tam āha sātikaruṇaṁ
mahā-kāruṇikaṁ nṛpam
yādobhyo jñāti-ghātibhyo
dīnāṁ māṁ dīna-vatsala
kathaṁ visṛjase rājan
bhītām asmin sarij-jale
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.
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.”