Shloka 5
Diti’s Untimely Desire and the Birth-Cause of the Asura Line
Prelude to Hiranyākṣa–Varāha
मैत्रेय उवाच साधु वीर त्वया पृष्टमवतारकथां हरे: । यत्त्वं पृच्छसि मर्त्यानां मृत्युपाशविशातनीम् ॥ ५ ॥
maitreya uvāca sādhu vīra tvayā pṛṣṭam avatāra-kathāṁ hareḥ yat tvaṁ pṛcchasi martyānāṁ mṛtyu-pāśa-viśātanīm
মৈত্রেয় ঋষি বললেন—হে বীর! তুমি হরির অবতারের কথা জিজ্ঞাসা করেছ, এটি অতি উত্তম; কারণ এ কাহিনি মর্ত্যদের জন্য মৃত্যুর ফাঁস ছিন্নকারী।
The great sage Maitreya addressed Vidura as a warrior not only because Vidura belonged to the Kuru family but because he was anxious to hear about the chivalrous activities of the Lord in His incarnations of Varāha and Nṛsiṁha. Because the inquiries concerned the Lord, they were perfectly befitting a devotee. A devotee has no taste for hearing anything mundane. There are many topics of mundane warfare, but a devotee is not inclined to hear them. The topics of the warfare in which the Lord engages do not concern the war of death but the war against the chain of māyā which obliges one to accept repeated birth and death. In other words, one who takes delight in hearing the war topics of the Lord is relieved from the chains of birth and death. Foolish people are suspicious of Kṛṣṇa’s taking part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, not knowing that His taking part insured liberation for all who were present on the battlefield. It is said by Bhīṣmadeva that all who were present on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original spiritual existences after death. Therefore, hearing the war topics of the Lord is as good as any other devotional service.
FAQs
This verse states that narrations of Lord Hari’s incarnations are so spiritually potent that they destroy the noose of death for mortals, making them a direct means toward liberation.
Because Vidura asked about Hari’s avatara-katha—topics that awaken devotion and free the soul from mortal bondage—Maitreya calls the inquiry ‘sādhu’ (most auspicious and excellent).
Regularly hear, read, or recite Bhagavatam narrations of the Lord’s avatars; this practice strengthens bhakti, reduces anxiety about death and loss, and re-centers life on spiritual purpose.