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According to Mahabharata, along with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, Kunti and Vidura too went to the forest. Later, the first three perished in a forest fire, whereas Vidura died like a sanyasi.

That understood, we move to Srimad Bhagavatam. In this only Dhritarashtra and Gandhari die in the forest. Kunti passes away on hearing the news of Krsna's disappearance. Vidura on the other hand meets Uddhava and then proceeds to Maitreya Maharshi's ashram. Here he listens to the stories of Varaha and Kapila avataras as well as Sati's and Dhruva's stories.

The question is: why is there such an irreconcilable difference between the Mahabharata and Bhagavatam? (This is not the only difference though.)

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  • I think this is just due to interpolations or transcription errors in manuscripts of one or both works. – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 19 '15 at 15:03
  • You cannot call it an interpolation. That would mean the whoLe of 3rd and 4th skandhas are interpolated. That is truly a disastrous thought. – Surya Nov 19 '15 at 15:11
  • No, just because a few verses here and there about the deaths of Kunti and Vidura are interpolations wouldn't invalidate entire Skandas of the Srimad Bhagavatam. – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 19 '15 at 15:14
  • It would because the full cantos are in form of Vidura's queries. – Surya Nov 19 '15 at 15:15
  • Well, here's one possibility: what if Vidura's talk with Uddhava about Krishna's death was an interpolation, but Vidura met Maitreya shortly after the Mahabharata war? Then he could have also gone with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari 15 years after the war. That wouldn't require rejecting too much of the Srimad Bhagavatam. – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 19 '15 at 15:37
  • Sigh. If only it was so easy. – Surya Nov 19 '15 at 15:38
  • It is because of such disagreements that I sometimes wonder whether Devi Bhagavatam is the actual one and Srimad Bhagavatam is the Upapurana. – Surya Nov 19 '15 at 15:41
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Surya Nov 19 '15 at 15:42
  • @Keshav Leaving aside Vidura for time being, how do you explain Kunti dying in the forest fire and reappearing in Hastinapura so that she can die again? Don't say it is an interpolation and brush it off... – Surya Apr 12 '16 at 04:46
  • That's exactly what I would say. In fact I said it above: "No, just because a few verses here and there about the deaths of Kunti and Vidura are interpolations wouldn't invalidate entire Skandas of the Srimad Bhagavatam." – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 12 '16 at 04:50
  • @Keshav I am asking you to take a few steps back and check whether there is any commentary about this, like any acharyas who commented on Bhagavatam: what do they say? – Surya Apr 12 '16 at 04:53
  • Yeah, I can check whether the Advaita, Dvaita, and Visistadvaita commentators have anything to say about it. Can you give me the verse number for Kunti's death in Hastinapura? – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 12 '16 at 04:55
  • @Keshav It is this verse. Thanks – Surya Apr 12 '16 at 05:37
  • @Surya Vidura was Yama in human form and it was due to curse of Sage Mandavya, he had to take birth from a sudra women. Yama prayed to Shiva to overcome this grief and Siva blessed him that he (Vidura) will attain salvation by leaving body through Brahmarandram. – The Destroyer May 03 '16 at 03:20

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