Scriptures reiterate that the lifetime of a jivatma is a valuable period for seeking its salvation and not for merely accepting the experiences of joy and sorrow that is a result of individual karma, good and bad. But it is also clear that one has to have the grace of God, especially to cultivate the desire to practise vairagya and viveka, the twin essentials that lead to the path of salvation.
In a discourse, Swami Budhidananda drew attention to the entire lifetime of Dhritarashtra, who sadly is an example of one with misplaced goals in life. He is a victim of ambition and greed and suffers on account of possessiveness. The strong sense of “I” and “Mine” eclipses all other traits.
Right from birth, he is desirous of ruling the kingdom though born blind. Moreover, overpowered by love for his son, he loses the sense of right and wrong. Though aware that Duryodhana has committed a great wrong and Yudhishtira has been cheated, he fails in his duty to restrain Duryodhana’s evil tendencies. He fails to give a fair deal to the Pandavas.
After the Mahabharata war, Dhritarashtra reconciles himself to a life of comfort offered by Yudhishtira and even agrees to be fed by Bheema whom he had tried to kill. It is Vidhura, who had left Hastinapura before the war, who, on his return, advises Dhritarashtra about the purpose of life and the realities. Is it not time for him to learn to renounce the world and hold on to God at least before his life ends?
Dhritarashtra then realises that he should retire to the forest and spend the rest of his life in penance. He steps out along with Gandhari and Kunti to spend his last years in retirement, having eschewed all the anger and other negative forces in him that had made him internally blind as well.
