Shloka 7
Adhyāya 188: Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of Yuga-Decline and the Restoration Motif
Kali-yuga to Kalki
भगवन क्षुद्रमत्स्यो5स्मि बलवद्धयो भयं मम । मत्स्येभ्यो हि ततो मां त्वं त्रातुमहसि सुव्रत,“'भगवन्! मैं एक छोटा-सा मत्स्य हूँ। मुझे (अपनी जातिके) बलवान् मत्स्योंसे बराबर भय बना रहता है। अतः उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले सहर्षे! आप उनसे मेरी रक्षा करें
bhagavan kṣudramatsyo ’smi balavaddhayo bhayaṃ mama | matsyebhyo hi tato māṃ tvaṃ trātum arhasi suvrata ||
魚は言った。「ああ、尊き御方よ。わたしはただの小さな魚にすぎず、力ある魚たちを常に恐れております。ゆえに、すぐれた誓戒を守るお方よ、どうか彼らからわたしをお救いください。」
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a dharmic ethic: the vulnerable seek refuge, and the virtuous—especially one praised as suvrata—are morally obliged to protect the weak from the strong.
A small fish addresses a revered figure as “Bhagavan,” confessing fear of larger fish and requesting protection—setting up a motif of sheltering the helpless within a larger tale narrated by Markandeya.