Devanagari
मैत्रेय उवाच
सत्सेवनीयो बत पूरुवंशो
यल्लोकपालो भगवत्प्रधान: ।
बभूविथेहाजितकीर्तिमालां
पदे पदे नूतनयस्यभीक्ष्णम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
maitreya uvāca
sat-sevanīyo bata pūru-vaṁśo
yal loka-pālo bhagavat-pradhānaḥ
babhūvithehājita-kīrti-mālāṁ
pade pade nūtanayasy abhīkṣṇam
Synonyms
maitreyaḥ uvāca
—
Śrī Maitreya Muni said
;
sat
—
sevanīyaḥ — worthy to serve the pure devotees
;
bata
—
oh, certainly
;
pūru
—
vaṁśaḥ — the descendants of King Pūru
;
yat
—
because
;
loka
—
pālaḥ — the kings are
;
bhagavat
—
pradhānaḥ — chiefly devoted to the Personality of Godhead
;
babhūvitha
—
you are also born
;
iha
—
in this
;
ajita
—
the Lord, who is unconquerable
;
kīrti
—
mālām — chain of transcendental activities
;
pade pade
—
step by step
;
nūtanayasi
—
becoming newer and newer
;
abhīkṣṇam
—
always .
Translation
The great sage Maitreya Muni said to Vidura: The royal dynasty of King Pūru is worthy to serve the pure devotees because all the descendants of that family are devoted to the Personality of Godhead. You are also born in that family, and it is wonderful that because of your attempt the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are becoming newer and newer at every moment.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Maitreya said: Oh! The dynasty of the Purus has become worthy of worship by the devotees, since you, protector of planets, who have made Bhagavān the object of your worship, have appeared in it. You make the garland of the Lord’s glories newer at every moment, in every word, in every verse and every chapter.
The Eighth Chapter describes how Brahmā appears from the lotus in Viṣṇu’s navel, gives up searching, enters samādhi and then sees the Lord.
O Vidura! You have said:
arthābhāvaṁ viniścitya pratītasyāpi nātmanaḥ
tāṁ cāpi yuṣmac-caraṇa-sevayāhaṁ parāṇude
Convinced that the jīva does not actually suffer loss of knowledge, but not perceiving it directly, I will destroy lack of this realization by service to your lotus feet. SB 3.7.18
nimittāni ca tasyeha proktāny anagha sūribhiḥ
svato jṣānaṁ kutaḥ puṁsāṁ bhaktir vairāgyam eva vā
O sinless Maitreya! Tell me about the causes of this knowledge as described by the devotees. Can a person attain knowledge, bhakti or renunciation on his own? SB 3.7.39
Thus you have prayed for my association. But according to me, my getting your association is most rare, attained by only the greatest amount of good actions. Just by serving persons associated with you, bhakti to the Lord will arise! Praising Vidura in this way, Maitreya rejoices.
Oh (bata)! By this exclamation, he indicates that Vidura agreed to accept this birth for saving Maitreya. The Puru dynasty in which you have appeared, has become worthy of service by the devotees. What is your nature? Among the three forms—Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, worshipped according to different mentalities, you have made Bhagavān the chief object of worship (bhagavat-pradhānaḥ). Among the worshippers of Bhagavān, at every moment (abhīkṣam) in every statement, on every occasion (pade pade)—in every sentence, in every verse, in every chapter, you make the garland of the glories of the Lord become ever fresh. You string together this garland of the Lord’s glories just by the thread of your taste. Placing this garland within the casket of your ears and mind which have condensed attraction, you make it eternally fresh. Your greatness cannot be expressed in words.
Purport
The great sage Maitreya thanked Vidura and praised him by reference to his family glories. The Pūru dynasty was full of devotees of the Personality of Godhead and was therefore glorious. Because they were not attached to impersonal Brahman or to the localized Paramātmā but were directly attached to Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, they were worthy to render service to the Lord and His pure devotees. Because Vidura was one of the descendants of that family, naturally he engaged in spreading wide the ever-new glories of the Lord. Maitreya felt happy to have such glorious company as Vidura. He considered the company of Vidura most desirable because such association can accelerate one’s dormant propensities for devotional service.