16
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 1]
he got the opportunity by the grace of Duryodhana, and instead of being sorry at the strong words of insult, he thanked him from within because it gave him the chance to live alone in a holy place and fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord. The word  gata-vyathaḥ  (without being sorry) is significant here because Vidura was relieved from the tribulations which trouble every man entangled in material activities. He therefore thought that there was no need to defend his brother with his bow because his brother was meant for ruination. Thus he left the palace before Duryodhana could act.  Māyā , the supreme energy of the Lord, acted here both internally and externally.
TEXT 17
स निर्गतः कौरवपुण्यलब्धो गजाह्वयात्तीर्थपदः पदानि । अन्वाक्रमत्पुण्यचिकीर्पयोव्यां अधिष्ठितो यानि सहस्रमूर्तिः ॥१७॥
sa nirgataḥ kaurava-puṇya-labdho gajāhvayāt tīrtha-padaḥ padāni anvākramat puṇya-cikīrṣayorvyāṃ adhiṣṭhito yāni sahasra-mūrtiḥ
saḥ—he (Vidura); nirgataḥ—after having quit; kaurava—the Kuru dynasty; puṇya—piety; labdhaḥ—so achieved; gajā-āhvayāt—from Hastināpura; tīrtha-padaḥ—of the Supreme Lord; padāni—pilgrimages; anvākramat—took shelter; puṇya—piety; cikīrṣaya—desiring so; urvyām—of high grade; adhiṣṭhitaḥ—situated; yāni—all those; sahasra—thousands; mūrtiḥ—forms.
TRANSLATION
By his piety, Vidura achieved the advantages of the pious Kauravas. After leaving Hastināpura, he took shelter of many places of pilgrimages, which are the Lord's lotus feet. With a desire to gain a high order of pious life, he traveled to holy places where thousands of transcendental forms of the Lord are situated.
PURPORT
Vidura was undoubtedly a highly elevated and pious soul, otherwise he would not have taken his birth in the Kaurava family. To have high parentage, to possess wealth, to be highly learned and to have great personal beauty are all due to past pious acts. But such pious possessions are not