Text 14

Text

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); aha—said; sa—that small fish; ati-karunam—extremely compassionate; maha-kāruṇikam—extremely merciful; nṛpam—unto King Satyavrata; yādobhyaḥ—to the aquatics; jñāti-ghātibhyaḥ—who are always eager to kill the smaller fish; dinam—very poor; mām—me; dina-vatsala—O protector of the poor; katham—why; visṛjase—you are throwing; rājan—O King; bhitam—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.” 

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