12 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 1
PURPORT

A good son is called apatya, one who does not allow his father to fall
down. The son can protect the father’s soul when the father is dead by
offering sacrifices to please the Supreme Lord, Visnu. This system is still
prevalent in India. After the death of his father, a son goes to offer sacri-
fices at the lotus feet of Visnu at Gaya and thus delivers the father’s soul
if the father is fallen. But if the son is already an enemy of Visnu, how, in
such an inimical mood, can he offer sacrifice unto Lord Visnu’s lotus feet?
Lord Krsna is directly the Personality of Godhead, Visnu, and Duryodhana
was inimical to Him. He would therefore be unable to protect his father,
Dhrtarastra, after his death. He himself was to fall down because of his
faithlessness towards Visnu. How, then, could he protect his father?
Vidura advised Dhrtarastra to get rid of such an unworthy son as
Duryodhana as soon as possible if he was at all anxious to see to the good
of his family.

According to the moral instructions of Canakya Pandit, “What is the
use of a son who is neither a learned man nor a devotee of the Lord?” If
a son is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is just like blind eyes—a
source of trouble. A physician may sometimes advise the extrication of
such useless eyes from their sockets so that one can be relieved of the
constant trouble. Duryodhana was exactly like blind, troubling eyes; he
would be a source of great trouble to the family of Dhrtarastra, as fore-
seen by Vidura. Vidura therefore rightly advised his eldest brother to get
rid of this source of trouble. Dhrtarastra was wrongly maintaining such
personified offense under the mistaken impression that Duryodhana was a
good son, able to liberate his father.

TEXT 14
waht | gahra
AIST CATAL |
AIGA TeRTEMTT AT
OT 8«=—- Walgwatysa eel
ityicivams tatra suyodhanena
pravrddha-kopa-sphuritadharena
asatkrtah sat-spfhaniya-silah
ksatta sa-karnanuja-saubalena
