विदुरस्तदभिप्रेत्य धृतराष्ट्रमभाषत ।
राजन्निर्गम्यतां शीघ्रं पश्येदं भयमागतम् ॥१८॥

viduras tad abhipretya
dhá¹›tarÄṣṭram abhÄá¹£ata
rÄjan nirgamyatÄṠśīghraá¹
paÅ›yedaá¹ bhayam Ägatam

 viduraḥ - MahÄtmÄ Vidura; tat - that; abhipretya - knowing it well; dhá¹›tarÄṣṭram - unto Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra; abhÄá¹£ata - said; rÄjan - O King; nirgamyatÄm - please get out immediately; Å›Ä«ghram - without the least delay; paÅ›ya - just see; idam - this; bhayam - fear; Ägatam - already arrived.


Text

MahÄtmÄ Vidura knew all this, and therefore he addressed Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra, saying: My dear King, please get out of here immediately. Do not delay. Just see how fear has overtaken you.

Purport

Cruel death cares for none, be he Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra or even MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira; therefore spiritual instruction, as was given to old Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra, was equally applicable to younger MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira. As a matter of fact, everyone in the royal palace, including the King and his brothers and mother, was raptly attending the lectures. But it was known to Vidura that his instructions were especially meant for Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra, who was too materialistic. The word rÄjan is especially addressed to Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra significantly. Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra was the eldest son of his father, and therefore according to law he was to be installed on the throne of HastinÄpura. But because he was blind from birth, he was disqualified from his rightful claim. But he could not forget the bereavement, and his disappointment was somewhat compensated after the death of PÄṇá¸u, his younger brother. His younger brother left behind him some minor children, and Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra became the natural guardian of them, but at heart he wanted to become the factual king and hand the kingdom over to his own sons, headed by Duryodhana. With all these imperial ambitions, Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra wanted to become a king, and he contrived all sorts of intrigues in consultation with his brother-in-law Åšakuni. But everything failed by the will of the Lord, and at the last stage, even after losing everything, men and money, he wanted to remain as king, being the eldest uncle of MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira. MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira, as a matter of duty, maintained Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra in royal honor, and Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra was happily passing away his numbered days in the illusion of being a king or the royal uncle of King Yudhiṣṭhira. Vidura, as a saint and as the duty-bound affectionate youngest brother of Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra, wanted to awaken Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra from his slumber of disease and old age. Vidura therefore sarcastically addressed Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra as the “King,†which he was actually not. Everyone is the servant of eternal time, and therefore no one can be king in this material world. King means the person who can order. The celebrated English king wanted to order time and tide, but the time and tide refused to obey his order. Therefore one is a false king in the material world, and Dhá¹›tarÄṣṭra was particularly reminded of this false position and of the factual fearful happenings which had already approached him at that time. Vidura asked him to get out immediately, if he wanted to be saved from the fearful situation which was approaching him fast. He did not ask MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira in that way because he knew that a king like MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira is aware of all the fearful situations of this flimsy world and would take care of himself, in due course, even though Vidura might not be present at that time.