When Dhritarastra learned that Vasudeva’s divine son was coming, he had the city embellished to offer him a worthy reception. He also thought of giving him vast riches so that he would become well disposed towards them. Bhishma was indignant and disgusted.
“Your politics have always been based on corruption and wickedness; you have never considered the opportunities to do honest things. But do you really believe you can buy Krishna with gifts and honors? You don’t know that He already owns everything, including all that you have? He is the creator of the whole world and can only be conquered by love and purity.”
When the Lord of Dvaraka arrived in the city in the morning, everyone was out to receive and honor him.
When the ceremonials were over, Krishna refused to be housed in the royal palace, preferring to stay in Vidura’s house.
Kunti, who had lived there since the day her children left for the forest, asked Him about her loved ones. Krishna told her they were in good health and reassured her by promising that she would soon embrace them again.
The next day, when Krishna went to the royal palace, He met Karna, Sakuni, and Duhssasana on the threshold.
“We were very sorry that you did not want to accept the hospitality we have offered you with such respect,” Duryodhana told him. “We don’t understand the reasons for this attitude. Isn’t it your vote to accept whatever is offered to you?”
“I have not stayed with you,” Krishna replied, “for one simple reason: I do not accept food cooked and offered by a person whose heart is tainted with vices and lust, envy and greed, nor do I accept their hospitality. You have given ample demonstrations of being great sinners, and for this I have preferred to be a guest of the great soul Vidura. However, being the bearer of a message of the utmost importance, I promise you from now on that if you accept my proposals, I will gladly remain at court.”
That evening, in the privacy of his abode, Vidura discussed at length with Krishna the grave crisis that threatened to extinguish the entire Kshatriya race on earth. In fact, with warriors of the caliber of Arjuna, Bhima and Satyaki on one side, and Bhishma, Drona and Karna on the other, ordinary soldiers would have had no escape and the battle would have unfolded with enormous and cruel massacres in the first days and astonishing duels in the last. There were no doubts about this.
The next day, early in the morning, after doing His daily meditations, Krishna went to the council chamber, which was already crowded with monarchs who wanted to see and hear Him.
He spoke for a long time, adopting both the path of persuasion and that threats, but his attempts were to no avail. Duryodhana would not make peace with the Pandavas. Others intervened in the discussion trying to induce him to reason, and even Gandhari, his mother, was summoned to dissuade him from his diabolical intentions, but all was in vain. Accompanied by his closest friends, Duryodhana, enraged, left the hall.
Not only he did not give any weight to Krishna’s words, but he even planned to capture and kill him. His evil plot was thwarted by Satyaki, who entered the council chamber and informed everyone of Duryodhana’s intentions. The blind king then severely rebuked his son.
Krishna watched the scene, showing no signs of concern for the danger He might face.
“Do you really think you can catch me and kill me?” He asked calmly. “What a delusion you are! Only my mother Yashoda, during my childhood, was able to bind me thanks to her spiritual strength; hers was transcendental love, not materialistic hatred, like yours. No one can imprison me because my body has no limits, and there is no chain long enough to hold me. My form is infinite, and everything in it exists eternally. Now I will show you how what I say is true.”
Thus, while speaking, before the terrified bystanders, the Lord of all mystical powers manifested His universal form, demonstrating how all creation was present in His divine body. At that very moment Dhritarastra regained his sight and could admire its immeasurable power.
That magic lasted for a few minutes and then everything returned to normal.
“Dear Sanjaya,” Dhritarastra said, “after admiring the universal form of the Lord I don’t want to see anything else, because at this point I believe that there is nothing that deserves to be seen. I want this to be the only image that remains in my mind. Pray, then, to the Lord that once again I may become blind.”
At the instant Dhritarastra was deprived of his sight again, flower petals rained down from the celestial planets and blessings were heard for his future well-being.
But the crisis could not be avoided.
Having failed even that last attempt, the war had become an incontrovertible reality. Krishna greeted the elders and left the hall giving instructions to His helpers to prepare for the return journey.
Without giving any weight to the terrifying vision he had witnessed moments before, as soon as Krishna left, Duryodhana began to talk about the war with his allies.
Within a few hours the generals were preparing for departure in order to reach the troops stationed on the banks of the Ganges. As the Kurava armies moved in the direction of Kuruksetra, the earth shook under their weight.
There were other attempts by the elders and the Rishis to dissuade him from his intentions, to make him reconcile with his cousins, but it had all been in vain. Duryodhana was determined; he would destroy the Pandavas once and for all or he would die.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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