Vidura, also known as Mahatma Vidura, served as the prime minister of Hastinapur and was a member of the royal family. However, his mother was not a royal princess but a maidservant in the royal household. This prevented him from playing a significant role in state affairs or receiving training in warfare from Bhishma Pitamaha. Mahatma Vidura was the son of Rishi Vedavyasa and a maidservant. He acted as a counselor to the Pandavas, saving them on numerous occasions from the schemes devised by Duryodhana. Vidura also opposed Draupadi's humiliation in the Kaurava court. According to Lord Krishna, Vidura was considered an incarnation of Yama (the god of justice). Similar to Chanakya, Vidura's principles are highly lauded. Before the Kurukshetra War, Vidura delivered a discourse on ethics, which is relevant to the war's outcome. This conversation took place between Mahatma Vidura and Dhritarashtra, the king of Hastinapur. To understand how to improve one's life, let's explore the teachings of "Neeti-Bhaagya 6" by Mahatma Vidura in this article.
Before the commencement of the Kurukshetra War, when messengers arrived from Hastinapur to deliver a message to the Pandavas, they were scheduled to present their message in the assembly the following day. That night, King Dhritarashtra was deeply distressed and unable to sleep, so he summoned his prime minister, Vidura.
Shortly after, Vidura arrived at the palace, preceding the king. Dhritarashtra confided in Vidura, expressing his troubled mind and explaining his restlessness since Sanjaya's return from the Pandavas' abode. The thought of Sanjaya's address in the assembly the next day was causing him immense anxiety and sleeplessness.
Upon hearing this, Vidura explained crucial principles to the king, stating that four things disturb the sleep and peace of mind of both men and women. What are these four things?
Firstly, Vidura explained to Dhritarashtra that if a person's mind is filled with desires, their sleep is disturbed. As long as one's desires remain unfulfilled, sleep eludes them. Desire disrupts mental peace, and an individual consumed by desire cannot perform any task properly. This longing disrupts the sleep of both men and women.
Secondly, enmity with a powerful person beyond one's capabilities disturbs sleep. A weak and helpless individual constantly worries about escaping a powerful enemy, fearing unfortunate events due to that enemy's might.
Thirdly, if a person has a tendency to steal or their livelihood depends on theft, if they constantly plan to steal others' wealth, they cannot sleep. A thief steals at night and lives in fear of being caught during the day. Thus, they are unable to sleep due to this fear.
Fourthly, the loss of everything disrupts one's sleep. Such a person finds neither peace nor sleep. They constantly plan to regain their lost possessions and cannot sleep until they recover their belongings.
