Text 18]
Vidura Approaches Maitreya
135
has no past, present and future because He is unhampered by the influence of eternal time and thus nothing is hidden from Him. He is eternally self-intelligent. Therefore His calling for Uddhava to give Him enlightenment is certainly astonishing. All these actions of the Lord appear to be contradictory, although there is no contradiction in the routine activities of the Lord. Therefore it is better to see them as they are and not attempt to explain them.
TEXT 18
ज्ञानं परं स्वात्मरहःप्रकाशं  
 प्रोवाच कस्मै भगवान् समग्रम् ।  
 अपि क्षमं नो ग्रहणाय भर्त-  
 र्वदाञ्जसा यद् वृजिनं तरेम ॥१८॥
jñānam param svātma-rahaḥ-prakāśam 
    provāca kasmai bhagavān samagram 
    api kṣamam no grahaṇāya bhartar 
    vadāñjasā yad vṛjinam tarema
jñānam—knowledge; param—supreme; sva-ātma—own self; rahaḥ—mystery; prakāśam—enlightening; provāca—said; kasmai—unto Ka (Brahmājī); bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; samagram—in sum total; api—if so; kṣamam—able; naḥ—unto me; grahaṇāya—acceptable; bhartaḥ—my Lord; vada—say; añjasā—in detail; yat—that which; vṛjinam—miseries; tarema—can cross over.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, kindly explain to us, if You think us competent to receive it, that transcendental knowledge which gives enlightenment about Yourself and which You explained before to Brahmājī.
PURPORT
A pure devotee like Uddhava has no material afflictions because he engages constantly in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. A devotee feels afflicted without the association of the Lord. Constant remembrance of the Lord's activities keeps the devotee alive, and therefore Uddhava requested that the Lord please enlighten him with the knowledge of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , as was previously instructed to Brahmājī.