श्री शुक उवाच

स एवं भगवान् पृष्ट: क्षत्‍त्रा कौषारवो मुनि: ।

पुंसां नि:श्रेयसार्थेन तमाह बहुमानयन् ॥ १७ ॥

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.

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.