SB 8.24.14
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 14
- tam āha sātikaruṇaṁ
- mahā-kāruṇikaṁ nṛpam
- yādobhyo jñāti-ghātibhyo
- dīnāṁ māṁ dīna-vatsala
- kathaṁ visṛjase rājan
- bhītām asmin sarij-jale
SYNONYMS
tam — unto him (Satyavrata); āha — said; sā — that small fish; ati-karuṇam — extremely compassionate; mahā-kāruṇikam — extremely merciful; nṛpam — unto King Satyavrata; yādobhyaḥ — to the aquatics; jñāti-ghātibhyaḥ — who are always eager to kill the smaller fish; dīnām — very poor; mām — me; dīna-vatsala — O protector of the poor; katham — why; visṛjase — you are throwing; rājan — O King; bhītām — very much afraid; asmin — within this; sarit-jale — in the water of the river.
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? I am very much afraid of them.
PURPORT
In the Matsya Purāṇa it is said:
- ananta-śaktir bhagavān
- matsya-rūpī janārdanaḥ
- krīḍārthaṁ yācayām āsa
- svayaṁ satyavrataṁ nṛpam
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses unlimited potency. Nonetheless, in His pastime in the form of a fish He begged protection from King Satyavrata."