Text 28]
Dhṛtarāṣṭra Quits Home
695
in India, and they are our guides on the path of self-realization. Mahātmā Vidura is one such great devotee of the Lord, and we should all try to follow in his lotus footsteps for self-realization.
TEXT 28
अथोदीचीं दिशं यातु स्वैरज्ञातगतिर्भवान् । इतोऽर्वाक्यायशः कालः पुंसां गुणविकर्षणः ॥२८॥
athodīcīm diśam yātu svair ajñāta-gatir bhavān ito 'rvāk prāyaśaḥ kālaḥ puṁsāṁ guṇa-vikarṣaṇaḥ
atha—therefore; udīcīm—northern side; diśam—direction; yātu—please go away; svaiḥ—by your relatives; ajñāta—without knowledge; gatiḥ—movements; bhavān—of yourself; itaḥ—after this; arvāk—will usher in; prāyaśaḥ—generally; kālaḥ—time; puṁsām—of men; guṇa—qualities; vikarṣaṇaḥ—diminishing.
TRANSLATION
Please, therefore, leave for the North immediately, without letting your relatives know, for soon that time will approach which will diminish the good qualities of men.
PURPORT
A life of frustration can be compensated by becoming a  dhīra , or leaving home for good without communicating with relatives, and Vidura advised his eldest brother to adopt this way without delay, because very quickly the age of Kali was approaching. A conditioned soul is already degraded by the material association, and still in the Kali-yuga the good qualities of a man will deteriorate to the lowest standard. He was advised to leave home before Kali-yuga approached because the atmosphere which was created by Vidura, his valuable instructions on the facts of life, would fade away due to the influence of the age which was fast approaching. To become  narottama , or a first-class human being depending completely on the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is not possible for any ordinary man. It is stated in the  Bhagavad-gītā  (Bg. 7.28) that a person who is completely