—json {

  "name":"SB 8.24.14",
  "h1":"SB 8.24.14",
  "label":"Text 14",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.24.14",
  "description":"With an appealing voice, the poor small fish said to King Satyavrata, who was very merciful: My dear King, protector of the poor, why are you throwing Me in the water of the river, where there are other aquatics who can kill Me? I am very much afraid of them."

} —

SB 8.24.14

Text

tam āha sātikaruṇaṁ
mahā-kāruṇikaṁ nṛpam
yādobhyo jñāti-ghātibhyo
dīnāṁ māṁ dīna-vatsala
kathaṁ visṛjase rājan
bhītām asmin sarij-jale

Synonyms

tam—unto him (Satyavrata); āha—said; sā—that small fish; ati-karuṇam—extremely compassionate; mahā-kāruṇikam—extremely merciful; nṛpam—unto King Satyavrata; yādobhyaḥ—to the aquatics; jñāti-ghātibhyaḥ—who are always eager to kill the smaller fish; dīnām—very poor; mām—me; dīna-vatsala—O protector of the poor; katham—why; visṛjase—you are throwing; rājan—O King; bhītām—very much afraid; asmin—within this; sarit-jale—in the water of the river.

Translation

With an appealing voice, the poor small fish said to King Satyavrata, who was very merciful: My dear King, protector of the poor, why are you throwing Me in the water of the river, where there are other aquatics who can kill Me? I am very much afraid of them.

Purport

In the Matsya Purāṇa it is said:

ananta-śaktir bhagavān
matsya-rūpī janārdanaḥ
krīḍārthaṁ yācayām āsa
svayaṁ satyavrataṁ nṛpam

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses unlimited potency. Nonetheless, in His pastime in the form of a fish He begged protection from King Satyavrata.”