Text 3]
Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation
225
śrī-rājovāca 
  bhagavañ chrotum icchāmi 
  harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ 
  avatāra-kathām ādyāṁ 
  māyā-matsya-viḍambanam
śrī-rājā uvāca—King Parīkṣit said; bhagavan—O most powerful; śrotum—to hear; icchāmi—I desire; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ—whose activities are wonderful; avatāra-kathām—pastimes of the incarnation; ādyām—first; māyā-matsya-viḍambanam—which is simply an imitation of a fish.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is eternally situated in His transcendental position, yet He descends to this material world and manifests Himself in various incarnations. His first incarnation was that of a great fish. O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī, I wish to hear from you the pastimes of that fish incarnation.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-powerful, yet He accepted the form of an uncommon fish. This is one of the ten original incarnations of the Lord.
TEXTS 2-3
यदर्थमदधाव रूपं मात्स्यं लोकजुगुप्सितम् । 
  तमःप्रकृति दुर्मर्षं कर्मग्रस्त इवेश्वरः ॥ २ ॥ 
  एतन्नो भगवन् सर्वं यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि । 
  उत्तमश्लोकचरितं सर्वलोकसुखावहम् ॥ ३ ॥
yad-artham adadhād rūpaṁ 
  mātsyaṁ loka-jugupsitam 
  tamaḥ-prakṛti-durmarṣaṁ 
  karma-grasta iveśvaraḥ