Devanagari
विदुर उवाच
अत्रेर्गृहे सुरश्रेष्ठा: स्थित्युत्पत्त्यन्तहेतव: ।
किञ्चिच्चिकीर्षवो जाता एतदाख्याहि मे गुरो ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
vidura uvāca
atrer gṛhe sura-śreṣṭhāḥ
sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavaḥ
kiṣcic cikīrṣavo jātā
etad ākhyāhi me guro
Synonyms
viduraḥ uvāca
—
Śrī Vidura said
;
atreḥ gṛhe
—
in the house of Atri
;
sura
—
śreṣṭhāḥ — chief demigods
;
sthiti
—
maintenance
;
utpatti
—
creation
;
anta
—
destruction
;
hetavaḥ
—
causes
;
kiṣcit
—
something
;
cikīrṣavaḥ
—
desiring to do
;
jātāḥ
—
appeared
;
etat
—
this
;
ākhyāhi
—
tell
;
me
—
to me
;
guro
—
my dear spiritual master .
Translation
After hearing this, Vidura inquired from Maitreya: My dear master, how is it that the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the whole creation, became the offspring of the wife of Atri Muni?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Vidura said: O guru! Please tell me why Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are the creator, maintainer and destroyer, desired to be born in the house of Atri Muni.
Kiṣcit means “why.”
Purport
The inquisitiveness of Vidura was quite fitting, for he understood that when the Supersoul, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva all appeared through the person of Anasūyā, the wife of Atri Muni, there must have been some great purpose. Otherwise why should they have appeared in such a way?