Hare Krsna,
Chapters 1 through 4 have a number of important lessons for us.
- Conversation with great souls is always beneficial for our spiritual progress and for the welfare of humanity. Pariksit Maharaja earnestly asked Sukadeva Goswami about the discussion between Maitreya and Vidura. This shows that conversations between great men (Vidura and Maitreya) are a subject of deep interest for other men.
SB 3.1.3-4: Text 3: The King asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī: Where and when did the meeting and discussion take place between Saint Vidura and His Grace Maitreya Muni? Kindly oblige, my lord, and describe this to us. Saint Vidura was a great and pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his questions to His Grace Ṛṣi Maitreya must have been very purposeful, on the highest level, and approved by learned circles.
- Turning disappointment into inspiration to become absorbed in bhakti. Vidura was insulted by Duryodhana and driven away from the palace. Shockingly even Dhrtarastra did not stop Duryodhana. Pierced by the sharp words of Duryodhana, Vidura left his brother’s palace. He understood the influence of maya on arrogant Duryodhana who was heading towards his own ruination. At the same time, Vidura saw how the Lord was availing him the opportunity to absorb himself exclusively in bhakti. Great people convert causes of distress into opportunities to seek God’s shelter and purify themselves.
SB 3.1.19: While so traversing the earth, he (Vidura) simply performed duties to please the Supreme Lord Hari. His occupation was pure and independent. He was constantly sanctified by taking his bath in holy places, although he was in the dress of a mendicant and had no hair dressing nor a bed on which to lie. Thus he was always unseen by his various relatives.
- Remembrance in separation: Even in separation from Krsna, a devotee is in union with Krsna through remembrance and service. During his pilgrimage, Vidura met Uddhava and inquired about the wellbeing of the Yadus. Uddhava, lost in loving remembrance of Krsna in separation, remained silent. After coming back to external consciousness, he recollected the apparent contradictory behavior of Krsna. He briefly narrated all the enchanting pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, Mathura, Dvaraka, Hastinapure and so on.
SB 3.2.1: When the great devotee Uddhava was asked by Vidura to speak on the messages of the dearest [Lord Kṛṣṇa], Uddhava was unable to answer immediately due to excessive anxiety at the remembrance of the Lord.
SB 3.2.5: It was so observed by Vidura that Uddhava had all the transcendental bodily changes due to total ecstasy, and he was trying to wipe away tears of separation from his eyes. Thus Vidura could understand that Uddhava had completely assimilated extensive love for the Lord.
- Power of ajnata-sukrti: Sometimes we accumulate pious credits even unknowingly and thus become fortunate to see and hear from great souls, as was the case with Maitreya Rsi.
SB 3.4.9: At that time, after traveling in many parts of the world, Maitreya, a great devotee of the Lord and a friend and well-wisher of the great sage Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, reached that spot out of his own perfect accord.
Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport that “To meet the Lord is not an ordinary incident. Maitreya was a great sage and a learned scholar-philosopher but not a pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his meeting with the Lord at that time may have been due to ajñāta-sukṛti, or some unknown devotional service. Pure devotees always engage in pure devotional activities, and therefore their meeting with the Lord is natural. But when those who are not up to that standard meet the Lord, it is due to the unforeseen fortune of accidental devotional service.”
Therefore, performance of bhakti never goes to waste, even if performed unknowingly or meagerly.
- Etiquette of seeking and giving knowledge: Vidura expressed this desire to hear from Uddhava the self-knowledge that he had received from Krsna. But Uddhava, although competent, couldn’t accept elderly Vidura as a disciple, especially when Maitreya was nearby. He was careful about maryada-vyatikrama or the offense of surpassing a greater personality. Uddhava guided Vidura to elderly Maitreya who was also directly instructed by Krsna. A sincere seeker is eager to receive spiritual knowledge even from younger persons if they are well qualified. A humble person does not consider one’s ability to be one’s eligibility. He or she does not become greedy to instruct an elder, especially in the presence of another qualified senior.
SB 3.4.25-26: Vidura said: O Uddhava, because the servants of Viṣṇu, the Lord, wander in the interest of serving others, it is quite fit that you kindly describe the self-knowledge with which you have been enlightened by the Lord Himself. Śrī Uddhava said: You may take lessons from the great learned sage Maitreya, who is nearby and who is worshipable for reception of transcendental knowledge. He was directly instructed by the Personality of Godhead while He was about to quit this mortal world.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 