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Shloka 26

Matsya-avatāra: The Lord as Fish Saves the Vedas and Guides Satyavrata

नैवंवीर्यो जलचरो द‍ृष्टोऽस्माभि: श्रुतोऽपि वा । यो भवान् योजनशतमह्नाभिव्यानशे सर: ॥ २६ ॥

naivaṁ vīryo jalacaro dṛṣṭo ’smābhiḥ śruto ’pi vā yo bhavān yojana-śatam ahnābhivyānaśe saraḥ

Mein Herr, an nur einem Tag hast Du Dich über Hunderte von Yojanas ausgedehnt und die Wasser von Fluss und Ozean bedeckt. Nie haben wir ein solches Wasserwesen gesehen oder von ihm gehört.

not
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय
एवम्thus/so
एवम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक
वीर्यःso powerful
वीर्यः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘so powerful’ (elliptic: ‘one of such power’)
जलचरःan aquatic being
जलचरः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (जल-चर: ‘water-goer’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘aquatic creature’
दृष्टःseen
दृष्टः:
Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘seen’
अस्माभिःby us
अस्माभिः:
Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by us’
श्रुतःheard
श्रुतः:
Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘heard’
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘who’
भवान्you (sir)
भवान्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; honorific ‘you’
योजन-शतम्a hundred yojanas
योजन-शतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगु-समास (numerical: ‘a hundred yojanas’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (measure as object/extent)
अह्नाin a day
अह्ना:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental of time ‘in a day/within a day’
अभि-व्य-आनशेreaches
अभि-व्य-आनशे:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि + वि + अश् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘reaches/attains’ (with prefixes: ‘reaches up to’)
सरःthe lake
सरः:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘lake/pond’
S
Satyavrata
M
Matsya (Lord Vishnu)

FAQs

This verse highlights Matsya’s extraordinary potency: He can dry up an immense lake (a hundred yojanas wide) in a single day, showing the Lord’s supreme aishvarya beyond any ordinary creature.

Satyavrata had been protecting the small fish, but as it rapidly grew and displayed impossible feats—like draining a vast lake—he recognized it as no ordinary being and expressed astonishment and reverence.

It teaches discernment and humility: when confronted with the extraordinary, a devotee learns to see the hand of the Divine and respond with reverence rather than pride or dismissal.