Sketches - Vidur

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Vidur - Incarnation of Dharm Raaj
See also Vidur..\..\..\mahaabhaarat\witnesses\people\men\vidur.htm
Taken from Sankshipt Padm Puraan, Bhoomi Khand, p 226-227,

Sumanaa said - "Atri and Anusooyaa's son Dattaatreya has seen Dharm. Both Durvaasaa and Dattaatreya have done Tapasyaa and behaved according to Dharm. They did Tapasyaa for 10,000 years without eating anything but drinking only air. Then they did Panchaagni Tapasyaa for another 10,000 years. Then they stood inside water for another 10,000 years. Both became very weak, Durvaasaa got very angry at Dharm, so Dharm appeared before him. Brahmcharya and Tap also came in person along with Dharm; and many others also came along with him.

He said to Durvaasaa - "Hey Braahman, Why did you get angry in spite of being a Tapaswee? Anger destroys man's both grace and Tapasyaa, therefore one should abandon this anger at least at the time of Tapasyaa." Durvaasaa asked - "Who are you and who are all these persons along with you?" Dharm said - "They are Brahmcharya, Satya, Tap, Dam (control on Indriyaan), Niyam (discipline), Shauch (cleanliness) etc etc. I am Dharm, please be calm and protect me. Why are you so angry?" Durvaasaa said - "I can see that I have done Tapasyaa with all discipline but you are not pleased with me, that is why I am angry at you. I will give you three Shaap - Dharm Raaj, you become a king and a maid's son and be born in Chaandaal caste." Thus after giving these three Shaap, Durvaasaa went away. Because of these Shaap, Dharm Raaj incarnated as king Yudhishthir in Bharat family; when he was born as a maid's son, he was known as Vidur; and when Vishwaamitra afflicted king Harishchandra, he was born as Chaandaal to give him a job."

According to Bhaagvat Puraan, Vidur Jee was the Avataar of Dharm Raaj as a result of Maandavya Muni's Shaap. How? There was a Maandavya Muni. Once king's servants caught some thieves at the Aashram of Maandavya Muni. They thought that Maandavya Muni was also in the group of thieves, so they caught him also and took all of them to the king. The king assigned death punishment to all, but when he came to know about Maandavya Muni, he immediately called him back.

When Maandavya Muni was taken to Narak to Yam Raaj, he asked Yam Raaj, "What was my sin to get this punishment?" Yam Raaj said, "You have done a Paap." "What?" "Once you have pierced a Tiddee (locust) with the tip of a Kush." Muni said - "That I must have done when I was a very little child and unknowingly. And you punished me for that little mistake?" Then Muni gave Shaap to Dharm Raaj, "Go, and live in Shoodra Varn for 100 years." So He was born as maid-servant's son as Vidur Jee. He always helped Paandav, taught justice to Dhritraashtra and was faithful to Hastinaapur, so faithful that when Dhritraashtra didn't listen to him at all, he resigned from his position. His ethics is known to everybody as Vidur-Neeti. He was Dharm Raaj himself, how could he commit any mistake?

It is said that when most men were killed in Mahaabhaarat war, and their widows remained alone, they took them to near Gangaa River and rehabilitated them there. That place has been developed as Vidur Kutee, in the vicinity of Bijnor, in UP.

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