Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic CreationsChapter 24: Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.24.1

śrī-rājovāca

bhagavañ chrotum icchāmi

harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ

avatāra-kathām ādyāḿ

māyā-matsya-viḍambanam

SYNONYMS

śrī-rājā uvāca — King Parīkṣit said; bhagavanO most powerful; śrotumto hear; icchāmiI desire; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ — whose activities are wonderful; avatāra-kathām — pastimes of the incarnation; ādyām — first; māyā-matsya-viḍambanam — which is simply an imitation of a fish.

TRANSLATION

Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is eternally situated in His transcendental position, yet He descends to this material world and manifests Himself in various incarnations. His first incarnation was that of a great fish. O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I wish to hear from you the pastimes of that fish incarnation.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-powerful, yet He accepted the form of an uncommon fish. This is one of the ten original incarnations of the Lord.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness