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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

Wahai Tuhanku, dalam satu hari sahaja Engkau telah mengembang hingga ratusan yojana, meliputi air sungai dan lautan. Belum pernah kami melihat atau mendengar makhluk air sedemikian.

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.