King Parikshit's eagerness to hear the story pleased Shukadeva. The fact that the king only had seven days left to live did not deter him from showing his lack of fear towards death. Shukadeva then proceeded to narrate the story of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Dhritarashtra, who was blind, allowed his wicked sons to mistreat and persecute his nephews, the Pandavas, in order to please them. He even permitted them to set fire to the Pandavas' house while they were inside it and to humiliate their virtuous wife, Draupadi, in front of the royal court. Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra's eldest son, cheated the Pandavas out of all their worldly possessions in a rigged game of dice and eventually drove them into exile in the forest.
Vidura, the wise and righteous brother of Dhritarashtra, aimed to guide his brother towards righteousness and away from evil. He suggested that Dhritarashtra disown his wicked son Duryodhana. However, this counsel enraged Duryodhana's companions, including Shakuni. Duryodhana himself insulted Vidura and banished him from the court.
Vidura decided to leave Hastinapura and went on a pilgrimage dressed in humble attire. During his journey, he met Uddhava, a close friend of Shri Krishna. Vidura asked Uddhava about Shri Krishna, but Uddhava couldn't hold back his tears and told him that Shri Krishna had left for his own abode, Golok after ending his leela on earth. Uddhava then shared various stories about Krishna's life, including his birth, his victory over the demon Kamsa, and his playful interactions with the gopis in Vrindavan. Uddhava also mentioned that Krishna had given him his final teachings before departing from the world. Uddhava expressed how unbearable it was for him to be separated from Krishna and said that he was going to Badrikashrama to spend his remaining days meditating on him, as per the Lord's command.
Upon learning of Krishna's leaving for Golok, Vidura was deeply saddened. Uddhava consoled him by informing him that before his departure, Krishna had requested the sage Maitreya to instruct Vidura. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Vidura promptly went to meet Maitreya, who was delighted to see him. Maitreya began by teaching Vidura about the concept of God incarnating on Earth as an avatara and the creation of the universe. Through the power of God's maya, the universe is manifested. There are three entities: Brahma (God), jeev (the soul) and Maya (God’s power). As Maitreya recounted the Lord's incarnations to Vidura, he shared several stories.
Read the next part on Shri Kapil Muni at https://www.divineleelas.com/post/kapil-muni-shares-how-the-world-is-created.
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