FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.55.4

तं निर्जगार बलवान् मीन: सोऽप्यपरै: सह । वृतो जालेन महता गृहीतो मत्स्यजीविभि: ॥ ४ ॥
taṁ nirjagāra balavān
[tam nirjagaara balavaan]
mīnaḥ so ’py aparaiḥ saha
[meenah so ’py aparaih saha]
vṛto jālena mahatā
[vrito jaalena mahataa]
gṛhīto matsya-jīvibhiḥ
[griheeto matsya-jeevibhih]
Word-for-word
tam — Him nirjagāra — swallowed bala - vān — powerful mīnaḥ — a fish saḥ — he (the fish) api — and aparaiḥ — others saha — together with vṛtaḥ — enveloped jālena — with a net mahatā — huge gṛhītaḥ — seized matsya - jīvibhiḥ — by fishermen (who gain their livelihood from fish) .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ nirjagāra balavān
tam
Him
nirjagāra
swallowed
bala - vān
powerful
mīnaḥ so ’py aparaiḥ saha
mīnaḥ
a fish
saḥ
he (the fish)
api
and
aparaiḥ
others
saha
together with
vṛto jālena mahatā
vṛtaḥ
enveloped
jālena
with a net
mahatā
huge
gṛhīto matsya-jīvibhiḥ
gṛhītaḥ
seized
matsya - jīvibhiḥ
by fishermen (who gain their livelihood from fish) .
Important Words
  • nirjagāra — swallowed
    Intensive of √gṝ (to swallow). Same root-family that names Garbhodaka (the cosmic embryo-ocean) — the fish becomes a tiny garbha for the Lord's son, a parody and miniature of Mahā-Viṣṇu lying within His own creation.
  • bala-vān-mīnaḥ — a powerful fish
    Compound: bala (strength) + vān (possessing) + mīnaḥ (fish). The fish is described as powerful not by accident — only an unusually large fish could swallow an infant whole and survive long enough to be caught. The narrative is logistical, not mythic-vague.
  • jālena-mahatā — with a huge net
    Instrumental: jālena (by a net) + mahatā (great). Jāla is also the standard word for māyā (the Lord's 'net'); the literal fisherman's net foreshadows the māyic net Śambara will throw in v.21 — and the Mahā-māyā that will unmake it in v.22.
  • matsya-jīvibhiḥ — by fishermen, by those who live on fish
    Compound: matsya (fish) + jīvin (one who lives on). The Lord's son is now in the hands of those whose dharma is the killing of fish — Bhagavān permits His aṁśa to pass through the lowest social rungs of Dvārakā's coastal economy so that providence may use them as couriers.
A powerful fish swallowed Pradyumna, and this fish, along with others, was caught in a huge net and seized by fishermen.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A powerful fish swallowed Pradyumna, and this fish, along with others, was caught in a huge net and seized by fishermen.
Commentary

Pradyumna was swallowed by a fish. This was by the desire of the Lord who likes to perform a variety of pastimes. The fish was not stronger than Pradyumna. 5, The cooks cut the fish open with a big knife.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

By the will of the Lord, Pradyumna showed little powers at this time. So the fish was able to swallow him, by exerting great energy (balavān). But then the fish was caught in a huge net. The word api indicates that though the fish was strong the net was able to catch it.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

By the will of the Lord the fish was strong. The fish could actually swallow him into his stomach. That is indicated by the word api. Or api indicates all that is described. Or although the fish was strong, it was caught with the other fish. This fish was a gift for Śambara. Otherwise the fishermen would have eaten the fish.

Related values & verses
Related values
Bhakti (Devotion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
SB 1.2BG 14.1 BG 15.7 BG 15.9 BG 3.27 BG 3.3 BG 3.11 BG 9.11 BG 6.35 BG 14.12 BG 12.6 BG 15.2 BG 17.3 BG 5.4 BG 5.18 BG 12.5
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
A powerful fish swallows Pradyumna; the fish is caught with others in a huge net by fishermen. Even thrown to sea, divine plan continues; the fish that swallows is itself caught by the net.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does a 'fish' that swallowed something precious from you also end up captured?
  • How do you trust providence to recover what was lost?
Analogy

A powerful fish swallows the infant, and the fish is caught in a fisherman's net — link by link, the chain of 'capture' multiplies. Each captor thinks he has seized something; in truth Bhagavān is steering each net toward the kitchen where Rati waits. Bondage is the route, not the verdict.

Stories
Matsya carries the seeds across the deluge

Bhāgavatam Canto 8.24 records Viṣṇu's Matsya-avatāra: at the end of a yuga, a great fish carries Manu's boat and all seed-forms across the dissolution-waters to the next age.

Here the figure inverts: a fish carries one seed-form — Pradyumna, the Lord's own son — across a hostile sea to the kitchen where his wife waits. Gauḍīyas hear the echo: when Bhagavān or His aṁśa is in transit, even a non-divine fish becomes a vessel of providence.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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