Shloka 9
Vidura Leaves Hastināpura and Meets Uddhava
Vidura’s Tīrtha-yātrā Begins
यदा च पार्थप्रहित: सभायां जगद्गुरुर्यानि जगाद कृष्ण: । न तानि पुंसाममृतायनानि राजोरु मेने क्षतपुण्यलेश: ॥ ९ ॥
yadā ca pārtha-prahitaḥ sabhāyāṁ jagad-gurur yāni jagāda kṛṣṇaḥ na tāni puṁsām amṛtāyanāni rājoru mene kṣata-puṇya-leśaḥ
When Arjuna sent the Jagad-guru, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, into the assembly, the words He spoke were to some (such as Bhīṣma) like nectar; yet the king, bereft of even the last remnant of past piety, did not take those words to heart.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the spiritual master of the entire universe, accepted the duty of a messenger and, deputed by Arjuna, went to the assembly of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra on a peace mission. Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s Lord, yet because He was the transcendental friend of Arjuna, He gladly accepted the role of messenger, exactly like an ordinary friend. That is the beauty of the Lord’s behavior with His pure devotees. He reached the assembly and spoke about peace, and the message was relished by Bhīṣma and other great leaders because it was spoken by the Lord Himself. But due to the exhaustion of the pious results of their past deeds, Duryodhana, or his father, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, did not take the message very seriously. That is the way of persons who have no credit of pious deeds. By past pious deeds, one may become the king of a country, but because the results of the pious acts of Duryodhana and company were dwindling, it became evident from their actions that they were sure to lose the kingdom to the Pāṇḍavas. The message of Godhead is always like nectar to the devotees, but it is just the opposite to the nondevotees. Sugar candy is always sweet to a healthy man, but it tastes very bitter to persons suffering from jaundice.
FAQs
This verse calls Kṛṣṇa’s teachings “amṛtāyanāni”—paths to immortality—implying that Krishna-kathā and His instructions are life-giving and liberating when properly received.
Vidura blames not Kṛṣṇa’s instruction but his own diminished spiritual merit (“kṣata-puṇya-leśaḥ”), expressing humility and acknowledging that inner receptivity is required to fully absorb divine wisdom.
Approach scripture and saintly teachings with humility, reduce distractions and offenses, and cultivate purity through devotional practices so that spiritual instruction can truly enter the heart.