Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic CreationsChapter 24: Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.24.37

ahaḿ tvām ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaḿ

saha-nāvam udanvati

vikarṣan vicariṣyāmi

yāvad brāhmī niśā prabho

SYNONYMS

ahamI; tvām — unto you; ṛṣibhiḥ — with all the saintly persons; sārdham — all together; saha — with; nāvam — the boat; udanvatiin the water of devastation; vikarṣan — contacting; vicariṣyāmiI shall travel; yāvatas long as; brāhmī — pertaining to Lord Brahmā; niśā — night; prabhoO King.

TRANSLATION

Pulling the boat, with you and all the ṛṣis in it, O King, I shall travel in the water of devastation until the night of Lord Brahmā's slumber is over.

PURPORT

This particular devastation actually took place not during the night of Lord Brahmā but during his day, for it was during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu. Brahmā's night takes place when Brahmā goes to sleep, but in the daytime there are fourteen Manus, one of whom is Cākṣuṣa Manu. Therefore, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that although it was daytime for Lord Brahmā, Brahmā felt sleepy for a short time by the supreme will of the Lord. This short period is regarded as Lord Brahmā's night. This has been elaborately discussed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta. The following is a summary of his analysis. Because Agastya Muni cursed Svāyambhuva Manu, during the time of Svāyambhuva Manu a devastation took place. This devastation is mentioned in the Matsya Purāṇa. During the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu, by the supreme will of the Lord, there was suddenly another pralaya, or devastation. This is mentioned by Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi in the Viṣṇu-dharmottara. At the end of Manu's time there is not necessarily a devastation, but at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His illusory energy, wanted to show Satyavrata the effects of devastation. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī also agrees with this opinion. The Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta says:

madhye manvantarasyaiva

muneḥ śāpān manuḿ prati

pralayo 'sau babhūveti

purāṇe kvacid īryate

ayam ākasmiko jātaś

cākṣuṣasyāntare manoḥ

pralayaḥ padmanābhasya

līlayeti ca kutracit

sarva-manvantarasyānte

pralayo niścitaḿ bhavet

viṣṇu-dharmottare tv etat

mārkaṇḍeyeṇa bhāṣitam

manor ante layo nāsti

manave 'darśi māyayā

viṣṇuneti bruvāṇais tu

svāmibhir naiṣa manyate

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