Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8 - Chapter 24

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीराजोवाचभगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भ‍ुतकर्मण: ।अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-rājovācabhagavañ chrotum icchāmiharer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥavatāra-kathām ādyāṁmāyā-matsya-viḍambanam Translation: Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is eternally situated in His transcendental position, yet He descends to this material world and manifests Himself in various incarnations. His first incarnation was that of a great fish. O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I wish to hear from you the pastimes of that fish incarnation....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2-3 Sanskrit: यदर्थमदधाद् रूपं मात्स्यं लोकजुगुप्सितम् ।तम:प्रकृति दुर्मर्षं कर्मग्रस्त इवेश्वर: ॥ २ ॥एतन्नो भगवन् सर्वं यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि ।उत्तमश्लोकचरितं सर्वलोकसुखावहम् ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: yad-artham adadhād rūpaṁmātsyaṁ loka-jugupsitamtamaḥ-prakṛti-durmarṣaṁkarma-grasta iveśvaraḥ Translation: What was the purpose for which the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepted the abominable form of a fish, exactly as an ordinary living being accepts different forms under the laws of karma? The form of a fish is certainly condemned and full of terrible pain....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: श्रीशुक उवाचगोविप्रसुरसाधूनां छन्दसामपि चेश्वर: ।रक्षामिच्छंस्तनूर्धत्ते धर्मस्यार्थस्य चैव हि ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-śuka uvācago-vipra-sura-sādhūnāṁchandasām api ceśvaraḥrakṣām icchaṁs tanūr dhattedharmasyārthasya caiva hi Translation: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, for the sake of protecting the cows, brāhmaṇas, demigods, devotees, the Vedic literature, religious principles, and principles to fulfill the purpose of life, the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts the forms of incarnations....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: उच्चावचेषु भूतेषु चरन् वायुरिवेश्वर: ।नोच्चावचत्वं भजते निर्गुणत्वाद्धियो गुणै: ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: uccāvaceṣu bhūteṣucaran vāyur iveśvaraḥnoccāvacatvaṁ bhajatenirguṇatvād dhiyo guṇaiḥ Translation: Like the air passing through different types of atmosphere, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although appearing sometimes as a human being and sometimes as a lower animal, is always transcendental. Because He is above the material modes of nature, He is unaffected by higher and lower forms....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: ज्ञात्वा तद् दानवेन्द्रस्य हयग्रीवस्य चेष्टितम् ।दधार शफरीरूपं भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: jñātvā tad dānavendrasyahayagrīvasya ceṣṭitamdadhāra śapharī-rūpaṁbhagavān harir īśvaraḥ Translation: Understanding the acts of the great demon Hayagrīva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who is full of all opulences, assumed the form of a fish and saved the Vedas by killing the demon. Purport: Because everything was inundated by water, to save the Vedas it was necessary for the Lord to assume the form of a fish....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: तत्र राजऋषि: कश्चिन्नाम्ना सत्यव्रतो महान् ।नारायणपरोऽतपत् तप: स सलिलाशन: ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: tatra rāja-ṛṣiḥ kaścinnāmnā satyavrato mahānnārāyaṇa-paro ’tapattapaḥ sa salilāśanaḥ Translation: During the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara there was a great king named Satyavrata who was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Satyavrata performed austerities by subsisting only on water. Purport: The Lord assumed one fish incarnation to save the Vedas at the beginning of the Svāyambhuva-manvantara, and at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara the Lord again assumed the form of a fish just to favor the great king named Satyavrata....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: तमाह सातिकरुणं महाकारुणिकं नृपम् ।यादोभ्यो ज्ञातिघातिभ्यो दीनां मां दीनवत्सल ।कथं विसृजसे राजन् भीतामस्मिन् सरिज्जले ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: tam āha sātikaruṇaṁmahā-kāruṇikaṁ nṛpamyādobhyo jñāti-ghātibhyodīnāṁ māṁ dīna-vatsalakathaṁ visṛjase rājanbhītām asmin sarij-jale Translation: With an appealing voice, the poor small fish said to King Satyavrata, who was very merciful: My dear King, protector of the poor, why are you throwing Me in the water of the river, where there are other aquatics who can kill Me?...

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: तमात्मनोऽनुग्रहार्थं प्रीत्या मत्स्यवपुर्धरम् ।अजानन् रक्षणार्थाय शफर्या: स मनो दधे ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: tam ātmano ’nugrahārthaṁprītyā matsya-vapur-dharamajānan rakṣaṇārthāyaśapharyāḥ sa mano dadhe Translation: To please himself, King Satyavrata, not knowing that the fish was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, decided with great pleasure to give the fish protection. Purport: Here is an example of giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead even without knowledge....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 30 Sanskrit: न तेऽरविन्दाक्ष पदोपसर्पणंमृषा भवेत् सर्वसुहृत्प्रियात्मन: ।यथेतरेषां पृथगात्मनां सता-मदीद‍ृशो यद् वपुरद्भ‍ुतं हि न: ॥ ३० ॥ ITRANS: na te ’ravindākṣa padopasarpaṇaṁmṛṣā bhavet sarva-suhṛt-priyātmanaḥyathetareṣāṁ pṛthag-ātmanāṁ satāmadīdṛśo yad vapur adbhutaṁ hi naḥ Translation: O my Lord, possessing eyes like the petals of a lotus, the worship of the demigods, who are in the bodily concept of life, is fruitless in all respects. But because You are the supreme friend and dearmost Supersoul of everyone, worship of Your lotus feet is never useless....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 37 Sanskrit: अहं त्वामृषिभि: सार्धं सहनावमुदन्वति ।विकर्षन् विचरिष्यामि यावद् ब्राह्मी निशा प्रभो ॥ ३७ ॥ ITRANS: ahaṁ tvām ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaṁsaha-nāvam udanvativikarṣan vicariṣyāmiyāvad brāhmī niśā prabho Translation: Pulling the boat, with you and all the ṛṣis in it, O King, I shall travel in the water of devastation until the night of Lord Brahmā’s slumber is over. Purport: This particular devastation actually took place not during the night of Lord Brahmā but during his day, for it was during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 38 Sanskrit: मदीयं महिमानं च परं ब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् ।वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ॥ ३८ ॥ ITRANS: madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ caparaṁ brahmeti śabditamvetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ mesampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi Translation: You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as paraṁ brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 46 Sanskrit: श्रीराजोवाचअनाद्यविद्योपहतात्मसंविद-स्तन्मूलसंसारपरिश्रमातुरा: ।यद‍ृच्छयोपसृता यमाप्नुयु-र्विमुक्तिदो न: परमो गुरुर्भवान् ॥ ४६ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-rājovācaanādy-avidyopahatātma-saṁvidastan-mūla-saṁsāra-pariśramāturāḥyadṛcchayopasṛtā yam āpnuyurvimuktido naḥ paramo gurur bhavān Translation: The King said: By the grace of the Lord, those who have lost their self-knowledge since time immemorial, and who because of this ignorance are involved in a material, conditional life full of miseries, obtain the chance to meet the Lord’s devotee. I accept that Supreme Personality of Godhead as the supreme spiritual master....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 47 Sanskrit: जनोऽबुधोऽयं निजकर्मबन्धन:सुखेच्छया कर्म समीहतेऽसुखम् ।यत्सेवया तां विधुनोत्यसन्मतिंग्रन्थिं स भिन्द्याद् धृदयं स नो गुरु: ॥ ४७ ॥ ITRANS: jano ’budho ’yaṁ nija-karma-bandhanaḥsukhecchayā karma samīhate ’sukhamyat-sevayā tāṁ vidhunoty asan-matiṁgranthiṁ sa bhindyād dhṛdayaṁ sa no guruḥ Translation: In hopes of becoming happy in this material world, the foolish conditioned soul performs fruitive activities that result only in suffering. But by rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one becomes free from such false desires for happiness....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 48 Sanskrit: यत्सेवयाग्नेरिव रुद्ररोदनंपुमान् विजह्यान्मलमात्मनस्तम: ।भजेत वर्णं निजमेष सोऽव्ययोभूयात् स ईश: परमो गुरोर्गुरु: ॥ ४८ ॥ ITRANS: yat-sevayāgner iva rudra-rodanaṁpumān vijahyān malam ātmanas tamaḥbhajeta varṇaṁ nijam eṣa so ’vyayobhūyāt sa īśaḥ paramo guror guruḥ Translation: One who wants to be free of material entanglement should take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give up the contamination of ignorance, involving pious and impious activities....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8 - Chapter 1 - Verse 49 Sanskrit: न यत्प्रसादायुतभागलेश-मन्ये च देवा गुरवो जना: स्वयम् ।कर्तुं समेता: प्रभवन्ति पुंस-स्तमीश्वरं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ४९ ॥ ITRANS: na yat-prasādāyuta-bhāga-leśamanye ca devā guravo janāḥ svayamkartuṁ sametāḥ prabhavanti puṁsastam īśvaraṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye Translation: Neither all the demigods, nor the so-called gurus nor all other people, either independently or together, can offer mercy that equals even one ten-thousandth of Yours. Therefore I wish to take shelter of Your lotus feet....