236
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 8, Ch. 24]
tam —unto the fish;  ātmanaḥ —personal;  anugraha-artham —to show favor;  prītyā —very much pleased;  matsya-vapuḥ-dharam —the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had assumed the form of a fish;  ajānan —without knowledge of this;  rakṣaṇa-arthāya —just to give protection;  śapharyāḥ —of the fish;  saḥ —the King;  manaḥ —mind;  dadhe —decided.
TRANSLATION
To please himself, King Satyavrata, not knowing that the fish was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, decided with great pleasure to give the fish protection.
PURPORT
Here is an example of giving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead even without knowledge. Such service is called  ajñāta-sukṛti . King Satyavrata wanted to show his own mercy, not knowing that the fish was Lord Viṣṇu. By such unknowing devotional service, one is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Service rendered to the Supreme Lord, knowingly or unknowingly, never goes in vain.
TEXT 16
तस्या दीनतरं वाक्यमाश्रुत्य स महीपतिः । कलशाप्सु निधायैनां दयालुर्निन्य आश्रमम् ॥१६॥
tasyā dīnataram vākyam   āśrutya sa mahīpatiḥ   kalaśāpsu nidhāyainām   dayālur ninya āśramam
tasyāḥ —of the fish;  dīna-taram —pitiable;  vākyam —words;  āśrutya —hearing;  saḥ —that;  mahī-patiḥ —the King;  kalaśā-apsu —in the water contained in the water jug;  nidhāya —taking;  enām —the fish;  dayāluḥ —merciful;  ninye —brought;  āśramam —to his residence.