Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation. Text 1

श्रीराजोवाच
भगवन्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भुतकर्मणः ।
अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥१॥

Å›rÄ«-rÄjovÄca
bhagavañ chrotum icchÄmi
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
avatÄra-kathÄm ÄdyÄá¹
mÄyÄ-matsya-viá¸ambanam

 Å›rÄ«-rÄjÄ uvÄca - King ParÄ«ká¹£it said; bhagavan - O most powerful; Å›rotum - to hear; icchÄmi - I desire; hareḥ - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ - whose activities are wonderful; avatÄra-kathÄm - pastimes of the incarnation; ÄdyÄm - first; mÄyÄ-matsya-viá¸ambanam - which is simply an imitation of a fish.


Text

MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it 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 Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, 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.