Text 10]
Conversation Between Maitreya and Vidura
763
TEXT 9
विदुर उनाच
प्रजापतिपतिः सृष्ट्वा प्रजासर्गे प्रजापतीन् । किमारभत मे ब्रह्मन् प्रब्रूहव्यक्तमार्गवित् ॥ ९ ॥
vidura uvāca prajāpati-patiḥ sṛṣṭvā prajā-sarge prajāpatīn kim ārabhata me brahman prabrūhy avyakta-mārga-vit
viduraḥ uvāca—  Vidura said;  prajāpati-patiḥ—  Lord Brahmā;  sṛṣṭvā—  after creating;  prajā-sarge—  for the purpose of creating living beings;  prajāpatīn—  the  prajāpatis ;  kim—  what;  ārabhata—  started;  me—  to me;  brahman—  O holy sage;  prabrūhi—  tell;  avyakta-mārga-vit—  knower of that which we do not know.
TRANSLATION
Vidura said:  Since you know of matters inconceivable to us, tell me, O holy sage, what did Brahmā do to create living beings after evolving the  prajāpatis , the progenitors of living beings?
PURPORT
Significant here is the word  avyakta-mārga-vit , one who knows that which is beyond our perception. To know matters beyond one's perception, one has to learn from a superior authority in the line of discipline succession. Just to know who is our father is beyond our perception. For that, the mother is the authority. Similarly, we have to understand everything beyond our perception from the authority who actually knows. The first  avyakta-mārga-vit , or authority, is Brahmā, and the next authority in discipline succession is Nārada. Maitreya Rṣi belonged to that discipline succession, so he also is  avyakta-mārga-vit . Anyone in the bona fide line of discipline succession is  avyakta-mārga-vit , a personality who knows that which is beyond ordinary perception.
TEXT 10
ये मरीच्यादयो विप्रा यस्तु स्वायम्भुवो मनुः । ते वै ब्रह्मण आदेशात्कथमेतदभावयन् ॥१०॥