Vaishnava Songs
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King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.24.46–53 — Satyavrata's prayers to the fish incarnation during the devastation

śrī-rājovāca anādy-avidyopahatātma-saṁvidas tan-mūla-saṁsāra-pariśramāturāḥ yadṛcchayopasṛtā yam āpnuyur vimuktido naḥ paramo gurur bhavān
Word for word
śrī-rājā uvāca the King offered prayers as follows; anādi from time immemorial; avidyā by ignorance; upahata has been lost; ātma-saṁvidaḥ knowledge about the self; tat that is; mūla the root; saṁsāra material bondage; pariśrama full of miserable conditions and hard work; āturāḥ suffering; yadṛcchayā by the supreme will; upasṛtāḥ being favored by the ācārya; yam the Supreme Personality of Godhead; āpnuyuḥ can achieve; vimukti-daḥ the process of liberation; naḥ our; paramaḥ the supreme; guruḥ spiritual master; bhavān Your Lordship
Translation

The King said: By the grace of the Lord, those who have lost their self-knowledge since time immemorial, and who because of this ignorance are involved in a material, conditional life full of miseries, obtain the chance to meet the Lord’s devotee. I accept that Supreme Personality of Godhead as the supreme spiritual master.

jano 'budho 'yaṁ nija-karma-bandhanaḥ sukhecchayā karma samīhate 'sukham yat-sevayā tāṁ vidhunoty asan-matiṁ granthiṁ sa bhindyād dhṛdayaṁ sa no guruḥ
Word for word
janaḥ the conditioned soul subjected to birth and death; abudhaḥ most foolish because of accepting the body as the self; ayam he; nija-karma-bandhanaḥ accepting different bodily forms as a result of his sinful activities; sukha-icchayā desiring to be happy within this material world; karma fruitive activities; samīhate plans; asukham but it is for distress only; yat-sevayā by rendering service unto whom; tām the entanglement of karma; vidhunoti clears up; asat-matim the unclean mentality (accepting the body as the self); granthim hard knot; saḥ His Lordship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhindyāt being cut off; hṛdayam in the core of the heart; saḥ He (the Lord); naḥ our; guruḥ the supreme spiritual master
Translation

In hopes of becoming happy in this material world, the foolish conditioned soul performs fruitive activities that result only in suffering. But by rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one becomes free from such false desires for happiness. May my supreme spiritual master cut the knot of false desires from the core of my heart.

yat-sevayāgner iva rudra-rodanaṁ pumān vijahyān malam ātmanas tamaḥ bhajeta varṇaṁ nijam eṣa so 'vyayo bhūyāt sa īśaḥ paramo guror guruḥ
Word for word
yat-sevayā the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by serving whom; agneḥ in touch with fire; iva as it is; rudra-rodanam a block of silver or gold becomes purified; pumān a person; vijahyāt can give up; malam all the dirty things of material existence; ātmanaḥ of one's self; tamaḥ the mode of ignorance, by which one performs pious and impious activities; bhajeta may revive; varṇam his original identity; nijam one's own; eṣaḥ such; saḥ He; avyayaḥ inexhaustible; bhūyāt let Him become; saḥ He; īśaḥ the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paramaḥ the supreme; guroḥ guruḥ the spiritual master of all other spiritual masters
Translation

One who wants to be free of material entanglement should take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give up the contamination of ignorance, involving pious and impious activities. Thus one regains his original identity, just as a block of gold or silver sheds all dirt and becomes purified when treated with fire. May that inexhaustible Supreme Personality of Godhead become our spiritual master, for He is the original spiritual master of all other spiritual masters.

na yat-prasādāyuta-bhāga-leśam anye ca devā guravo janāḥ svayam kartuṁ sametāḥ prabhavanti puṁsas tam īśvaraṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
Word for word
na not; yat-prasāda of the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ayuta-bhāga-leśam only one ten-thousandth; anye others; ca also; devāḥ even the demigods; guravaḥ the so-called gurus; janāḥ the total population; svayam personally; kartum to execute; sametāḥ all together; prabhavanti can become equally able; puṁsaḥ by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tam unto Him; īśvaram unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tvām unto You; śaraṇam shelter; prapadye let me surrender
Translation

Neither all the demigods, nor the so-called gurus nor all other people, either independently or together, can offer mercy that equals even one ten-thousandth of Yours. Therefore I wish to take shelter of Your lotus feet.

acakṣur andhasya yathāgraṇīḥ kṛtas tathā janasyāviduṣo 'budho guruḥ tvam arka-dṛk sarva-dṛśāṁ samīkṣaṇo vṛto gurur naḥ sva-gatiṁ bubhutsatām
Word for word
acakṣuḥ one who does not have his power of sight; andhasya for such a blind person; yathā as; agraṇīḥ the leader, who goes first; kṛtaḥ accepted; tathā similarly; janasya such a person; aviduṣaḥ who has no knowledge of the goal of life; abudhaḥ a foolish rascal; guruḥ the spiritual master; tvam Your Lordship; arka-dṛk appear like the sun; sarva-dṛśām of all sources of knowledge; samīkṣaṇaḥ the complete seer; vṛtaḥ accepted; guruḥ the spiritual master; naḥ our; sva-gatim one who knows his real self-interest; bubhutsatām such an enlightened person
Translation

As a blind man, being unable to see, accepts another blind man as his leader, people who do not know the goal of life accept someone as a guru who is a rascal and a fool. But we are interested in self-realization. Therefore we accept You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as our spiritual master, for You are able to see in all directions and are omniscient like the sun.

jano janasyādiśate 'satīṁ gatiṁ yayā prapadyeta duratyayaṁ tamaḥ tvaṁ tv avyayaṁ jñānam amogham añjasā prapadyate yena jano nijaṁ padam
Word for word
janaḥ a person who is not a bona fide guru (an ordinary person); janasya of an ordinary person who does not know the goal of life; ādiśate instructs; asatīm impermanent, material; gatim the goal of life; yayā by such knowledge; prapadyeta he surrenders; duratyayam insurmountable; tamaḥ to ignorance; tvam Your Lordship; tu but; avyayam indestructible; jñānam knowledge; amogham without material contamination; añjasā very soon; prapadyate achieves; yena by such knowledge; janaḥ a person; nijam his own; padam original position
Translation

A materialistic so-called guru instructs his materialistic disciples about economic development and sense gratification, and because of such instructions the foolish disciples continue in the materialistic existence of ignorance. But Your Lordship gives knowledge that is eternal, and the intelligent person receiving such knowledge is quickly situated in his original constitutional position.

tvaṁ sarva-lokasya suhṛt priyeśvaro hy ātmā gurur jñānam abhīṣṭa-siddhiḥ tathāpi loko na bhavantam andha-dhīr jānāti santaṁ hṛdi baddha-kāmaḥ
Word for word
tvam You, my dear Lord; sarva-lokasya of all planets and their inhabitants; suhṛt the most well-wishing friend; priya the most dear; īśvaraḥ the supreme controller; hi also; ātmā the supreme soul; guruḥ the supreme teacher; jñānam the supreme knowledge; abhīṣṭa-siddhiḥ the fulfillment of all desires; tathā api still; lokaḥ persons; na not; bhavantam unto You; andha-dhīḥ because of blind intelligence; jānāti can know; santam situated; hṛdi in his heart; baddha-kāmaḥ because of being bewildered by material lusty desires
Translation

My Lord, You are the supreme well-wishing friend of everyone, the dearmost friend, the controller, the Supersoul, the supreme instructor and the giver of supreme knowledge and the fulfillment of all desires. But although You are within the heart, the foolish, because of lusty desires in the heart, cannot understand You.

tvaṁ tvām ahaṁ deva-varaṁ vareṇyaṁ prapadya īśaṁ pratibodhanāya chindhy artha-dīpair bhagavan vacobhir granthīn hṛdayyān vivṛṇu svam okaḥ
Word for word
tvam how exalted You are; tvām unto You; aham myself; deva-varam worshiped by the demigods; vareṇyam the greatest of all; prapadye fully surrendering; īśam unto the supreme controller; pratibodhanāya for understanding the real purpose of life; chindhi cut off; artha-dīpaiḥ by the light of purposeful instruction; bhagavan O Supreme Lord; vacobhiḥ by Your words; granthīn knots; hṛdayyān fixed within the core of the heart; vivṛṇu kindly explain; svam okaḥ my destination in life
Translation

O Supreme Lord, for self-realization I surrender unto You, who are worshiped by the demigods as the supreme controller of everything. By Your instructions, exposing life’s purpose, kindly cut the knot from the core of my heart and let me know the destination of my life.

About King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya

King Satyavrata had found a tiny fish in his palms while offering water in the Kṛtamālā river, and watched it grow until it filled the ocean. At the devastation he ties his boat to the golden fish's horn with the serpent Vāsuki as rope, and offers these eight verses. Verses 50–51 warn that people who choose a guru without knowing the goal of life are like the blind leading the blind; the Lord alone is the true guru and friend.

Verses
8

Frequently asked

Who wrote King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya?

King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa. It appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers.

What is the meaning of King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya?

The King said: By the grace of the Lord, those who have lost their self-knowledge since time immemorial, and who because of this ignorance are involved in a material, conditional life full of miseries, obtain the chance to meet the Lord’s devotee. I accept that Supreme Personality of Godhead as the supreme spiritual master.

How many verses does King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya have?

King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya has 8 verses.

Can I download King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya as a PPT or PDF?

Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for King Satyavrata's Prayers to Lord Matsya — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.