Text 23] Dhrtarastra Quits Home 689
country, etc., will give them protection. With such foolish ideas, they be-
come overtaken by such temporary engagements and forget altogether
that they must give up this temporary body and take a new one again to
arrange for another term of society, friendship and love, again to be
perished ultimately. They forget their permanent identity and become
foolishly active for non-permanent occupations, forgetting altogether their
prime duty. Saints and sages like Vidura approach such foolish men to
awaken them to the real situation, but they take such sadhus and saints as
parasites of society, and almost all of them refuse to hear the words of such
sadhus and saints, although they welcome show bottle sadhus and so-called
saints who can satisfy their senses. Vidura is not a sadhu who satisfies the ill
gotten sentiment of Dhrtarastra. He was correctly pointing out the real
situation of life, and how one can save oneself from such catastrophies.
TEXT 23
Set REPT TTA AAT AAT |
arrrafd Roem YETI NR
aho mahtyast jantor
jevitasa yatha bhavan
bhimapavarjitam pindam
adatte grha-palavat

aho—alas; mahiyasi—powerful; jantoh—of the living beings; jivitasa—
hope for life; yatha—as much as; bhavan—you are; bhima—Bhimasena (a
brother of Yudhisthira’s); apavarjitam—remnants; pindam—foodstuff;
adatte— eaten by; grha-palavat—like a household dog.

TRANSLATION

Alas, how powerful are the hopes of a living being to continue his
life. Verily, you are living just like a household dog and are eating rem-
nants of food given by Bhima.

PURPORT

A sadhu should never flatter kings or rich men to live comfortably at

their cost. A sadhu is to speak to the householders about the naked truth
