Vidura

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Vidura (Sanskrit: विदुर, vidūra) was a son of a maid-servant who served the Queens of Hastinapura, Queen Ambika and Ambalika. In some accounts, he was an incarnation of Yama or Dharma Raj, who was cursed by the sage, Mandavya, for imposing punishment on him that exceed the sin.

The Queens were married to King Vichitravirya of Hastinapur, who died childless. Vichitravirya's mother Satyavati, who needed to ensure that the line was carried on, called upon her other son Vyasa, to go to the beds of the two queens to bear children. Vyasa was a hermit, and came to the palace as he was. He went to Ambika who closed her eyes when she saw him, and to Ambalika who became pale. When the queens were asked to go to the sage again, to ensure that there would be children, they refused and sent their maid-servant instead.

The maid-servant was not frightened at all and was strong. Hence her son was not born flawed like his half-brothers. Thus, Vidura was born who was raised as brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.

As he had no royal blood, he was never considered or had any chance of obtaining the throne of the kingdom. He remained a brother to the princes and served them both as Prime Minister.

After Krishna, he was the most trusted advisor to the Pandavas and had warned them repeatedly about Duryodhana's plots. In particular, he warned the Pandavas from Duryodhana's plan to burn them alive in a house of wax he had made for them. He was well-known for saying the bitter truth to everyone and to be extremely intelligent in all fields.

After the great battle, he helped Yudhishtira when he became ruler. Later, he accompanied his brother Dhritarashtra, and his sisters-in-law Gandhari, and Kunti, when they left on their last journey to the forest. He died before his companions, on the banks of the Ganga.

In Irawati Karve's work Yuganta, a commentary on the Mahabharata, she suggests that Vidura could have been the true father of the Pandava brothers.

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The Mahabharata by Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
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