Devanagari
श्री शुक उवाच
स एवं भगवान् पृष्ट: क्षत्त्रा कौषारवो मुनि: ।
पुंसां नि:श्रेयसार्थेन तमाह बहुमानयन् ॥ १७ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
sa evaṁ bhagavān pṛṣṭaḥ
kṣattrā kauṣāravo muniḥ
puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasārthena
tam āha bahu-mānayan
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
saḥ
—
he
;
evam
—
thus
;
bhagavān
—
the great sage
;
pṛṣṭaḥ
—
being requested
;
kṣattrā
—
by Vidura
;
kauṣāravaḥ
—
Maitreya
;
muniḥ
—
the great sage
;
puṁsām
—
for all people
;
niḥśreyasa
—
for the greatest welfare
;
arthena
—
for that
;
tam
—
unto him
;
āha
—
narrated
;
bahu
—
greatly
;
mānayan
—
honoring .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The great sage Maitreya Muni, after honoring Vidura very greatly, began to speak, at Vidura’s request, for the greatest welfare of all people.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva said: Being asked in this way by Vidura, whose purpose was to deliver the people of Kali-yuga, Maitreya, giving him great respect, began to speak to him.
He was asked by Vidura (kṣattrā), whose purpose as an associate of the Lord was to deliver the future people of Kali-yuga.
Purport
The great sage Maitreya Muni is described here as
bhagavān
because he surpassed all ordinary human beings in learning and experience. Thus his selection of the greatest welfare service for the world is considered authoritative. The all-inclusive welfare service for the entire human society is devotional service to the Lord, and, as requested by Vidura, the sage described the same very appropriately.