This theme is divided into six parts; each part will be posted on Monday every week. There will be a poser after each part, which needs to be answered, and at the end of the series, the person who’s answers best convey the meaning of dharma will be awarded.

Vidura was a true protector of Pandavas even while he was the well wisher of the Kuru dynasty. He realized soon, that the fatherless Pandavas were victims in Hastinapur palace and needed protection. On every challenging occasion Vidura thought wisely and acted wisely – thought and action were never divorced from each other as far as he was concerned.

This is creditable because Vidura did not enjoy the benefits of lineage, position and authority, which leaders Like Bhishma, Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, and Yudhishthira (discussed in the series) did. So what distinguishes Vidura from these heroes?

Vidura was born in unusual circumstances, as was the case with his two elders brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu. When the two heirs of the Kuru Dynasty :Vichitravirya and Chitrangada died without producing heirs, the queen mother Satyavati called Rishi Vyasa ( her son from an earlier alliance ) ,to father the children of the two widowed queens Ambika and Ambalika. In the time of Mahabharata it was legal for the younger brother to cohabit with the wife of the elder brother for sake of progeny.

Dhritarashtra was the son of Ambika and Pandu was the son of Ambalika . When the queen mother wanted a third child, both the queens not wanting to go through the ordeal once again ,sent a suta ( serving caste) woman , and from her alliance with Rishi Vyasa Vidura was born.

It is said that Ambika closed her eyes while cohabiting with the Rishi , so her son Dhritarashtra was born blind. Ambalika, turned pale with fright when she saw the dark and unkempt Rishi and so produced the albino Pandu ( the white one) . The alliance of the suta serving woman and the Rishi was most natural and Vidura was fit in all respect .

Vidura was extremely knowledgeable – the wise one – both in worldly affairs and spiritual matters. Because his lineage was lower than that of his brothers , Vidura was never part of royalty. He lived outside the palace and also married in his own caste ( suta) . However he was dearly loved by his elder brother Dhritarashtra; and Bhishma consulted him frequently on matters concerning state and governance.

Barring fighting a war, Vidura conducted himself as a leader. He was well aware of the nuances of Dharma and statehood and acted on its principles. He lead a full life and was stoic about his situation, when he could have felt frustrated for not becoming the king , as he was the fittest of the three brothers . He realized very soon of Bhishma’s impotence ,Dhritarashtra’s blindness towards dharma ,and Duryodhana’s machinations. He was clear that in this kind of scenario the Pandavas would never be safe, and Yudhishthira the rightful heir of Hastinapur would never be crowned. As a leader he tried his best to correct this wrong .

When the plan to burn the Pandavas in Varnavarata was hatched it was Vidura who forewarned Yudhishthira about the impending danger ,by giving a speech, at their departure that had double meaning . He had a clear action plan ready for them and got a secret tunnel dug from where the Pandavas escaped when the palace was burnt.

Viduara openly criticized Dhritarashtra for his attitude and never resorted to sycophancy and appeasement .In the infamous dice game ,Vidura was the lone sane voice but no one listened to him, an- he did not have the position and power to stop at once what was going on. Bhishma sat helpless and Dhritarashtra was enjoying the Pandavas defeat and every time the dice would roll he would excitedly as “what happened”. When the Pandavas were banished to the forest, Vidura took the old , frail and shattered Kunti to live in his house.

Vidura was brilliant, courageous and spoke the truth, while he acted correctly. Vidura can be a role model to ordinary people who have not inherited power and position, nor are blessed with charisma. None of his actions can be faulted in Mahabharata.

 Poser

In the past leadership was clearly linked to lineage. What sort of leadership do you see today? Is lineage and dynasty more important or knowledge of dharma, talent and competence determines who will be leaders. Give examples of leaders to justify your stance.

Give your views/comments below the best comment /view wins a 2gb pen drive, leave your email id along with the comments