Mb007. Vidura, The Minister Of Justice Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

MAHABHARATA

An early death Vichitravirya met.
Ambika and Ambalika were upset,
That he had left no children
As his heir to the throne.

His mother Satyavati, the Queen.
Married the old king Santanu then.
Their children born also died.
Her hopes of heir it belied.

She called her son Vyasa,
Born thro' the Sage Parasara,
When that time she was a virgin,
Whose body turned fragrant then.

At her command Vyasa stood,
And her wish he understood.
The need for an heir was real,
It wasn't so an act of immoral.

Ambika closed her eyes
When he had her choice.
So, she was blessed with a child,
That was strong but born blind.

To Ambalika he went next,
She was pale on some pretext.
For this, she begot a child,
Brave but delicate and mild.

The child born as third
Was to her servant maid,
Who had the choice and went,
As Ambalika's replacement.

This child was the best one,
As it was Dharma incarnation.
Sage Mandavya the pious
To Lord Yama gave a curse.

While in penance was the Sage
Robbers entered his hermitage.
Red handed they were caught,
And before the king were brought.

The Sage was their leader,
So mistook the commander.
On whose unjust report oral
A punishment he got corporal.

Though impaled on a spear,
The sage face still was clear.
By yogic power alive he was,
What a tragedy it was, alas?

The other sages of the forest
On the king's action unjust
They pitied the poor victim
And shed their tears for him.

"Who shall I blame for it?
The king to rule as unfit,
Or his obedient servant,
Who in haste executed it? "

The sage coolly told this,
And o'er this made no fuss.
His mistake the king realized,
Fell at his feet and apologized.
.
"How far this torture I deserve?
Why to me this punishment grave?
This way the Sage Mandavya
Asked the Lord Yama Dharma.

"O sage, you've tortured
When you were a child,
In your play, bees and birds, "
The Lord of death replied.

"This is an excess punishment
And is your unfair judgment
For a simple minor offence,
And a child did it in ignorance."

"For this, be born you shall
In the world, as a mortal."
The sage gave this curse,
To the dispenser of justice.

Born in the world, Lord Yama,
Had his name as Viudra,
A principal minister of justice
With no pride or prejudice.

In the royal court of Dhritarashtra,
Life long served the great Vidura.
No one his words disregarded,
Barring Duryodhana, the wicked.