Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.4-5

[makarand]

TEXT 4

śrī-sūta uvāca

ity ukto viṣṇu-rātena

bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ

uvāca caritaṁ viṣṇor

matsya-rūpeṇa yat kṛtam

SYNONYMS

śrī-sūtaḥ uvāca—Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; iti uktaḥ—thus being questioned; viṣṇu-rātena—by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, known as Viṣṇurāta; bhagavān—the most powerful; bādarāyaṇiḥ—the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; caritam—the pastimes; viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; matsya-rūpeṇa—by Him in the form of a fish; yat—whatever; kṛtam—was done.

TRANSLATION

Sūta Gosvāmī said: When Parīkṣit Mahārāja thus inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that most powerful saintly person began describing the pastimes of the Lord’s incarnation as a fish.

TEXT 5

śrī-śuka uvāca

go-vipra-sura-sādhūnāṁ

chandasām api ceśvaraḥ

rakṣām icchaṁs tanūr dhatte

dharmasyārthasya caiva hi

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; go—of the cows; vipra—of the brāhmaṇas; sura—of the demigods; sādhūnām—and of the devotees; chandasām api—even of the Vedic literature; ca—and; īśvaraḥ—the supreme controller; rakṣām—the protection; icchan—desiring; tanūḥ dhatte—accepts the forms of incarnations; dharmasya—of the principles of religion; arthasya—of the principles of the purpose of life; ca—and; eva—indeed; hi—certainly.

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.