Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.12-14

[makarand]

TEXT 12

ekadā kṛtamālāyāṁ

kurvato jala-tarpaṇam

tasyāñjaly-udake kācic

chaphary ekābhyapadyata

SYNONYMS

ekadā—one day; kṛtamālāyām—on the bank of the Kṛtamālā River; kurvataḥ—executing; jala-tarpaṇam—the offering of oblations of water; tasya—his; añjali—palmful; udake—in the water; kācit—some; śapharī—a small fish; ekā—one; abhyapadyata—was generated.

TRANSLATION

One day while King Satyavrata was performing austerities by offering water on the bank of the River Kṛtamālā, a small fish appeared in the water in his palms.

TEXT 13

satyavrato ’ñjali-gatāṁ

saha toyena bhārata

utsasarja nadī-toye

śapharīṁ draviḍeśvaraḥ

SYNONYMS

satyavrataḥ—King Satyavrata; añjali-gatām—in the water held in the palms of the King; saha—with; toyena—water; bhārata—O King Parīkṣit; utsasarja—threw; nadī-toye—in the water of the river; śapharīm—that small fish; draviḍa-īśvaraḥ—Satyavrata, the King of Draviḍa.

TRANSLATION

Satyavrata, the King of Draviḍadeśa, threw the fish into the water of the river along with the water in his palm, O King Parīkṣit, descendant of Bharata.

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.