304
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 8]
PURPORT
The great sage Maitreya thanked Vidura and praised him by reference to his family glories. The Pūru dynasty is full of devotees of the Personality of Godhead and is therefore glorious. Because they are not attached to impersonal Brahman or to the localized Paramātmā but are directly attached to Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, they are therefore worthy to render service to the Lord and His pure devotees. Because Vidura was one of the descendants of that family, naturally he engaged in spreading wide the ever new glories of the Lord. Maitreya felt happy to have such glorious company as Vidura. He considered the company of Vidura to be most desirable because such association can accelerate one's dormant propensities for devotional service.
TEXT 2
सोऽहं नृणां क्षुल्लसुखाय दुःखं 
  महद्वतानां विरमाय तस्य । 
  प्रवर्तये भागवतं पुराणं 
  यदाह साक्षाद्भगवानृषिभ्यः ॥ २ ॥
so'hami nṛṇām kṣulla-sukhāya duḥkhami 
  mahadgatānāmi viramāya tasya 
  pravartaye bhāgavatami purāṇami 
  yad āha sākṣād bhagavān ṛṣibhyaḥ
saḥ—that; aham—I; nṛṇām—of the human being; kṣulla—very little; sukhāya—for happiness; duḥkham—distress; mahat—great; gatānām—entered into; viramāya—for mitigation; tasya—his; pravartaye—shall begin; bhāgavatam—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; purāṇam—Vedic supplement; yat—which; āha—said; sākṣāt—directly; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; ṛṣibhyaḥ—unto the sages.
TRANSLATION
Let me now begin speaking on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, which was directly spoken to the great sages by the Personality of Godhead for the benefit of those who are entangled in extreme miseries for the sake of very little pleasure.
PURPORT
The sage Maitreya proposed to speak on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it is especially compiled, and traditionally comes down in the disciplic