Srila Prabhupada describes the mentality and modus operandi of the sakuni apa-sampradaya

[Joseph Langevin]

Srila Prabhupada describes the mentality and modus operandi of the sakuni apa-sampradaya.

 

 

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā

 

So in the last verse, Kuntī accepted, vimocitā ahaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho: "My Lord, there were so many dangers, and You saved us, along with my sons." Muhur vipad-gaṇāt: "One after another, dangerous position." So some of them are being described.

 

Viṣāt: "from poison." The Dhṛtarāṣṭra group, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pāṇḍavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable kṣatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura and Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the elder brother of Pāṇḍava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pāṇḍu was the youngest, the father of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varṇāśrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra took charge as the eldest member. So māyā is very strong. He began to think that "Actually this kingdom belongs to me. I am the eldest son, but because I am born blind, therefore it was given to my younger brother. Now he is dead. Now he's dead, so the property belongs to me. Some way or other, it was transferred to my younger brother. Now the younger brother is dead. Then again I become proprietor. So at least I could not rule over the kingdom, why not my sons?" This was the beginning.

 

Just like one of our Godbrothers, he's thinking that "This institution was started by me and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī as partners. Now the senior partner is dead. Therefore I am the sole proprietor. Who are these Godbrothers? Let them go away." So this is māyā, the same māyā Dhṛtarāṣṭra was thinking. And his brother-in-law, Śakuni, was very expert in conspiracy. So he was advising him, "Yes, you are the proprietor. At least your sons should be..." This is natural. Every... Everyone has got some affection for the family. So this is the beginning of the conspiracy. Otherwise, he was taking care of the children very nicely. But māyā was dictating that "You are taking care of the children of your brother. What about your own children?" "Yes, why not my children?"

So attempt was being made how to kill these boys. The first attempt was to administer poison. They... Dhṛtarāṣṭra constructed a house of shellac. So they were transferred: "My dear boys, for some days you can live in that house. That is very nice." So Vidura gave him hint, so, that "You are being sent there. Be careful for being killed. The house will be set fire." So Vidura was very favorable to the Pāṇḍavas. So they made a subway in that house, and when the house was set fire, they escaped through the subway. In this way, it is said, viṣān mahāgneḥ, set fire in shellac house... Just like nowadays this, what is called, plastic. It gets set fire very soon. Then puruṣāda, they took shelter in a house where there was a rākṣasa, cannibal. He was disturbing the whole village. So the settlement was that every day one family should hand over one man to him for eating, then he will not create disturbance. So the Pāṇḍavas were taking shelter in a house after escaping from the fire, and the... One day the turn came to that family that they would have to hand over one member of the family to that cannibal. So the Pāṇḍavas were present. They thought, "We are guest here, and they are in danger, so we must save them." This is obligation. If you become guest in a house, he's receiving you well, he's supplying you your necessities, so you are considered to be very intimate friend. So when they are danger, you must help. This consideration... Then it was decided that "This man should be hand over. Bhīma shall go." So when Bhīma was handed over to that cannibals, so he was killed. So... But it was a great danger.

 

So in this way, danger after danger. Then asat-sabhāyāḥ: "The assembly of crooked persons." Draupadī was lost in bet, betting. So Karṇa, he had some attraction for Draupadī from the beginning, when there was svayaṁvara. So Karṇa also went to contest, and he had very much attraction for Draupadī, but Draupadī wanted to get Arjuna as her husband. So she pointed out... Because she knew that "If Karṇa takes the contest, he will be victorious. Karṇa is more expert than Arjuna"; therefore she played a trick that "This svayaṁvara ceremony is meant for the kṣatriyas, not for others. I cannot accept my husband, anyone else except the kṣatriya

 

Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.8: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974 : 741004SB.MAY