स एवं भगवान्पृष्टः क्षत्त्रा कौषारवो मुनिः ।
पुंसां निःश्रेयसार्थेन तमाह बहुमानयन् ॥१७॥
Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
sa evaá¹ bhagavÄn pṛṣá¹aḥ
ká¹£attrÄ kauá¹£Äravo muniḥ
puá¹sÄá¹ niḥśreyasÄrthena
tam Äha bahu-mÄnayan
Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; saḥ - he; evam - thus; bhagavÄn - the great sage; pṛṣá¹aḥ - being requested; ká¹£attrÄ - by Vidura; kauá¹£Äravaḥ - Maitreya; muniḥ - the great sage; puá¹sÄm - for all people; niḥśreyasa - for the greatest welfare; arthena - for that; tam - unto him; Äha - narrated; bahu - greatly; mÄnayan - honoring.
Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« 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.
The great sage Maitreya Muni is described here as bhagavÄn 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.
