ŚB 8.24.1
Devanagari
श्रीराजोवाच
भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भुतकर्मण: ।
अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥ १ ॥
भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भुतकर्मण: ।
अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
śrī-rājovāca
bhagavañ chrotum icchāmi
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
avatāra-kathām ādyāṁ
māyā-matsya-viḍambanam
bhagavañ chrotum icchāmi
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
avatāra-kathām ādyāṁ
māyā-matsya-viḍambanam
Synonyms
śrī-rājā uvāca — King Parīkṣit said; bhagavan — O most powerful; śrotum — to hear; icchāmi — I desire; hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ — whose activities are wonderful; avatāra-kathām — pastimes of the incarnation; ādyām — first; māyā-matsya-viḍambanam — which is simply an imitation of a fish.
Translation
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is eternally situated in His transcendental position, yet He descends to this material world and manifests Himself in various incarnations. His first incarnation was that of a great fish. O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I wish to hear from you the pastimes of that fish incarnation.
Purport
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-powerful, yet He accepted the form of an uncommon fish. This is one of the ten original incarnations of the Lord.