"Go now, as you are. I cannot wait". Thus spoke Satyavati to his son Rishi Vyasa who was born out of a wedlock. Patience is an important quality which no matter what the aim is should never be deserted. But Satyavati could not wait.
With Bhishma stuck to his vow, Satyavati called her illegitimate son who was born out of a wedlock. She requested him to make the two princesses pregnant. Rishi Vyasa agreed but sought a year so that he can groom and prepare himself as years of penance had made his skin hoarse and hair matter. But Satyavati could not wait and informed him to do it now.
Ambika was so disgusted by Vyasa'a looks that she shut her eyes when he touched her. The child conceived through her was Dhritarashtra, the blind one.
Ambalika grew pale when she saw Vyasa. The child conceived through her was Pandu, a pale (albino?) weakling and maybe, impotent.
Maybe, this in a way shows that the child might have to bear the fruits or thorns of the actions of the parent.
Satyavati was disappointed with the imperfect children and ordered Vyasa to got to Ambika again. Ambika sent her maid this time to Vyasa who made love to him without any inhibitions. Out of this communion was born Vidura. Vidura was perfect and fit to be a king, but he could not crowned as he was born of a maid.
It is claimed that Vidura is none other than Yama (Aka Dharma), god of death, living out a curse. Once it so happened that a group of thieves took refuge in the hermitage of Sage Mandavya who was lost at the time in meditation. When they were discovered, the kings guard accused Mandavya of aiding them. He was put into jail and tortured and impaled. When he came before Yama, he demanded an explanation for this suffering. Yama informed him that as a child, Mandavya had impaled tiny insects on a straw and hence, your suffering was a repayment for this karmic debt. Mandavya did not agree that an innocent acts committed as a child should be punished like this and cursed Yama/Dharma to an earthly life as a man who though fit to be a king will never be crowned inspite of all the perfect qualities.
Mahabharata/Jaya often speaks of boons and curses. It need not mean that the people who offered them were always powerful or so. It needs to be seen as a tool of implementing the Law of Karma. In the simplistic times of telling this story, it would have made sense to use curses and boons to explain the complicated laws of Karma. Vidura's life as well as Mandavya's life story here in a way explains the bigger picture or reason behind terrible things happening to seemingly good human beings. It also explains that every action, no matter consciously performed or not will result into a future set of event/events/actions. Mahabharata/Jaya in such is a treasure which implores the human mind to see beyond what appears.
With Bhishma stuck to his vow, Satyavati called her illegitimate son who was born out of a wedlock. She requested him to make the two princesses pregnant. Rishi Vyasa agreed but sought a year so that he can groom and prepare himself as years of penance had made his skin hoarse and hair matter. But Satyavati could not wait and informed him to do it now.
Ambika was so disgusted by Vyasa'a looks that she shut her eyes when he touched her. The child conceived through her was Dhritarashtra, the blind one.
Ambalika grew pale when she saw Vyasa. The child conceived through her was Pandu, a pale (albino?) weakling and maybe, impotent.
Maybe, this in a way shows that the child might have to bear the fruits or thorns of the actions of the parent.
Satyavati was disappointed with the imperfect children and ordered Vyasa to got to Ambika again. Ambika sent her maid this time to Vyasa who made love to him without any inhibitions. Out of this communion was born Vidura. Vidura was perfect and fit to be a king, but he could not crowned as he was born of a maid.
It is claimed that Vidura is none other than Yama (Aka Dharma), god of death, living out a curse. Once it so happened that a group of thieves took refuge in the hermitage of Sage Mandavya who was lost at the time in meditation. When they were discovered, the kings guard accused Mandavya of aiding them. He was put into jail and tortured and impaled. When he came before Yama, he demanded an explanation for this suffering. Yama informed him that as a child, Mandavya had impaled tiny insects on a straw and hence, your suffering was a repayment for this karmic debt. Mandavya did not agree that an innocent acts committed as a child should be punished like this and cursed Yama/Dharma to an earthly life as a man who though fit to be a king will never be crowned inspite of all the perfect qualities.
Mahabharata/Jaya often speaks of boons and curses. It need not mean that the people who offered them were always powerful or so. It needs to be seen as a tool of implementing the Law of Karma. In the simplistic times of telling this story, it would have made sense to use curses and boons to explain the complicated laws of Karma. Vidura's life as well as Mandavya's life story here in a way explains the bigger picture or reason behind terrible things happening to seemingly good human beings. It also explains that every action, no matter consciously performed or not will result into a future set of event/events/actions. Mahabharata/Jaya in such is a treasure which implores the human mind to see beyond what appears.
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