Akrura's Mission in Hastinapura

This chapter describes Akrura going to Hastinapura, and , after understanding Dhrtarastra’s ill treatment of the Pandavas, his return to Mathura.

Going to Hastinapura, marked with the fame of the Puru dynasty, with temples and brahmana’s houses constructed by them, Akrura saw Dhrtarastra (ambikeyah), Bahlika with his son Somadatta, Drona (baradvajah), and Krpa (Gautamah) and the rest.

Akrura asked about their welfare (avyayam-imperishability).

Akrura wanted to observe the behavior of the king, whose nature was to follow the will (cchanda) of mischievous men (khala) like Karna.

The sons of Dhrtarastsra could not tolerate the influence (tejah), skill with weapons (oja), strength (balam), courage (viryam), and other good qualities of the Pandavas. Kunti and Vidura described also the unjust acts (apesalam) committed by them against the Pandavas.

This verse and those following now describe events previous to Kunti’s description to Akrura in verses 5 and 6.

“Do our parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, girlhood friends, and the women of the family (jamayah) remember us?”

“Will he console me who am lamenting among enemies like a doe among wolves?” Vrkanam (of wolves) means vrkanam madhye (among wolves).

“O great yogi (mahayogi), you can thus hear my words of lamentation! O soul of the universe (visvatman), being also in my heart, you can certainly hear me! O protector of the universe (visva bhavana), since you protect the universe, what trouble is there to protect me? O Govinda , pleasure of the senses, be visible to my eyes, for I want to see you!”

“I do not see any shelter other than your lotus feet which can give liberation (apavargikat).”

“I offer respects unto Krsna, the worshipful object of the devotees; unto he who is pure (suddhaya), above maya, though appearing to my eyes; unto brahman, the worshipful object of the jnanis; unto paramatma, the worshipful object of the yogis; unto the person capable of giving all these methods of attaining you (yoga isvaraya); unto the very svarupa of all these methods (yogaya).”

The great grandmother (prapitamahi) of Pariksit, Kunti, then cried.

He and Vidura consoled her by reminding her of the cause of the birth of her sons-- that is,through Dharma, Vayu, Indra and the Asvini Kumaras. Describing the Pandava’s powers, they said such things as, “Being expansions of Dharma and others, who could possibly destroy them?”

He went along with friends like Vidura and spoke friendly words to Dhrtarastra who was among his friends (suhrdam), such as Bhisma and others.

“With the passing away of your brother, you are now sitting on the throne.” By this he suggests, “As the sons of Pandu are alive, you are sitting on the throne unjustly.”

“Well that may be, that you did this unjustly, but you remain on the throne. And by acting properly you will attain perfection.”

“But if you act otherwise you will go to hell (tamah).”

“Even your sons such as Duryodhana, though dear to you, will not live long.”

21.”There, at the time of birth and death, happiness and distress, one has no relationship with others, one is alone.”

22.”When a son living with his father steals his hard earned money, he should be known as an enemy with the name of a son. They steal the wealth of the foolish father using the pretext that it is the fathers duty to support them (sambhojaniyah), just as numerous offspring of the fish end up contaminating the very water, which gives life to the fish.”

“Life, wealth (rayah) and sons, which the fool maintains by sinful actions, thinking that they are his, abandon that fool who had not attained his desires.”

“Seeing this world as an illusion, a deception, a dream, as it is insubstantial, and bringing the mind under control (ayamya) by the intelligence, become peaceful and equal to all.”

“This Akrura, thinking himself learned, is speaking proudly in giving me philosophical instructions. Do I not already know all of this?” Thinking to himself proudly in this way, Dhrtarasta appeared grave and spoke like a great saintly externally. “O master of charity! Just as you give food to satisfy the hungry in Mathura, so you are giving knowledge to satisfy this ignorant person in Hastinapura.”

“These pleasing words (su nrta) do not remain fixed in my fickle heart. They are unsteady like fickle lightning in a fickle cloud.” Sudama means cloud and saudamani means that which is born from the cloud, lightning.

“Who can transgress the arrangements (vidhi) of the Lord by any method (anyatha)? No one can. You are the proof of this. You could not do it. In spite of all your instructions, you could not make me have proper judgment. And now, that Lord is present in your house, and has been born in the Yadu family to relieve the burden of the earth. Therefore, since he is there, go there and request the Lord that he should not put into motion what was established in his mind--his arrangement (if you want me to change the way I act.)”

Then, he offered his respects to the Lord. “Creating this universe by his inconceivable process, and after entering it, he divides the gunas into goodness, passion and ignorance. I offer my respects to the Supreme Lord, who is the deliverer from the wheel of samsara, the purpose of which pastimes is difficult to understand. Krsna inspires you to enlighten me by his order,”Enlighten Dhrtarastra.” And he inspires me to not understand with the order “Do not be enlightened.” Who will be able to understand the purpose of his incomprehensible pastimes? You should not say to me “You have fallen into the wheel of samsara”, because he will also deliver me in the future (samsakra cakra gati ).”

Knowing the intention of Dhrtarasta (abhiprayam), who would not give up his partiality to his own sons, Akrura returned to Mathura.