Shloka 40
तत्र चान्तर्जले संमदो नामातिबहुप्रजो ऽतिप्रमाणो मीनाधिपतिर् आसीत् । तस्य च पुत्रपौत्रदौहित्राः पार्श्वतः पृष्ठतो ऽग्रतो वक्षःपुच्छशिरसां चोपरि भ्रमन्तस् तेनैव सहाहर्निशम् अतिनिर्वृता रेमिरे ॥
tatra cāntarjale saṃmado nāmātibahuprajo 'tipramāṇo mīnādhipatir āsīt | tasya ca putrapautradauhitrāḥ pārśvataḥ pṛṣṭhato 'grato vakṣaḥpucchaśirasāṃ copari bhramantas tenaiva sahāharniśam atinirvṛtā remire ||
There, within the waters, there was a lord of fishes named Sammada—of immense size and exceedingly prolific. His sons, grandsons, and grandsons through daughters swarmed around him... Moving in ceaseless circles about him, they sported with him day and night, utterly content.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Illustration of Saubhari’s turning from asceticism toward household desire, occasioned by the fish Sammada.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Even a seemingly harmless spectacle of pleasure can reawaken latent saṁskāras and unsettle ascetic steadiness.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Guard attention (dṛṣṭi) and inputs; notice how repeated exposure to pleasure-images can erode focus, and re-anchor in chosen disciplines.
Vishishtadvaita: The verse implicitly contrasts worldly ānanda dependent on objects with the higher, self-offering joy that bhakti directs toward Nārāyaṇa.
Bhakti Type: shanta
FAQs
Sammada functions as an image of natural sovereignty: a central lord around whom his entire lineage gathers, illustrating order, dependence, and cohesive continuity within creation.
By describing Sammada as exceedingly prolific and surrounded by descendants on every side, Parāśara emphasizes abundance and uninterrupted continuity—key motifs that parallel the Purana’s broader interest in lineages and succession.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview frames such ordered flourishing as occurring within Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty—where hierarchy and harmony in beings reflect the Supreme’s governance of the cosmos.