SB 1.13.24 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 24
- Agnir nisristo dattas cha garo daras cha dushitah
- Hritam kshetram dhanam yesam tad dattair asubhih kiyat.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Agnir—fire, Nisristo—set in, Dattas—given, Cha-and, Garo—poison, Daras—married wife, Dushitah—insulted, Hritam—usurped, Kshetram—kingdom, Dhanam—wealth, Yesam—of those, Tad—their, Dattam—given by, Asubhih—subsisting, Kiyat—is unnecessary.
TRANSLATION
There is no necessity of living a degraded life subsisted by the charity of those whom you tried to kill by setting on fire in their house by administering poison, by insulting their married wife, by usurping their kingdom and wealth.
PURPORT
The system of Varnashram religion sets aside a part of one's life completely for the purpose of self-realisation and attainment of salvation in the human form of life. That is a routine division of life but persons like Dhritarastra even at their weary ripen age want to keep up at home even in a degraded condition as to accept charity from enemies. Vidura wanted to point out this anomaly in his brother's life and impressed upon him that it was better for him to die like his sons than accepting such humiliating charity. Five thousands of years before there was one Dhritarastra but at the present moment there are full of Dhritarastras in every home. Specially the politicians do not wish to retire from political activities unless they are dragged by the cruel hand of death or killed by some opposing element. To stick to family life up to the end of one's human life is the grossest type of degradation and there is absolute need of educating such Dhritarastras by the Viduras even at the present moment.