Verse 1.2.169

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.2.169:

মত্স্য-রূপে তুমি জলে প্রলযে বিহার কূর্ম-রূপে তুমি সর্ব-জীবের আধার ॥ ১৬৯ ॥

मत्स्य-रूपे तुमि जले प्रलये विहार कूर्म-रूपे तुमि सर्व-जीवेर आधार ॥ १६९ ॥

matsya-rūpe tumi jale pralaye vihāra kūrma-rūpe tumi sarva-jīvera ādhāra || 169 ||

matsya-rupe tumi jale pralaye vihara kurma-rupe tumi sarva-jivera adhara (169)

English translation:

(169) “In the form of Matsya, You enjoy in the waters of annihilation. In the form of Kūrma, You are the shelter of all living entities.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

As stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.3.15-16): “When there was a complete inundation after the period of the Cākṣuṣa Manu and the whole world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat. The eleventh incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandarācala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the universe.”