Shloka 38
Vidura’s Questions: How the Unchangeable Lord Relates to Māyā; Bhakti as the Remedy; Blueprint for the Coming Cosmology
पुरुषस्य च संस्थानं स्वरूपं वा परस्य च । ज्ञानं च नैगमं यत्तद्गुरुशिष्यप्रयोजनम् ॥ ३८ ॥
puruṣasya ca saṁsthānaṁ svarūpaṁ vā parasya ca jñānaṁ ca naigamaṁ yat tad guru-śiṣya-prayojanam
សេចក្តីពិតអំពីជីវៈ និងអំពីព្រះបុគ្គលដ៏អធិឧត្តម (ភគវាន) ជាអ្វី? អត្តសញ្ញាណ និងស្ថានភាពរបស់ពួកគេយ៉ាងដូចម្តេច? តម្លៃពិសេសក្នុងចំណេះដឹងវេទៈមានអ្វីខ្លះ ហើយអ្វីជាការចាំបាច់សម្រាប់គ្រូវិញ្ញាណ និងសិស្ស?
The living entities are constitutionally servitors of the Lord, who can accept all kinds of service from everyone. It is clearly declared ( Bg. 5.29 ) that the Lord is the supreme enjoyer of the benefits of all sacrifices and penances, the proprietor of all that is manifested and the friend of all living entities. That is His real identity. Therefore, when the living entity accepts this supreme proprietorship of the Lord and acts in that attitude, he resumes his real identity. In order to elevate the living entity to this standard of knowledge, there is the necessity of spiritual association. The bona fide spiritual master desires that his disciples know the process of rendering transcendental service to the Lord, and the disciples also know that they have to learn about the eternal relationship between God and the living entity from a self-realized soul. To disseminate transcendental knowledge one must retire from mundane activities on the strength of enlightenment in knowledge in terms of Vedic wisdom. That is the sum and substance of all the questions in this verse.
FAQs
This verse states that the guru-disciple exchange is meant for realizing the Puruṣa’s form/arrangement, the Supreme Lord’s true nature, and the Vedic knowledge that reveals Him.
Vidura is framing his inquiry: he approaches Maitreya to learn authoritative, Vedic understanding of the Lord and cosmic order—showing the proper mood of a disciple seeking truth.
Seek knowledge through authentic scripture under guidance of a qualified teacher, and focus learning on transformation—understanding God, the self, and the world—rather than mere information.