Srimad-Bhagavatam

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sa viisudeviinucaram prasantam brhaspate prak-tanayam pratitam iilingya giit;lham prartayena

bhadram sviinam aprcchad bhagavat-prajaniim

[Canto 3, Ch. 1

sa-Vidura; vasudeva-Lord KrJ;a; anucaram-constant companion; prasiintam-very sober and gentle;

brhaspate-of Brhaspati, the learned spiritual master of the demigods;prak-formerly; tanayam-son or
disciple; pratitam-acknowledged; iilingya-embracing; giitJham-very feelingly; pra[tayena-in love;
bhadram-auspicious; svaniim-his own; aprcchatasked; bhagavat-of the Personality of Godhead;prajanam-
family.

TRANSLATION Then, due to his great love and feeling, Vidura embraced him [ Uddhava] who was a
constant companion of Lord Kr!!r:ta and formerly a great student of Brhaspati. Vidura then asked him for
news of the family of Lord Kr!!r:ta, the Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT Vidura was older than Uddhava, like a father, and therefore when the two met, Uddhava
bowed down before Vidura, and Vidura embraced him because Uddhava was younger, like a son.
Vidura's brother Pa1,11;lu was Lord Kr1,1a's uncle, and Uddhava was a cousin to Lord Kr!!IJa.
According to social custom, therefore, Vidura was to be respected by Uddhava on the level of his father.
Uddhava was a great scholar in logic, and he was known to be a son or disciple of Brhaspati, the greatly
learned priest and spiritual master of the demigods. Vidura asked Uddhava about the welfare of his
relatives, although he already knew that they were no longer in the world. This inquiry appears to be
very queer, but Srila }iva Gosvami states that the news was shocking to Vidura, who therefore inquired
again due to great curiosity. Thus his inquiry was psychological and not practical.

Text 26) Questions by Vidura

TEXT 26 ifum q'"'M"\ m'Ti I 3IRrnr aoqi': f-1 1

kaccit purartaU puruaU SVanabhyapadmanUV[ttyeha kiliivat"irrtau asata urvyii kusalam vidhaya

krtakartau kusalam sura-gehe

27

kaccit-whether; pura!lau-the original; puruau-Personalities of Godhead (KrIJ.a and Balarama);

svaniibhya-Brahma; padma-anuvrttyeha-by the request of the one who is born from the lotus; kila-
certainly; avat"irrtau-incarnated; iisate-are; urvya-in the world; kusalam-wellbeing; vidhaya-for doing
so; krtaka!lau-the elevators of everyone's prosperity; kusalam-all well; sura-gehe-in the house of
Surasena.

TRANSLATION [Please tell me J whether the original Personalities of Godhead, who incarnated
Themselves at the request of Brahma [who is born out of the lotus flower from the Lord] and who have
increased the prosperity of the world by elevating everyone, are doing well in the house of Surasena.
PURPORT Lord Kr)a and Balarama are not two different Personalities of God head. God is one
without a second, but He expands Himself in many forms without their being separate from one another.
They are all plenary expansions. The immediate expansion of Lord Krl)a is Baladeva, and Brahma, born
from the lotus flower from Garbhodakasay! Vil)u, is an expansion of Baladeva. This indicates that
Krl)a and Baladeva are not subjected to the regulations of the universe; on the contrary, the whole
universe is under Their subjugation. They appeared at the request of Brahma to liberate the burden of
the world, and They relieved the world by many superhuman activities so that everyone became happy
and prosperous. Without the grace of the Lord, no one can become happy and prosperous. Because the
happiness of the family of devotees of the Lord

28 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. l

depends on the happiness of the Lord, Vidura frst of all inquired about the well-being of the Lord.

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