विदुर उवाच
अत्रेर्गृहे सुरश्रेष्ठाः स्थित्युत्पत्त्यन्तहेतवः ।
किञ्चिच्चिकीर्षवो जाता एतदाख्याहि मे गुरो ॥ १६ ॥
sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavah
vidurah uvaca-Sri Vidura said; atreh grhe-in the house of Atri; sura-sresthah-chief demigods; sthiti-maintenance; utpatti-creation; anta-destruction; hetavah-causes; kincit-something; cikirsavah-desiring to do; jatah-appeared; etat-this; akhyahi-tell; me-to me; guro-spiritual master.
After hearing this, Vidura inquired from Maitreya: My dear master, how is it that the three deities
Brahma,
Visnu and
Siva, who are the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the whole creation, became the offspring of the wife of
Atri Muni?
The inquisitiveness of
Vidura was quite fitting, for he understood that when the Supersoul, Lord
Brahma and Lord
Siva all appeared through the person of
Anasuya, the wife of
Atri Muni, there must have been some great purpose. Otherwise why should they appear in such a way?