SB 8.24.3 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यदर्थमदधाद् रूपं मात्स्यं लोकजुगुप्सितम् । तम:प्रकृति दुर्मर्षं कर्मग्रस्त इवेश्वर: ॥ २ ॥ एतन्नो भगवन् सर्वं यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि । उत्तमश्लोकचरितं सर्वलोकसुखावहम् ॥ ३ ॥

Verse text

yad-artham adadhād rūpaṁ mātsyaṁ loka-jugupsitam tamaḥ-prakṛti-durmarṣaṁ karma-grasta iveśvaraḥ etan no bhagavan sarvaṁ yathāvad vaktum arhasi uttamaśloka-caritaṁ sarva-loka-sukhāvaham

Synonyms

yat — artham — for what purpose ; adadhāt — accepted ; rūpam — form ; mātsyam — of a fish ; loka — jugupsitam — which is certainly not very favorable in this world ; tamaḥ — in the mode of ignorance ; prakṛti — such behavior ; durmarṣam — which is certainly very painful and condemned ; karma — grastaḥ — one who is under the laws of karma ; iva — like ; īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; etat — all these facts ; naḥ — unto us ; bhagavan — O most powerful sage ; sarvam — everything ; yathāvat — properly ; vaktum arhasi — kindly describe ; uttamaśloka — caritam — the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; sarva — loka — sukha — āvaham — by hearing of which everyone becomes happy .

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. O my lord, what was the purpose of this incarnation? Kindly explain this to us, for hearing about the pastimes of the Lord is auspicious for everyone.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Why did the Lord accept the seemingly abominable form of a fish in tamoguṇa, condemned by the world, as if controlled by karma? O sage! Kindly explain to me everything about this pastime of the Lord which gives happiness to the world. The word iva should be added to other phrases describing Matsya so that the meaning becomes “as if in tamaguna and as if intolerable (durmarṣam).” The Lord took the form of a condemned beggar to give mercy to his devotee Bali. If this case is similar, then I want to know to whom the Lord gave mercy by accepting the condemned form of a fish? The activities of the famous Lord give joy to the world because those activities are glorified and heard. To which devotee did the form of Matsya give joy?

Purport

Parīkṣit Mahārāja’s question to Śukadeva Gosvāmī was based on this principle stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7) : yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself.” The Lord appears in each incarnation to save the world from irreligious principles and especially to protect His devotees ( paritrāṇāya sādhūnām ). Vāmanadeva, for example, appeared to save the devotee Bali Mahārāja. Similarly, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepted the abominable form of a fish, He must have done so to favor some devotee. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was eager to know about the devotee for whom the Supreme Lord accepted this form.