The Matsya Avatar

Verse 1 (padma.6.230.1)

पार्वत्युवाच- भगवन्यत्रदेवेशो राक्षसान्मधुसूदनः । जघान केन रूपेण यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि ।

pārvatyuvāca bhagavaṁyatradeveśo rākṣasāṁmadhusūdanaḥ jaghāna kena rūpeṇa yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Parvati said: O lord, where the god of gods, Madhusudana, slew the demons, in what form — please tell me duly.

Verse 2 (padma.6.230.2)

वैभवं च स्थवीयस्य मत्स्यकूर्म्मादिरूपकम् । विस्तरेण समाख्याहि मम प्रीत्या महेश्वर ।

vaibhavaṁ ca sthavīyasya matsyakūrṁmādirūpakam vistareṇa samākhyāhi mama prītyā maheśvara

And the glory of that most excellent Matsya, Kurma and other forms — tell me in detail, out of love for me, O Maheshvara.

Verse 3 (padma.6.230.3)

महादेव उवाच- शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि वैभवं स्वस्थमानसा । मत्स्यकूर्म्मादि यद्रूपमवतारात्मकं हरेः ।

mahādeva uvāca śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi vaibhavaṁ svasthamānasā matsyakūrṁmādi yadrūpamavatārātmakaṁ hareḥ

Mahadeva said: Listen, O goddess, with a settled mind, I shall tell the glory of the Matsya, Kurma, and other incarnate forms of Hari.

Verse 4 (padma.6.230.4)

दीपादुत्पाद्यते दीपो यथावत्तद्भविष्यति । परावस्थापरेशस्य सव्यूहा विभवादयः ।

dīpādutpādyate dīpo yathāvattadbhaviṣyati parāvasthāpareśasya savyūhā vibhavādayaḥ

As a lamp is lit from a lamp, so it will duly occur. The transcendent state of the Supreme Lord, with its vyuhas, glories, and so on—

Verse 5 (padma.6.230.5)

उक्ता देवावतारास्तु विविधाकारकाः शुभाः । अर्च्चावतारा देवस्य वैभवाः परमात्मनः ।

uktā devāvatārāstu vividhākārakāḥ śubhāḥ arccāvatārā devasya vaibhavāḥ paramātmanaḥ

— the various, auspicious incarnations of the god have been declared. The manifest worship-incarnations are the glories of the Supreme Self.

Verse 6 (padma.6.230.6)

प्राजापत्येन वै ब्रह्मा स सम्राट्परमोत्सवः । भृगुं मरीचिमत्रिं च दक्षं कर्द्दममेव च ।

prājāpatyena vai brahmā sa saṁrāṭparamotsavaḥ bhṛguṁ marīcimatriṁ ca dakṣaṁ karddamameva ca

By the Prajapatya rite, Brahma, that supreme, joyous emperor, created Bhrigu, Marichi, Atri, Daksha, Kardama,

Verse 7 (padma.6.230.7)

पुलस्त्यं पुलहं चैव गिरिशं च तथा क्रतुम् । नवप्रजानां पतय इमे प्रोक्ता यथाक्रमम् ।

pulastyaṁ pulahaṁ caiva giriśaṁ ca tathā kratum navaprajānāṁ pataya ime proktā yathākramam

Pulastya, Pulaha, Girisha, and likewise Kratu — these nine are declared, in order, to be the Lords of Creatures.

Verse 8 (padma.6.230.8)

मरीचिर्भगवांस्तत्र जनयामास कश्यपम् । कश्यपस्याभवञ्जायाश्चतस्रः शुभदर्शने ।

marīcirbhagavāṁstatra janayāmāsa kaśyapam kaśyapasyābhavaṁjāyāścatasraḥ śubhadarśane

There the glorious Marichi begot Kashyapa. Kashyapa had four wives, O fair-faced one —

Verse 9 (padma.6.230.9)

अदितिश्च दितिश्चैव कद्रुश्च विनता तथा । अदितिर्जनयामास देवांस्तु शुभदर्शनान् ।

aditiśca ditiścaiva kadruśca vinatā tathā aditirjanayāmāsa devāṁstu śubhadarśanān

Aditi, Diti, Kadru, and Vinata. Aditi gave birth to the gods, of fair appearance;

Verse 10 (padma.6.230.10)

दितिश्च राक्षसान्पुत्रांस्तामसान्सुमहासुरान् । शंबूकस्तु हयग्रीवो हिरण्याक्षो महाबलः ।

ditiśca rākṣasāṁputrāṁstāmasāṁsumahāsurān śaṁbūkastu hayagrīvo hiraṁyākṣo mahābalaḥ

and Diti gave birth to sons who were demons, dark, very great asuras. Shambuka, Hayagriva, Hiranyaksha of great strength,

Verse 11 (padma.6.230.11)

हिरण्यकशिपुर्जंभो मयाद्याः सुमहातपाः । मकरस्तु महावीर्यो ब्रह्मलोकमुपागतः ।

hiraṁyakaśipurjaṁbho mayādyāḥ sumahātapāḥ makarastu mahāvīryo brahmalokamupāgataḥ

Hiranyakashipu, Jambha, Maya, and others of great austerity. Among them, Makara, of great valor, went to Brahmaloka,

Verse 12 (padma.6.230.12)

ब्रह्माणं मोहयित्वाऽसौ वेदाञ्जग्राह वीर्यवान् । ग्रसित्वा च श्रुतिं सोऽथ प्रविवेश महार्णवम् ।

brahmāṇaṁ mohayitvā'sau vedāṁjagrāha vīryavān grasitvā ca śrutiṁ so'tha praviveśa mahārṇavam

and, having deluded Brahma, that mighty one seized the Vedas. Having swallowed the Shruti, he then entered the great ocean.

Verse 13 (padma.6.230.13)

ततः सर्वं जगच्छून्यमभवद्धर्मसंकरः । नाधीतं न वषट्कारं वर्णाश्रमविवर्जितम् ।

tataḥ sarvaṁ jagacchūṁyamabhavaddharmasaṁkaraḥ nādhītaṁ na vaṣaṭkāraṁ varṇāśramavivarjitam

Then the entire universe became void, with dharma corrupted; there was no study, no vashatkara, devoid of caste and life-stage duties.

Verse 14 (padma.6.230.14)

ततः प्रजापतिर्देवः सर्वदेवगणैर्वृतः । गत्वा दुग्धांबुधिं देवं तुष्टाव शरणं गतः ।

tataḥ prajāpatirdevaḥ sarvadevagaṇairvṛtaḥ gatvā dugdhāṁbudhiṁ devaṁ tuṣṭāva śaraṇaṁ gataḥ

Then the god Prajapati, surrounded by all the hosts of gods, went to the ocean of milk and, taking refuge, praised the Lord.

Verse 15 (padma.6.230.15)

ब्रह्मोवाच- प्रसीद देव मे नाथ नागपर्यंकसंस्थित । सर्वेश सर्वदेवात्मन्सर्ववेदमयाच्युत ।

brahmovāca prasīda deva me nātha nāgaparyaṁkasaṁsthita sarveśa sarvadevātmaṁsarvavedamayācyuta

Brahma said: Be gracious to me, O Lord, my master, resting on your serpent-couch; O lord of all, the very self of all the gods, the imperishable one, composed of all the Vedas —

Verse 16 (padma.6.230.16)

आद्यं जगद्भुवो बीजं मध्ये त्वं सर्वतोऽधिकः । अंते च पशुनाथस्त्वं स्वेच्छया तस्तमेव च ।

ādyaṁ jagadbhuvo bījaṁ madhye tvaṁ sarvato'dhikaḥ aṁte ca paśunāthastvaṁ svecchayā tastameva ca

You are the primal seed of the earth's world; in the middle you are supreme over all; and at the end you are the lord of creatures — you place everything by your own will.

Verse 17 (padma.6.230.17)

त्वमेव धत्से चिद्रूपं जगत्सर्वं सनातनम् । त्वमव्यक्तो हि भूतादिः प्रधानपुरुषोऽव्ययः ।

tvameva dhatse cidrūpaṁ jagatsarvaṁ sanātanam tvamavyakto hi bhūtādiḥ pradhānapuruṣo'vyayaḥ

You alone bear the form of consciousness, the entire eternal universe. You are the unmanifest, the source of the elements, Pradhana, the Person, imperishable.

Verse 18 (padma.6.230.18)

त्वमादिमध्यांतवपुर्जगतः परमेश्वरः । त्वमेव सर्वलोकानामाश्रयः पुरुषोत्तमः ।

tvamādimadhyāṁtavapurjagataḥ parameśvaraḥ tvameva sarvalokānāmāśrayaḥ puruṣottamaḥ

You are the body of the beginning, middle, and end of the universe, the Supreme Lord. You alone are the refuge of all the worlds, Purushottama.

Verse 19 (padma.6.230.19)

भूतादिस्त्वं महद्भूतं भूतसंघस्य कारणम् । त्वमेव कारणमाश्रित्य रमते धाम आत्मवान् ।

bhūtādistvaṁ mahadbhūtaṁ bhūtasaṁghasya kāraṇam tvameva kāraṇamāśritya ramate dhāma ātmavān

You are the source of elements, the great element, the cause of the aggregate of elements. Resting upon that very cause, the possessor of self dwells in his abode.

Verse 20 (padma.6.230.20)

त्वमादिभूतश्चांतस्त्वं त्वं वायुः सर्व्वगो महान् । त्वमादिस्त्वमनादिश्च त्वमग्निस्तेजसां निधिः ।

tvamādibhūtaścāṁtastvaṁ tvaṁ vāyuḥ sarvvago mahān tvamādistvamanādiśca tvamagnistejasāṁ nidhiḥ

You are the primordial element and also its end; you are the great, all-pervading wind. You are the beginning, and you are the beginningless; you are fire, the treasury of all radiance.

Verse 21 (padma.6.230.21)

त्वमापः सर्व्वजगतां जीवनं परमेश्वरः । त्वं भूमिर्जगदाधारो भूधरस्त्वं महामते ।

tvamāpaḥ sarvvajagatāṁ jīvanaṁ parameśvaraḥ tvaṁ bhūmirjagadādhāro bhūdharastvaṁ mahāmate

You are the water, the very life of all the worlds, the Supreme Lord. You are the earth, the support of the universe, the bearer of mountains, O wise one.

Verse 22 (padma.6.230.22)

सरितं सागरस्त्वं वै सर्व्वस्यादिस्त्वमेव च । देवर्षिः सर्वभूतानि त्वमेव पुरुषोत्तम ।

saritaṁ sāgarastvaṁ vai sarvvasyādistvameva ca devarṣiḥ sarvabhūtāni tvameva puruṣottama

You are the rivers, you are the ocean, and you alone are the origin of all. You, the divine sage, are all beings, O Purushottama.

Verse 23 (padma.6.230.23)

त्वयैव प्रेरिता लोकाश्चेष्टंते साध्वसाधुषु । दैत्येनोपद्रुता वेदाः प्रविष्टा महदर्णवम् ।

tvayaiva preritā lokāśceṣṭaṁte sādhvasādhuṣu daityenopadrutā vedāḥ praviṣṭā mahadarṇavam

Impelled by you alone, beings engage in the good and the bad. The Vedas, oppressed by that demon, have entered the great ocean.

Verse 24 (padma.6.230.24)

वेदाधारमिदं सर्व्वं जगत्स्थावरजंगमम् । वेदाश्चैव हि सर्व्वेषां धर्माणां परितः स्थितिः ।

vedādhāramidaṁ sarvvaṁ jagatsthāvarajaṁgamam vedāścaiva hi sarvveṣāṁ dharmāṇāṁ paritaḥ sthitiḥ

This entire universe, moving and unmoving, rests upon the Vedas as its foundation. And the Vedas alone are the surrounding support of all dharmas.

Verse 25 (padma.6.230.25)

वेदेषु सर्वदेवानां नित्यतृप्तिर्भविष्यति । तस्माद्वेदान्समानेतुं त्वमेवार्हसि केशव ।

vedeṣu sarvadevānāṁ nityatṛptirbhaviṣyati tasmādvedāṁsamānetuṁ tvamevārhasi keśava

Through the Vedas, the eternal satisfaction of all the gods will occur. Therefore you alone, O Keshava, are fit to bring back the Vedas.

Verse 26 (padma.6.230.26)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच- एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशो ब्रह्मणा परमेश्वरः । मत्स्यरूपं समास्थाय प्रविवेश महोदधिम् ।

śrīmahādeva uvāca evamukto hṛṣīkeśo brahmaṇā parameśvaraḥ matsyarūpaṁ samāsthāya praviveśa mahodadhim

Shri Mahadeva said: Thus addressed by Brahma, Hrishikesha, the Supreme Lord, having assumed the form of a fish, entered the great ocean.

Verse 27 (padma.6.230.27)

तं दैत्यं सुमहाघोरं माकरंरूपमास्थितः । तुण्डाग्रेण विदार्याथ जघानामरपूजितं ।

taṁ daityaṁ sumahāghoraṁ mākaraṁrūpamāsthitaḥ tuṁḍāgreṇa vidāryātha jaghānāmarapūjitaṁ

Having assumed a crocodile-fish form, he tore apart with the tip of his snout and slew that most terrible demon, worshipped even by the immortals.

Verse 28 (padma.6.230.28)

तं हत्वा सर्ववेदांश्च साङ्गोपाङ्गसमन्वितान् । गृहीत्वा प्रददौ तस्मै ब्रह्मणे स महाद्युतिः ।

taṁ hatvā sarvavedāṁśca sāṁgopāṁgasamaṁvitān gṛhītvā pradadau tasmai brahmaṇe sa mahādyutiḥ

Having slain him, that being of great splendor took all the Vedas, together with their limbs and sub-limbs, and gave them to Brahma.

Verse 29 (padma.6.230.29)

अन्योन्यमिश्रिता वेदा ग्रसितास्तेन रक्षसा । व्यक्ता भगवता तेन व्यासरूपेण धीमता ।

aṁyoṁyamiśritā vedā grasitāstena rakṣasā vyaktā bhagavatā tena vyāsarūpeṇa dhīmatā

The Vedas, mixed together with one another, had been swallowed by that demon. They were rendered distinct by that wise Lord in the form of Vyasa.

Verse 30 (padma.6.230.30)

पृथग्भूता समं वेदा व्यासेनैव महात्मना । एवं मत्स्यावतारेण रक्षिताः सर्व्वदेवताः ।

pṛthagbhūtā samaṁ vedā vyāsenaiva mahātmanā evaṁ matsyāvatāreṇa rakṣitāḥ sarvvadevatāḥ

The Vedas were made separate, together, by the great soul Vyasa himself. Thus, by the Matsya incarnation, all the gods were protected.

Verse 31 (padma.6.230.31)

श्रुतिप्रदानेन जगत्त्रयं तदा कृत्वा निरातंकमहो रमाधवः । संस्तूयमानः सुरसिद्धसंघैरंतर्दधे योगिभिरर्च्चितांघ्रिः । वासुदेवो हि भवगान्सर्वदेवमयो हरिः ।

śrutipradānena jagattrayaṁ tadā kṛtvā nirātaṁkamaho ramādhavaḥ saṁstūyamānaḥ surasiddhasaṁghairaṁtardadhe yogibhirarccitāṁghriḥ vāsudevo hi bhavagāṁsarvadevamayo hariḥ

Having thus, by the gift of the Shruti, freed the three worlds from fear, Ramadhava, praised by hosts of gods and Siddhas, whose feet are worshipped by yogis, disappeared from sight. Vasudeva indeed is the glorious Hari, comprising all the gods.