Canto 3: The Status Quo
SB3.7

Canto 3 · Chapter 7 · 42 verses · 1 story

Further Inquires by Vidura

Vidura asks about illusion, the soul, creation, religious duties, and the relationship between teacher and disciple.

Read on Vedabase
Connected storiesSāndīpani MuniLord Kapila and Devahūti
Who is speakingSūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraEvery voice in this chapter ›

What this chapter speaks about · the ten subjects

In this chapter

Who · Vidura, Maitreya

The story · Vidura reached Hardwar, where the learned sage Maitreya was seated. He asked to hear the extraordinary activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Maitreya told him that the Lord had left instructions for his sake, then described the development of material creation and the universal form. Vidura continued asking about the soul, illusion, the planets, devotional service, and the duties of spiritual teachers and disciples.

What it teaches · Hearing and discussing the Lord’s activities is the highest perfectional gain of humanity. Through serious devotional hearing, knowledge and renunciation become complete.

Beyond this chapter

Connected stories across the Bhāgavatam

Stories told in other chapters that this chapter's verses or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purports bring in, the other Bhāgavatam verses the purports quote, and stories in other cantos with the same themes. Each link shows the sentence it comes from.

What it teaches · The Lord appears to support His devotees. True renunciation means surrendering one’s activities to Him and seeking Him through unfailing devotional service.

The Sāṅkhya philosophy enunciated by Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti, is the real source of knowledge about the Supreme Truth.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport · SB 3.7.30 (Text 30)
Read the story in SB 3.24