Shloka 49
Matsya-avatāra: The Lord as Fish Saves the Vedas and Guides Satyavrata
न यत्प्रसादायुतभागलेश- मन्ये च देवा गुरवो जना: स्वयम् । कर्तुं समेता: प्रभवन्ति पुंस- स्तमीश्वरं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ४९ ॥
na yat-prasādāyuta-bhāga-leśam anye ca devā guravo janāḥ svayam kartuṁ sametāḥ prabhavanti puṁsas tam īśvaraṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
Weder die Halbgötter noch die sogenannten Gurus noch andere Menschen, einzeln oder vereint, können eine Barmherzigkeit gewähren, die auch nur einem Zehntausendstel der Deinen gleichkäme. Darum nehme ich Zuflucht zu Deinen Lotosfüßen.
It is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ: people in general, being motivated by material desires, worship the demigods to get fruitive results very quickly. People generally do not become devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, since Lord Viṣṇu never becomes the order supplier of His devotee. Lord Viṣṇu does not give a devotee benedictions that will create a further demand for benedictions. By worshiping the demigods one may get results, but, as described in Bhagavad-gītā, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: whatever great benedictions one may achieve from the demigods are all temporary. Because the demigods themselves are temporary, their benedictions are also temporary and have no permanent value. Those who aspire for such benedictions have a poor fund of knowledge ( tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām ). The benedictions of Lord Viṣṇu are different. By the mercy of the Lord Viṣṇu, one can be completely freed from material contamination and go back home, back to Godhead. Therefore the benedictions offered by the demigods cannot compare to even one ten-thousandth of the Lord’s benedictions. One should not, therefore, try to obtain benedictions from the demigods or false gurus. One should aspire only for the benediction offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66) :
FAQs
This verse teaches that even exalted devas and great authorities cannot grant the Lord’s unique mercy; therefore one should take exclusive refuge in the Supreme Controller, Vishnu.
During the cosmic dissolution narrative, Manu recognizes that only the Lord can truly protect and bestow decisive grace, so he surrenders to Matsya as the ultimate shelter.
Prioritize devotion and dependence on God’s guidance—pray sincerely, follow dharma, and seek help from teachers while remembering that final protection and transformative mercy come from the Lord.