you can as a ser+ant of all%

7idura’s loyalty and faith in 9od should humble us,

especially those #ho abandon ideolo$ical loyalties and

s#itch parties for better career and monetary prospects%

Blending ourage !ith "umility

7idura’s exemplary renunciation and forthri$htness #as

perfectly blended #ith humility% Despite bein$ an intimate

associate of 5rishna, he considered himself lo#ly and

un8ualied to be a recipient of the :ord’s mercy% ;hen

ostraciFed by Duryodhana, he could ha+e immediately


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$one to D+ara/a, :ord 5rishna’s head8uarters% Instead he

+isited other holy places to associate #ith saintly

de+otees and hear about 5rishna from them% &e felt

contaminated by the sins of mur/y politics at &astinapuraand sou$ht to purify himself rst before see/in$ a direct

audience #ith 5rishna%

2 de+otee’s humility is most endearin$ to 5rishna’s heart%

5rishna is not the property of the rich, educated or

beautiful people% &e reser+es the ri$ht of not bein$

exposed to those de+oid of humility and de+otion%

&o#e+er if a de+otee is simple and surrendered to the:ord’s #ill, 5rishna is purchased% Earlier, #hene+er

5rishna came to &astinapura, &e re$ularly +isited

7idura’s residence, e+en as the cunnin$ Duryodhana

oered royal hospitality to #oo 5rishna on his side%

5rishna i$nored all of Duryodhana’s reception and happily

accepted 7idura’s simple oerin$ of lo+e%

&umility is the hallmar/ of a true leader% 2 humble person

al#ays ta/es the position of a ser+ant of the :ord and all

li+in$ entities, and in this consciousness, executes his

spiritual and #orldly responsibilities% 7idura’s tireless

eorts in the mood of a ser+ant e+entually bore fruit as

he successfully redeemed his #ay#ard brother%

Aur -noble” modern politician also claims to be a ser+antof the masses and be$s for +otes before elections% An

risin$ to po#er, ho#e+er, he furthers his o#n political

ambitions and i$nores the common man only to

remember him a$ain before the next elections% Bo

#onder, Indians lo+e to hate politicians%


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7idura’s example is thus a soberin$ reminder that life #ill

present many challen$es% 2t such times, remembrance of

5rishna, li+in$ by sacred principles, and a humble ser+ice

attitude can /eep us happy and lend meanin$ful purposeto our li+es%

a saint among politicians

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