FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.2

यावत: कृतवान् प्रश्नान् क्षत्ता कौषारवाग्रत: । जातैकभक्तिर्गोविन्दे तेभ्यश्चोपरराम ह ॥ २ ॥
yāvataḥ kṛtavān praśnān
[yaavatah kritavaan prashnaan]
kṣattā kauṣāravāgrataḥ
[kshattaa kaushaaravaagratah]
jātaika-bhaktir govinde
[jaataika-bhaktir govinde]
tebhyaś copararāma ha
[tebhyash chopararaama ha]
yāvataḥ — all that kṛtavān — did he put praśnān — questions kṣattā — a name of Vidura kauṣārava — a name of Maitreya agrataḥ — in the presence of jāta — having grown up eka — one bhaktiḥ — transcendental loving service govinde — unto Lord Kṛṣṇa tebhyaḥ — regarding further questions ca — and upararāma — retired from ha — in the past.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yāvataḥ kṛtavān praśnān
yāvataḥ
all that
kṛtavān
did he put
praśnān
questions
kṣattā kauṣāravāgrataḥ
kṣattā
a name of Vidura
kauṣārava
a name of Maitreya
agrataḥ
in the presence of
jātaika-bhaktir govinde
jāta
having grown up
eka
one
bhaktiḥ
transcendental loving service
govinde
unto Lord Kṛṣṇa
tebhyaś copararāma ha
tebhyaḥ
regarding further questions
ca
and
upararāma
retired from
ha
in the past.
After asking various questions and becoming established in the transcendental loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vidura retired from putting questions to Maitreya Muni.

Vidura retired from putting questions before Maitreya Muni when he was convinced by Maitreya Ṛṣi that the summum bonum of life is to be finally situated in the transcendental loving service of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is Govinda, or one who satisfies His devotees in all respects. The conditioned soul, the living being in material existence, seeks happiness by employing his senses in the modes of materialism, but that cannot give him satisfaction. He then searches after the Supreme Truth by the empiric philosophic speculative method and intellectual feats. But if he does not find the ultimate goal, he again goes down to material activities and engages himself in various philanthropic and altruistic works, which all fail to give him satisfaction. So neither fruitive activities nor dry philosophical speculation can give one satisfaction because by nature a living being is the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all the Vedic literatures give him direction towards that ultimate end. The Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) confirms this statement.

Like Vidura, an inquisitive conditioned soul must approach a bona fide spiritual master like Maitreya and by intelligent inquiries must try to know everything about karma (fruitive activities), jñāna (philosophical research for the Supreme Truth) and yoga (the linking process of spiritual realization). One who is not seriously inclined to put questions before a spiritual master need not accommodate a show-bottle spiritual master, nor should a person who may be a spiritual master for others pose to be so if he is unable to engage his disciple ultimately in the transcendental loving service of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vidura was successful in approaching such a spiritual master like Maitreya, and he got the ultimate goal of life: bhakti unto Govinda. Thus there was nothing to be known further about spiritual progress.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Having asked sufficient questions to Maitreya, Vidura, ceased asking any more when he heard about pure devotion to Govinda.
Commentary

“He gave up questioning” means he did not have any more desires to hear further, because all other questions are useless once bhakti has appeared.

After asking various questions and becoming established in the Lord's loving service, Vidura retired from putting further questions. Eventually, questioning gives way to doing. There is a season for each.
Reflection Questions
  • What questions of mine have I been asking past the point of useful inquiry?
  • Where is it time to stop asking and start serving?
📝 My note

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