1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.

Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Canto 8 · Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation

8.24.21 8.24.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.24.22

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:The fishsince 8.24.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नैतन्मे स्वस्तये राजन्नुदकं सलिलौकस: ।

निधेहि रक्षायोगेन ह्रदे मामविदासिनि ॥ २२ ॥

naitan me svastaye rājann

udakaṁ salilaukasaḥ

nidhehi rakṣā-yogena

hrade mām avidāsini

Translation

The fish then said: O King, I am a large aquatic, and this water is not at all suitable for Me. Now kindly find some way to save Me. It would be better to put Me in the water of a lake that will never reduce.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hear the Fish’s Request for Shelter

1
The fish tells the King that the water is not suitable for His large aquatic form.
2
He kindly asks the King to find some way to save Him.
3
He requests a lake whose water will never diminish.

How it feels

Catastrophe → Trust and protection. Divine guardianship amid destruction closes the canto.

Chapter 24 of Canto 8: Matsya preserves life and knowledge. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 24: Matsya, the Lord’s Fish Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

To save him, the Lord appeared as the fish incarnation for a second time. King Satyavrata later became the son of the sun-god and was known as Śrāddhadeva.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 8.24

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

nanot
etatthis
meunto Me
svastayecomfortable
rājanO King
udakamwater
salila-okasaḥbecause I am a big aquatic
nidhehiput

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

Īśānukathā · The science of God
Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10
Karuṇā · Compassion
Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 8.24
In this verse: “kindly”
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 8.24
In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How carefully do I listen to what is actually being requested before trying to help?

Practice

Read the fish’s request slowly, noticing the particular shelter He asks for.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear the Fish’s Request for ShelterThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 8.24.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories