Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.40.17-18
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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kāraṇa-matsyāya
—
to Matsya, the cause
Compound: kāraṇa (cause) + matsya (fish). Matsya rescued the Vedas at pralaya — He is the kāraṇa of the next cycle's śruti. Jīva Gosvāmī (Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha) places Matsya as a līlā-avatāra of Mahā-Viṣṇu.
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haya-śīrṣṇe
—
to the horse-headed One
Compound: haya (horse) + śīrṣa (head). Hayagrīva — who killed Madhu and Kaiṭabha to recover the Vedas. Gauḍīyas honor Hayagrīva as the Lord of recitation; even Mahāprabhu's tradition keeps His memory.
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akūpārāya
—
to the great tortoise
akūpāra — 'one without boundary', a Vedic epithet for the cosmic tortoise. Kūrma supported Mandara Mountain during the churning of the milk ocean (SB 8.7). The Lord literally becomes the base of even devas' efforts.
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śūkara-mūrtaye
—
to the form of the boar
Compound: śūkara (boar) + mūrti (form). Varāha lifted the earth from the rasātala flood (SB 3.13). Gauḍīyas distinguish ādi-Varāha (līlā-avatāra) from yajña-Varāha — the form Akrūra here salutes is the rescuer.
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kṣiti-uddhāra-vihārāya
—
to Him whose play was lifting the earth
Compound: kṣiti (earth) + uddhāra (lifting) + vihāra (play). Cosmic rescue framed as play — same logic as verse 16. He did not strain to lift the earth; He played at it.
The Viśva-kośa dictionary states that the word akūpārāya indicates the king of tortoises.
"What are those forms?" These various forms are described in the following six verses. "I pay my respects to the eternal form of Matsya, who moves about in the ocean of pralaya. The word "karana" in this verse indicates the eternal nature of this form, and should apply to all the forms mentioned in the following verses. After this, taking the form of Hayagriva, you killed Madhu and Kaitabha. I offer respects to the Lord in the form of a turtle (akuparaya), who held up the Mandara mountain.
I offer my respects to Matsya, who is the cause of everything (namaḥ kāraṇa-matsyāya). This indicates the form of Matsya is eternal. The form has been a cause previously also. The word ca indicates that as well as swimming in the water of dissolution, Matsya gave instructions to Satyavrata. The word ca should be understood with the other avatāras as well. All the avatāras should also be related with tubhyam (you). All of these forms are also you. Akūpāra means the ocean and the king of turtles. Kūrma is described as huge since he was over a hundred thousand yojanas in breadth. You have a form which is similar to that of a boar. This is not a material boar. Since the Lord has a spiritual form it should be defined in this way.
- Which of these incarnations feels most relevant to a 'cosmic emergency' in your life right now?
- How does specific gratitude for specific rescues deepen devotion?
A jeweller opens a velvet case and lays out his finest pieces in order — fish, horse, tortoise, boar, lion, dwarf. Each is the same gold reshaped for a different hour of need. Akrūra walks down the lineup of avatāras and bows to each, because each is Kṛṣṇa Himself answering a different cry of the world.
In SB 10.14, Brahmā addresses Kṛṣṇa as the source of all avatāras — naming Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, and the rest as His own descents. Akrūra in verses 17–22 walks the same gallery.
The daśāvatāra list is Vaiṣṇava liturgy's spine: Jayadeva's Daśāvatāra-stotra sings them in the same order. Akrūra is among the first to organize the worship of all of them within a single prayer — fishermen of dissolution, mountain-bearers, earth-lifters, fear-removers, world-steppers.
My note
Source: vedabase.io