Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 18
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and the Lord’s Unlimited Incarnations
गुप्तोऽप्यये मनुरिलौषधयश्च मात्स्ये क्रौडे हतो दितिज उद्धरताम्भस: क्ष्माम् । कौर्मे धृतोऽद्रिरमृतोन्मथने स्वपृष्ठे ग्राहात् प्रपन्नमिभराजममुञ्चदार्तम् ॥ १८ ॥
gupto ’pyaye manur ilauṣadhayaś ca mātsye krauḍe hato diti-ja uddharatāmbhasaḥ kṣmām kaurme dhṛto ’drir amṛtonmathane sva-pṛṣṭhe grāhāt prapannam ibha-rājam amuñcad ārtam
Dans Son apparition comme Poisson (Matsya), le Seigneur protégea Manu Satyavrata, la terre et les herbes précieuses des eaux du pralaya. Comme Sanglier divin (Varāha), Il tua Hiraṇyākṣa, fils de Diti, et délivra la terre des eaux cosmiques. Comme Tortue (Kūrma), Il porta le mont Mandara sur Son dos afin que, lors du barattage de l’océan, le nectar surgît. Et Il sauva Gajendra, roi des éléphants, qui s’était réfugié en Lui, de l’atroce détresse causée par l’étreinte du crocodile.
FAQs
This verse lists multiple avatāras where the Lord intervenes—protecting Manu at pralaya, rescuing the earth as Varāha, sustaining the churning as Kūrma, and saving surrendered Gajendra—showing that divine protection follows sincere surrender.
Śukadeva highlights a consistent principle across different līlās: whether cosmic events (pralaya, earth’s rescue, nectar churning) or personal crisis (Gajendra), the Lord responds to surrender and protects those who take shelter of Him.
When overwhelmed, consciously turn to God with humility and trust—seek shelter through prayer, remembrance, and dharmic action—rather than relying only on ego or panic; the verse emphasizes relief comes through genuine dependence on the Lord.