Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विदुर उवाच अत्रेर्गृहे सुरश्रेष्ठा: स्थित्युत्पत्त्यन्तहेतव: । किञ्चिच्चिकीर्षवो जाता एतदाख्याहि मे गुरो ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

vidura uvāca atrer gṛhe sura-śreṣṭhāḥ sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavaḥ kiñcic cikīrṣavo jātā etad ākhyāhi me guro

Translation

Vidura said: O master, how is it that the three deities—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva—who are the causes of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe, became the sons born of Ṛṣi Atri’s wife? Please explain this to me.

Synonyms

• viduraḥ: Vidura
• viduraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• atreḥ: of Atri
• atreḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gṛhe: in the house
• gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sura-śreṣṭhāḥ: the best of the gods
• sura-śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष: सुराणां श्रेष्ठाः

• sthiti-utpatti-anta-hetavaḥ: causes of maintenance, creation, and dissolution
• sthiti-utpatti-anta-hetavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक) + utpatti (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समाहार/समुच्चय-भाव: (sthiti + utpatti + anta) as a dvandva, with hetu as head (tatpuruṣa-like): causes of maintenance, creation, and dissolution

• kiñcit: something, a certain (act)
• kiñcit: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiñcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), परिमाण/अल्पार्थ (somewhat, something)

• cikīrṣavaḥ: desiring to do
• cikīrṣavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cikīrṣu (कृदन्त; √kṛ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative participial adjective): 'wishing to do'

• jātāḥ: born, arisen
• jātāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta (कृदन्त; √jan धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); भूतकृदन्त (past participle): 'born/appeared'

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• ākhyāhi: tell, explain
• ākhyāhi: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √khyā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग ā-

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन (Dative/Genitive Singular) रूप; अत्र चतुर्थी (to me)

• guro: O teacher
• guro: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Purport

The inquisitiveness of Vidura was quite fitting, for he understood that when the Supersoul, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva all appeared through the person of Anasūyā, the wife of Atri Muni, there must have been some great purpose. Otherwise why should they have appeared in such a way?

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Atri
• Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)

FAQs

Why did Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva appear in Atri Muni’s house in Srimad Bhagavatam 4.1?

This verse introduces Vidura’s inquiry: the foremost divine controllers connected with creation, maintenance, and dissolution appeared at Atri’s hermitage for a specific divine purpose, which Vidura asks his teacher to explain.

Why does Vidura ask this question to his guru in Bhagavatam Canto 4?

Vidura approaches the sage-teacher (Maitreya in this narration) to understand the deeper reason behind the Lord’s and devas’ appearances—seeking the devotional and philosophical meaning behind the event, not merely the history.

How can a devotee apply this verse in modern life?

Cultivate sincere inquiry (jijñāsā) from authentic teachers—asking not only “what happened,” but “why it happened,” so spiritual study becomes purposeful and devotionally grounded.