Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation

Verse 1 (bhagavata.8.24.1)

श्रीराजोवाच भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः । अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥ १ ॥

śrī-rājovāca bhagavañ chrotum icchāmi harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ avatāra-kathām ādyāṁ māyā-matsya-viḍambanam

Shri Raja said: O Bhagavan, I wish to hear the story of Hari's first and most wondrous incarnation — the play of illusion in which He took on the guise of a fish.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.8.24.2)

यदर्थमदधाद् रूपं मात्स्यं लोकजुगुप्सितम् । तमःप्रकृति दुर्मर्षं कर्मग्रस्त इवेश्वरः ॥ २ ॥

yad-artham adadhād rūpaṁ mātsyaṁ loka-jugupsitam tamaḥ-prakṛti-durmarṣaṁ karma-grasta iveśvaraḥ

For what purpose did He take on this form of a fish, so scorned in the world, so bound up with the darkness of ignorance and painful to bear — as though even the Lord Himself were caught in the grip of karma —

Verse 3 (bhagavata.8.24.3)

एतन्नो भगवन् सर्वं यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि । उत्तमश्लोकचरितं सर्वलोकसुखावहम् ॥ ३ ॥

etan no bhagavan sarvaṁ yathāvad vaktum arhasi uttamaśloka-caritaṁ sarva-loka-sukhāvaham

O Bhagavan, please tell me all of this exactly as it happened — for this story of Uttamashloka brings happiness to every world that hears it.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.8.24.4)

श्रीसूत उवाच इत्युक्तो विष्णुरातेन भगवान् बादरायणिः । उवाच चरितं विष्णोर्मत्स्यरूपेण यत् कृतम् ॥ ४ ॥

śrī-sūta uvāca ity ukto viṣṇu-rātena bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ uvāca caritaṁ viṣṇor matsya-rūpeṇa yat kṛtam

Shri Suta said: Thus questioned by Vishnurata, Bhagavan Badarayani began to relate the deeds performed by Vishnu in the form of a fish.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.8.24.5)

श्रीशुक उवाच गोविप्रसुरसाधूनां छन्दसामपि चेश्वरः । रक्षामिच्छंस्तनूर्धत्ते धर्मस्यार्थस्य चैव हि ॥ ५ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca go-vipra-sura-sādhūnāṁ chandasām api ceśvaraḥ rakṣām icchaṁs tanūr dhatte dharmasyārthasya caiva hi

Shukadeva Gosvami said: It is only from the wish to protect the cows, the brahmanas, the gods, the saints and the Vedas themselves that Bhagavan, the master of dharma and of all true purpose, takes up such varied forms.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.8.24.6)

उच्चावचेषु भूतेषु चरन् वायुरिवेश्वरः । नोच्चावचत्वं भजते निर्गुणत्वाद्धियो गुणैः ॥ ६ ॥

uccāvaceṣu bhūteṣu caran vāyur iveśvaraḥ noccāvacatvaṁ bhajate nirguṇatvād dhiyo guṇaiḥ

Just as the wind, moving through things high and low, remains untouched by any of them, so the Lord, moving among the high and low forms of life, never takes on their qualities — for He stands entirely beyond the modes that shape ordinary understanding.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.8.24.7)

आसीदतीतकल्पान्ते ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः । समुद्रोपप्लुतास्तत्र लोका भूरादयो नृप ॥ ७ ॥

āsīd atīta-kalpānte brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ samudropaplutās tatra lokā bhūr-ādayo nṛpa

O King, at the end of the past kalpa, when Brahma's night arrived, a periodic dissolution occurred, in which Bhuh and the other worlds were submerged beneath the ocean.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.8.24.8)

कालेनागतनिद्रस्य धातुः शिशयिषोर्बली । मुखतो निःसृतान् वेदान् हयग्रीवोऽन्तिकेऽहरत् ॥ ८ ॥

kālenāgata-nidrasya dhātuḥ śiśayiṣor balī mukhato niḥsṛtān vedān hayagrīvo ’ntike ’harat

As time drew near and Brahma, overcome with drowsiness, longed to lie down, the powerful demon Hayagriva stole the Vedas that were even then streaming forth from his mouth.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.8.24.9)

ज्ञात्वा तद् दानवेन्द्रस्य हयग्रीवस्य चेष्टितम् । दधार शफरीरूपं भगवान् हरिरीश्वरः ॥ ९ ॥

jñātvā tad dānavendrasya hayagrīvasya ceṣṭitam dadhāra śapharī-rūpaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ

Perceiving this act of the great demon Hayagriva, Bhagavan Hari, the supreme controller, assumed the form of a small fish.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.8.24.10)

तत्र राजऋषिः कश्चिन्नाम्ना सत्यव्रतो महान् । नारायणपरोऽतपत् तपः स सलिलाशनः ॥ १० ॥

tatra rāja-ṛṣiḥ kaścin nāmnā satyavrato mahān nārāyaṇa-paro ’tapat tapaḥ sa salilāśanaḥ

At that time there lived a great royal sage named Satyavrata, a supreme devotee of Narayana, who practiced austerity subsisting on water alone.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.8.24.11)

योऽसावस्मिन् महाकल्पे तनयः स विवस्वतः । श्राद्धदेव इति ख्यातो मनुत्वे हरिणार्पितः ॥ ११ ॥

yo ’sāv asmin mahā-kalpe tanayaḥ sa vivasvataḥ śrāddhadeva iti khyāto manutve hariṇārpitaḥ

This same Satyavrata, in this present great kalpa, took birth as the son of the sun-god, became renowned as Shraddhadeva, and by Hari's grace was established in the post of Manu.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.8.24.12)

एकदा कृतमालायां कुर्वतो जलतर्पणम् । तस्याञ्जल्युदके काचिच्छफर्येकाभ्यपद्यत ॥ १२ ॥

ekadā kṛtamālāyāṁ kurvato jala-tarpaṇam tasyāñjaly-udake kācic chaphary ekābhyapadyata

One day, while he was offering water oblations on the bank of the river Kritamala, a small fish suddenly appeared cupped in his palms.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.8.24.13)

सत्यव्रतोऽञ्जलिगतां सह तोयेन भारत । उत्ससर्ज नदीतोये शफरीं द्रविडेश्वरः ॥ १३ ॥

satyavrato ’ñjali-gatāṁ saha toyena bhārata utsasarja nadī-toye śapharīṁ draviḍeśvaraḥ

O descendant of Bharata, Satyavrata, king of the Dravidas, let that fish, together with the water in his cupped hands, slip back into the river.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.8.24.14)

तमाह सातिकरुणं महाकारुणिकं नृपम् । यादोभ्यो ज्ञातिघातिभ्यो दीनां मां दीनवत्सल । कथं विसृजसे राजन् भीतामस्मिन् सरिज्जले ॥ १४ ॥

tam āha sātikaruṇaṁ mahā-kāruṇikaṁ nṛpam yādobhyo jñāti-ghātibhyo dīnāṁ māṁ dīna-vatsala kathaṁ visṛjase rājan bhītām asmin sarij-jale

The fish said to the exceedingly compassionate King: O protector of the helpless, why do you cast me, so weak and afraid, back into this river among aquatic creatures who devour their very own kin?

Verse 15 (bhagavata.8.24.15)

तमात्मनोऽनुग्रहार्थं प्रीत्या मत्स्यवपुर्धरम् । अजानन् रक्षणार्थाय शफर्याः स मनो दधे ॥ १५ ॥

tam ātmano ’nugrahārthaṁ prītyā matsya-vapur-dharam ajānan rakṣaṇārthāya śapharyāḥ sa mano dadhe

Not knowing that this was Bhagavan Himself, who had taken fish-form to bestow His favor upon him, the King, moved with delight, resolved simply to protect the little fish.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.8.24.16)

तस्या दीनतरं वाक्यमाश्रुत्य स महीपतिः । कलशाप्सु निधायैनां दयालुर्निन्य आश्रमम् ॥ १६ ॥

tasyā dīnataraṁ vākyam āśrutya sa mahīpatiḥ kalaśāpsu nidhāyaināṁ dayālur ninya āśramam

Hearing the fish's most pitiable plea, the merciful King placed her in the water of his own kamandalu and carried her to his hermitage.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.8.24.17)

सा तु तत्रैकरात्रेण वर्धमाना कमण्डलौ । अलब्ध्वात्मावकाशं वा इदमाह महीपतिम् ॥ १७ ॥

sā tu tatraika-rātreṇa vardhamānā kamaṇḍalau alabdhvātmāvakāśaṁ vā idam āha mahīpatim

But in that vessel, within a single night, the fish grew so large that she could no longer find room to move, and so she spoke thus to the King.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.8.24.18)

नाहं कमण्डलावस्मिन् कृच्छ्रं वस्तुमिहोत्सहे । कल्पयौकः सुविपुलं यत्राहं निवसे सुखम् ॥ १८ ॥

nāhaṁ kamaṇḍalāv asmin kṛcchraṁ vastum ihotsahe kalpayaukaḥ suvipulaṁ yatrāhaṁ nivase sukham

'I cannot bear to live in this kamandalu with such difficulty; find for me some far more spacious and comfortable dwelling.'

Verse 19 (bhagavata.8.24.19)

स एनां तत आदाय न्यधादौदञ्चनोदके । तत्र क्षिप्ता मुहूर्तेन हस्तत्रयमवर्धत ॥ १९ ॥

sa enāṁ tata ādāya nyadhād audañcanodake tatra kṣiptā muhūrtena hasta-trayam avardhata

So the King took her up and placed her in the water of a large well; but there too, within a moment, she grew to three cubits in length.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.8.24.20)

न म एतदलं राजन् सुखं वस्तुमुदञ्चनम् । पृथु देहि पदं मह्यं यत् त्वाहं शरणं गता ॥ २० ॥

na ma etad alaṁ rājan sukhaṁ vastum udañcanam pṛthu dehi padaṁ mahyaṁ yat tvāhaṁ śaraṇaṁ gatā

'O King, even in this well I can no longer live comfortably; give me some vast place, for it is you alone whose shelter I have sought.'

Verse 21 (bhagavata.8.24.21)

तत आदाय सा राज्ञा क्षिप्ता राजन् सरोवरे । तदावृत्यात्मना सोऽयं महामीनोऽन्ववर्धत ॥ २१ ॥

tata ādāya sā rājñā kṣiptā rājan sarovare tad āvṛtyātmanā so ’yaṁ mahā-mīno ’nvavardhata

O King, the King then took her and cast her into a lake, but there too the great fish went on growing until her body had filled the whole of it.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.8.24.22)

नैतन्मे स्वस्तये राजन्नुदकं सलिलौकसः । निधेहि रक्षायोगेन ह्रदे मामविदासिनि ॥ २२ ॥

naitan me svastaye rājann udakaṁ salilaukasaḥ nidhehi rakṣā-yogena hrade mām avidāsini

'O King, this water too does not suit my welfare, for I am the largest of aquatic creatures; place me safely in some inexhaustible lake, one that will never run dry.'

Verse 23 (bhagavata.8.24.23)

इत्युक्तः सोऽनयन्मत्स्यं तत्र तत्राविदासिनि । जलाशयेऽसम्मितं तं समुद्रे प्राक्षिपज्झषम् ॥ २३ ॥

ity uktaḥ so ’nayan matsyaṁ tatra tatrāvidāsini jalāśaye ’sammitaṁ taṁ samudre prākṣipaj jhaṣam

Hearing this, the King carried the fish from one inexhaustible reservoir to another, but when at last none could hold her, he cast that vast fish into the ocean itself.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.8.24.24)

क्षिप्यमाणस्तमाहेदमिह मां मकरादयः । अदन्त्यतिबला वीर मां नेहोत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥ २४ ॥

kṣipyamāṇas tam āhedam iha māṁ makarādayaḥ adanty atibalā vīra māṁ nehotsraṣṭum arhasi

As she was being cast into the sea, the fish said: 'O hero, here the fearsome sharks and crocodiles will devour me; you must not abandon me in this place.'

Verse 25 (bhagavata.8.24.25)

एवं विमोहितस्तेन वदता वल्गुभारतीम् । तमाह को भवानस्मान् मत्स्यरूपेण मोहयन् ॥ २५ ॥

evaṁ vimohitas tena vadatā valgu-bhāratīm tam āha ko bhavān asmān matsya-rūpeṇa mohayan

Thus utterly bewildered by her sweet speech, the King asked her: 'Who are you, that in this form of a fish you bewilder us all so completely?'

Verse 26 (bhagavata.8.24.26)

नैवंवीर्यो जलचरो दृष्टोऽस्माभिः श्रुतोऽपि वा । यो भवान् योजनशतमह्नाभिव्यानशे सरः ॥ २६ ॥

naivaṁ vīryo jalacaro dṛṣṭo ’smābhiḥ śruto ’pi vā yo bhavān yojana-śatam ahnābhivyānaśe saraḥ

'Never before have we seen or even heard of an aquatic being of such power — one who fills a hundred leagues of water within a single day.'

Verse 27 (bhagavata.8.24.27)

नूनं त्वं भगवान् साक्षाद्धरिर्नारायणोऽव्ययः । अनुग्रहाय भूतानां धत्से रूपं जलौकसाम् ॥ २७ ॥

nūnaṁ tvaṁ bhagavān sākṣād dharir nārāyaṇo ’vyayaḥ anugrahāya bhūtānāṁ dhatse rūpaṁ jalaukasām

'Surely You are none other than the imperishable Bhagavan Hari Narayana Himself, who has taken this aquatic form only to show mercy upon all beings.'

Verse 28 (bhagavata.8.24.28)

नमस्ते पुरुषश्रेष्ठ स्थित्युत्पत्त्यप्ययेश्वर । भक्तानां नः प्रपन्नानां मुख्यो ह्यात्मगतिर्विभो ॥ २८ ॥

namas te puruṣa-śreṣṭha sthity-utpatty-apyayeśvara bhaktānāṁ naḥ prapannānāṁ mukhyo hy ātma-gatir vibho

'O best of persons, Lord of creation, preservation and dissolution, my obeisance to You; O all-pervading one, You alone are the chief refuge and highest destination of us, Your surrendered devotees.'

Verse 29 (bhagavata.8.24.29)

सर्वे लीलावतारास्ते भूतानां भूतिहेतवः । ज्ञातुमिच्छाम्यदो रूपं यदर्थं भवता धृतम् ॥ २९ ॥

sarve līlāvatārās te bhūtānāṁ bhūti-hetavaḥ jñātum icchāmy ado rūpaṁ yad-arthaṁ bhavatā dhṛtam

'All Your pastime-incarnations exist for the welfare of living beings; therefore I wish to know for what purpose You have assumed this form of a fish.'

Verse 30 (bhagavata.8.24.30)

न तेऽरविन्दाक्ष पदोपसर्पणं मृषा भवेत् सर्वसुहृत्प्रियात्मनः । यथेतरेषां पृथगात्मनां सता- मदीदृशो यद् वपुरद्भुतं हि नः ॥ ३० ॥

na te ’ravindākṣa padopasarpaṇaṁ mṛṣā bhavet sarva-suhṛt-priyātmanaḥ yathetareṣāṁ pṛthag-ātmanāṁ satām adīdṛśo yad vapur adbhutaṁ hi naḥ

'O lotus-eyed one, You are the friend and beloved Self of every being, and so approaching Your feet is never in vain — unlike approaching those who are separate selves; it is for this very reason that this wondrous form of Yours has been shown to us.'

Verse 31 (bhagavata.8.24.31)

श्रीशुक उवाच इति ब्रुवाणं नृपतिं जगत्पतिः सत्यव्रतं मत्स्यवपुर्युगक्षये । विहर्तुकामः प्रलयार्णवेऽब्रवी- च्चिकीर्षुरेकान्तजनप्रियः प्रियम् ॥ ३१ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca iti bruvāṇaṁ nṛpatiṁ jagat-patiḥ satyavrataṁ matsya-vapur yuga-kṣaye vihartu-kāmaḥ pralayārṇave ’bravīc cikīrṣur ekānta-jana-priyaḥ priyam

Shukadeva Gosvami said: To King Satyavrata, thus speaking, the Lord of the universe — who at the close of the age had taken the form of a fish, wishing to sport in the waters of dissolution, and who is most dear to His single-minded devotees — spoke, intent on doing him good.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.8.24.32)

श्रीभगवानुवाच सप्तमे ह्यद्यतनादूर्ध्वमहन्येतदरिंदम । निमङ्क्ष्यत्यप्ययाम्भोधौ त्रैलोक्यं भूर्भुवादिकम् ॥ ३२ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca saptame hy adyatanād ūrdhvam ahany etad arindama nimaṅkṣyaty apyayāmbhodhau trailokyaṁ bhūr-bhuvādikam

Shri Bhagavan said: O subduer of foes, on the seventh day from today, this creation — the three worlds of Bhuh, Bhuvah and beyond — shall sink into the ocean of dissolution.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.8.24.33)

त्रिलोक्यां लीयमानायां संवर्ताम्भसि वै तदा । उपस्थास्यति नौः काचिद् विशाला त्वां मयेरिता ॥ ३३ ॥

tri-lokyāṁ līyamānāyāṁ saṁvartāmbhasi vai tadā upasthāsyati nauḥ kācid viśālā tvāṁ mayeritā

When the three worlds have sunk into that flood of destruction, a vast boat, sent by Me, will appear before you.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.8.24.34)

त्वं तावदोषधीः सर्वा बीजान्युच्चावचानि च । सप्तर्षिभिः परिवृतः सर्वसत्त्वोपबृंहितः ॥ ३४ ॥

tvaṁ tāvad oṣadhīḥ sarvā bījāny uccāvacāni ca saptarṣibhiḥ parivṛtaḥ sarva-sattvopabṛṁhitaḥ

Until then, gather every kind of herb and seed, of every rank, and, surrounded by the seven sages and by every kind of living being,

Verse 35 (bhagavata.8.24.35)

आरुह्य बृहतीं नावं विचरिष्यस्यविक्लवः । एकार्णवे निरालोके ऋषीणामेव वर्चसा ॥ ३५ ॥

āruhya bṛhatīṁ nāvaṁ vicariṣyasy aviklavaḥ ekārṇave nirāloke ṛṣīṇām eva varcasā

board that great boat, and, undismayed, roam that single, lightless ocean, illumined only by the very radiance of the sages.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.8.24.36)

दोधूयमानां तां नावं समीरेण बलीयसा । उपस्थितस्य मे शृङ्गे निबध्नीहि महाहिना ॥ ३६ ॥

dodhūyamānāṁ tāṁ nāvaṁ samīreṇa balīyasā upasthitasya me śṛṅge nibadhnīhi mahāhinā

When that boat is tossed about by the mighty wind, bind it, with the great serpent Vasuki as your rope, to the horn of Mine that will be there beside you.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.8.24.37)

अहं त्वामृषिभिः सार्धं सहनावमुदन्वति । विकर्षन् विचरिष्यामि यावद् ब्राह्मी निशा प्रभो ॥ ३७ ॥

ahaṁ tvām ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaṁ saha-nāvam udanvati vikarṣan vicariṣyāmi yāvad brāhmī niśā prabho

O King, I Myself, drawing you and the sages along with the boat, shall roam that flood of dissolution until Brahma's night has run its course.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.8.24.38)

मदीयं महिमानं च परं ब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् । वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ॥ ३८ ॥

madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi

By My grace, and through your own questions, My glory — that which is called the Supreme Brahman — shall be revealed and made plain within your very heart.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.8.24.39)

इत्थमादिश्य राजानं हरिरन्तरधीयत । सोऽन्ववैक्षत तं कालं यं हृषीकेश आदिशत् ॥ ३९ ॥

ittham ādiśya rājānaṁ harir antaradhīyata so ’nvavaikṣata taṁ kālaṁ yaṁ hṛṣīkeśa ādiśat

Having thus instructed the King, Hari vanished from that place, and the King began to await that very hour of which Hrishikesha had spoken.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.8.24.40)

आस्तीर्य दर्भान् प्राक्कूलान् राजर्षिः प्रागुदङ्मुखः । निषसाद हरेः पादौ चिन्तयन् मत्स्यरूपिणः ॥ ४० ॥

āstīrya darbhān prāk-kūlān rājarṣiḥ prāg-udaṅ-mukhaḥ niṣasāda hareḥ pādau cintayan matsya-rūpiṇaḥ

Spreading kusha grass with its tips facing east, and himself facing the northeast, the royal sage sat down, meditating upon the feet of Hari in His fish-form.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.8.24.41)

ततः समुद्र उद्वेलः सर्वतः प्लावयन् महीम् । वर्धमानो महामेघैर्वर्षद्भिः समदृश्यत ॥ ४१ ॥

tataḥ samudra udvelaḥ sarvataḥ plāvayan mahīm vardhamāno mahā-meghair varṣadbhiḥ samadṛśyata

Then the ocean, overflowing its shores, swelling with the ceaseless downpour of great clouds, began to appear on every side, drowning the earth.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.8.24.42)

ध्यायन् भगवदादेशं ददृशे नावमागताम् । तामारुरोह विप्रेन्द्रैरादायौषधिवीरुधः ॥ ४२ ॥

dhyāyan bhagavad-ādeśaṁ dadṛśe nāvam āgatām tām āruroha viprendrair ādāyauṣadhi-vīrudhaḥ

As he meditated upon Bhagavan's command, the King saw a boat drawing near, and, gathering herbs and creepers, he boarded it together with the foremost of the brahmanas.

Verse 43 (bhagavata.8.24.43)

तमूचुर्मुनयः प्रीता राजन् ध्यायस्व केशवम् । स वै नः सङ्कटादस्मादविता शं विधास्यति ॥ ४३ ॥

tam ūcur munayaḥ prītā rājan dhyāyasva keśavam sa vai naḥ saṅkaṭād asmād avitā śaṁ vidhāsyati

The joyful sages said to the King: 'O King, meditate upon Keshava; He alone will save us from this peril and see to our well-being.'

Verse 44 (bhagavata.8.24.44)

सोऽनुध्यातस्ततो राज्ञा प्रादुरासीन्महार्णवे । एकशृङ्गधरो मत्स्यो हैमो नियुतयोजनः ॥ ४४ ॥

so ’nudhyātas tato rājñā prādurāsīn mahārṇave eka-śṛṅga-dharo matsyo haimo niyuta-yojanaḥ

As the King thus meditated, there appeared in that great ocean a vast golden fish, bearing a single horn, ten million leagues in length.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.8.24.45)

निबध्य नावं तच्छृङ्गे यथोक्तो हरिणा पुरा । वरत्रेणाहिना तुष्टस्तुष्टाव मधुसूदनम् ॥ ४५ ॥

nibadhya nāvaṁ tac-chṛṅge yathokto hariṇā purā varatreṇāhinā tuṣṭas tuṣṭāva madhusūdanam

Binding the boat to that fish's horn with the serpent Vasuki as a rope, exactly as Hari had earlier instructed, the King, well satisfied, offered his praises to Madhusudana.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.8.24.46)

श्रीराजोवाच अनाद्यविद्योपहतात्मसंविद- स्तन्मूलसंसारपरिश्रमातुराः । यदृच्छयोपसृता यमाप्नुयु- र्विमुक्तिदो नः परमो गुरुर्भवान् ॥ ४६ ॥

śrī-rājovāca anādy-avidyopahatātma-saṁvidas tan-mūla-saṁsāra-pariśramāturāḥ yadṛcchayopasṛtā yam āpnuyur vimuktido naḥ paramo gurur bhavān

Shri Raja said: Those whose self-knowledge has been destroyed by beginningless ignorance, and who suffer under the toil of the world that springs from that very root — when by the grace of providence they come to attain You, You alone become their supreme spiritual master, the giver of liberation.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.8.24.47)

जनोऽबुधोऽयं निजकर्मबन्धनः सुखेच्छया कर्म समीहतेऽसुखम् । यत्सेवया तां विधुनोत्यसन्मतिं ग्रन्थिं स भिन्द्याद् धृदयं स नो गुरुः ॥ ४७ ॥

jano ’budho ’yaṁ nija-karma-bandhanaḥ sukhecchayā karma samīhate ’sukham yat-sevayā tāṁ vidhunoty asan-matiṁ granthiṁ sa bhindyād dhṛdayaṁ sa no guruḥ

Bound by his own deeds, this ignorant being, seeking happiness, engages in actions that in the end bring only sorrow; may He, by whose service that false understanding is dispelled, undo the very knot within our heart — He alone is our true guru.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.8.24.48)

यत्सेवयाग्नेरिव रुद्ररोदनं पुमान् विजह्यान्मलमात्मनस्तमः । भजेत वर्णं निजमेष सोऽव्ययो भूयात् स ईशः परमो गुरोर्गुरुः ॥ ४८ ॥

yat-sevayāgner iva rudra-rodanaṁ pumān vijahyān malam ātmanas tamaḥ bhajeta varṇaṁ nijam eṣa so ’vyayo bhūyāt sa īśaḥ paramo guror guruḥ

As gold and silver, touched by fire, shed all their impurity, so may He, by whose service a person can cast off the taint of ignorance and regain his own true nature — that imperishable Lord, the guru of all gurus — become our supreme teacher.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.8.24.49)

न यत्प्रसादायुतभागलेश- मन्ये च देवा गुरवो जनाः स्वयम् । कर्तुं समेताः प्रभवन्ति पुंस- स्तमीश्वरं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ४९ ॥

na yat-prasādāyuta-bhāga-leśam anye ca devā guravo janāḥ svayam kartuṁ sametāḥ prabhavanti puṁsas tam īśvaraṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye

That which not even one ten-thousandth part of Your own mercy — not even all the gods, all the gurus, all people together — could ever bestow, that same shelter I now take at Your feet, O Lord.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.8.24.50)

अचक्षुरन्धस्य यथाग्रणीः कृत- स्तथा जनस्याविदुषोऽबुधो गुरुः । त्वमर्कदृक् सर्वदृशां समीक्षणो वृतो गुरुर्नः स्वगतिं बुभुत्सताम् ॥ ५० ॥

acakṣur andhasya yathāgraṇīḥ kṛtas tathā janasyāviduṣo ’budho guruḥ tvam arka-dṛk sarva-dṛśāṁ samīkṣaṇo vṛto gurur naḥ sva-gatiṁ bubhutsatām

Just as a blind man follows another blind man taken as his leader, so an ignorant person accepts another ignorant one as his guru; but You are like the sun, the seer of all seeing — and we, wishing to know our own true good, choose You alone as our teacher.

Verse 51 (bhagavata.8.24.51)

जनो जनस्यादिशतेऽसतीं गतिं यया प्रपद्येत दुरत्ययं तमः । त्वं त्वव्ययं ज्ञानममोघमञ्जसा प्रपद्यते येन जनो निजं पदम् ॥ ५१ ॥

jano janasyādiśate ’satīṁ gatiṁ yayā prapadyeta duratyayaṁ tamaḥ tvaṁ tv avyayaṁ jñānam amogham añjasā prapadyate yena jano nijaṁ padam

One ignorant soul only points another toward that same unreal path by which he falls into insurmountable darkness; but You are that undying, flawless knowledge by which a person swiftly and surely attains his own true station.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.8.24.52)

त्वं सर्वलोकस्य सुहृत् प्रियेश्वरो ह्यात्मा गुरुर्ज्ञानमभीष्टसिद्धिः । तथापि लोको न भवन्तमन्धधी- र्जानाति सन्तं हृदि बद्धकामः ॥ ५२ ॥

tvaṁ sarva-lokasya suhṛt priyeśvaro hy ātmā gurur jñānam abhīṣṭa-siddhiḥ tathāpi loko na bhavantam andha-dhīr jānāti santaṁ hṛdi baddha-kāmaḥ

You are the well-wisher, the beloved, the Lord, the Self, the teacher, the knowledge, and the fulfillment of every true desire for all the worlds; and yet the blind-minded, bound in their hearts by desire, fail to recognize You, though You dwell there within them.

Verse 53 (bhagavata.8.24.53)

त्वं त्वामहं देववरं वरेण्यं प्रपद्य ईशं प्रतिबोधनाय । छिन्ध्यर्थदीपैर्भगवन् वचोभि- र्ग्रन्थीन् हृदय्यान् विवृणु स्वमोकः ॥ ५३ ॥

tvaṁ tvām ahaṁ deva-varaṁ vareṇyaṁ prapadya īśaṁ pratibodhanāya chindhy artha-dīpair bhagavan vacobhir granthīn hṛdayyān vivṛṇu svam okaḥ

O most exalted among the gods, O sovereign worthy of choosing, I take refuge in You alone for true awakening; O Bhagavan, with the light of Your purposeful words, sever the knots bound within my heart, and reveal to me my own true destination.

Verse 54 (bhagavata.8.24.54)

श्रीशुक उवाच इत्युक्तवन्तं नृपतिं भगवानादिपूरुषः । मत्स्यरूपी महाम्भोधौ विहरंस्तत्त्वमब्रवीत् ॥ ५४ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca ity uktavantaṁ nṛpatiṁ bhagavān ādi-pūruṣaḥ matsya-rūpī mahāmbhodhau viharaṁs tattvam abravīt

Shukadeva Gosvami said: When the King had thus spoken, Bhagavan, the primeval Person in the form of a fish, moving through that great ocean, expounded to him the truth.

Verse 55 (bhagavata.8.24.55)

पुराणसंहितां दिव्यां साङ्ख्ययोगक्रियावतीम् । सत्यव्रतस्य राजर्षेरात्मगुह्यमशेषतः ॥ ५५ ॥

purāṇa-saṁhitāṁ divyāṁ sāṅkhya-yoga-kriyāvatīm satyavratasya rājarṣer ātma-guhyam aśeṣataḥ

He gave to the royal sage Satyavrata a complete exposition of the divine Purana-lore, together with the disciplines of Sankhya and Yoga, revealing to him without omission the innermost mystery of the Self.

Verse 56 (bhagavata.8.24.56)

अश्रौषीदृषिभिः साकमात्मतत्त्वमसंशयम् । नाव्यासीनो भगवता प्रोक्तं ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥ ५६ ॥

aśrauṣīd ṛṣibhiḥ sākam ātma-tattvam asaṁśayam nāvy āsīno bhagavatā proktaṁ brahma sanātanam

Seated in the boat, the King, together with the sages, heard, free of all doubt, that eternal knowledge of Brahman spoken by Bhagavan — the very teaching of the truth of the Self.

Verse 57 (bhagavata.8.24.57)

अतीतप्रलयापाय उत्थिताय स वेधसे । हत्वासुरं हयग्रीवं वेदान् प्रत्याहरद्धरिः ॥ ५७ ॥

atīta-pralayāpāya utthitāya sa vedhase hatvāsuraṁ hayagrīvaṁ vedān pratyāharad dhariḥ

When the dissolution had passed and Brahma had awakened, Hari slew the demon Hayagriva and restored the Vedas to him once more.

Verse 58 (bhagavata.8.24.58)

स तु सत्यव्रतो राजा ज्ञानविज्ञानसंयुतः । विष्णोः प्रसादात् कल्पेऽस्मिन्नासीद् वैवस्वतो मनुः ॥ ५८ ॥

sa tu satyavrato rājā jñāna-vijñāna-saṁyutaḥ viṣṇoḥ prasādāt kalpe ’sminn āsīd vaivasvato manuḥ

That very King Satyavrata, endowed now with knowledge and its realization, became by Vishnu's grace the Vaivasvata Manu of this present kalpa.

Verse 59 (bhagavata.8.24.59)

सत्यव्रतस्य राजर्षेर्मायामत्स्यस्य शार्ङ्गिणः । संवादं महदाख्यानं श्रुत्वा मुच्येत किल्बिषात् ॥ ५९ ॥

satyavratasya rājarṣer māyā-matsyasya śārṅgiṇaḥ saṁvādaṁ mahad-ākhyānaṁ śrutvā mucyeta kilbiṣāt

Whoever hears this great dialogue between the royal sage Satyavrata and Bhagavan, wielder of the Sharnga bow, in His illusory one-horned fish-form, is freed from every sin.

Verse 60 (bhagavata.8.24.60)

अवतारं हरेर्योऽयं कीर्तयेदन्वहं नरः । सङ्कल्पास्तस्य सिध्यन्ति स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ ६० ॥

avatāraṁ harer yo ’yaṁ kīrtayed anvahaṁ naraḥ saṅkalpās tasya sidhyanti sa yāti paramāṁ gatim

One who daily recounts this incarnation of Hari sees every one of his resolves fulfilled, and attains the supreme destination.

Verse 61 (bhagavata.8.24.61)

प्रलयपयसि धातुः सुप्तशक्तेर्मुखेभ्यः श्रुतिगणमपनीतं प्रत्युपादत्त हत्वा । दितिजमकथयद् यो ब्रह्म सत्यव्रतानां तमहमखिलहेतुं जिह्ममीनं नतोऽस्मि ॥ ६१ ॥

pralaya-payasi dhātuḥ supta-śakter mukhebhyaḥ śruti-gaṇam apanītaṁ pratyupādatta hatvā ditijam akathayad yo brahma satyavratānāṁ tam aham akhila-hetuṁ jihma-mīnaṁ nato ’smi

To Him who, in the waters of dissolution, slew the demon and restored the company of the Vedas stolen from the mouth of the slumbering Brahma, and who taught the knowledge of Brahman to Satyavrata and the sages — to that cause of all causes, who took on the deceptive form of a fish, I offer my obeisance.