SB 10.40.18 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नम: कारणमत्स्याय प्रलयाब्धिचराय च । हयशीर्ष्णे नमस्तुभ्यं मधुकैटभमृत्यवे ॥ १७ ॥ अकूपाराय बृहते नमो मन्दरधारिणे । क्षित्युद्धारविहाराय नम: शूकरमूर्तये ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

namaḥ kāraṇa-matsyāya pralayābdhi-carāya ca hayaśīrṣṇe namas tubhyaṁ madhu-kaiṭabha-mṛtyave akūpārāya bṛhate namo mandara-dhāriṇe kṣity-uddhāra-vihārāya namaḥ śūkara-mūrtaye

Synonyms

namaḥ — obeisances ; kāraṇa — who is the original cause of creation ; matsyāya — to the Supreme Lord’s appearance as a fish ; pralaya — of annihilation ; abdhi — in the ocean ; carāya — who moved about ; ca — and ; haya — śīrṣṇe — to the incarnation who appeared with the head of a horse ; namaḥ — obeisances ; tubhyam — to You ; madhu — kaiṭabha — of the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha ; mṛtyave — to the killer ; akūpārāya — to the tortoise ; bṛhate — huge ; namaḥ — obeisances ; mandara — of Mandara Mountain ; dhāriṇe — to the holder ; kṣiti — of the earth ; uddhāra — the lifting up ; vihārāya — whose pleasure ; namaḥ — obeisances ; śūkara — of a boar ; mūrtaye — to the form .

Translation

I offer my obeisances to You, the cause of the creation, Lord Matsya, who swam about in the ocean of dissolution, to Lord Hayagrīva, the killer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, to the immense tortoise [Lord Kūrma], who supported Mandara Mountain, and to the boar incarnation [Lord Varāha], who enjoyed lifting the earth.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I offer my obeisances to You, the cause of the creation, Lord Matsya, who swam about in the ocean of dissolution, to Lord Hayagrīva, the killer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, to the immense tortoise [Lord Kūrma], who supported Mandara Mountain, and to the boar incarnation [Lord Varāha], who enjoyed lifting the earth. KB 10.40.17-18 “Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the fish incarnation, who appeared in the ocean of devastation although Your Lordship is the cause of all causes. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Hayagrīva incarnation, who killed the two demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha; let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who appeared as the gigantic tortoise that held up the great mountain Mandara and who appeared as the boar that rescued the earth planet, which had fallen into the water of the Garbhodaka.

Purport

The Viśva-kośa dictionary states that the word akūpārāya indicates the king of tortoises.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"What are those forms?" These various forms are described in the following six verses. "I pay my respects to the eternal form of Matsya, who moves about in the ocean of pralaya. The word "karana" in this verse indicates the eternal nature of this form, and should apply to all the forms mentioned in the following verses. After this, taking the form of Hayagriva, you killed Madhu and Kaitabha. I offer respects to the Lord in the form of a turtle (akuparaya), who held up the Mandara mountain.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

I offer my respects to Matsya, who is the cause of everything (namaḥ kāraṇa-matsyāya). This indicates the form of Matsya is eternal. The form has been a cause previously also. The word ca indicates that as well as swimming in the water of dissolution, Matsya gave instructions to Satyavrata. The word ca should be understood with the other avatāras as well. All the avatāras should also be related with tubhyam (you). All of these forms are also you. Akūpāra means the ocean and the king of turtles. Kūrma is described as huge since he was over a hundred thousand yojanas in breadth. You have a form which is similar to that of a boar. This is not a material boar. Since the Lord has a spiritual form it should be defined in this way.