Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.6

vedan yugante tamasa tiraskrtan

rasatalad yo nr-turanga-vigrahah

pratyadade vai kavaye 'bhiyacate

tasmai namas te 'vitathehitaya iti

SYNONYMS

vedan -- the four Vedas; yuga-ante -- at the end of the millennium; tamasa -- by the demon of ignorance personified; tiraskrtan -- stolen away; rasatalat -- from the lowest planetary system (Rasatala); yah -- who (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); nr-turanga-vigrahah -- assuming the form of half-horse, half-man; pratyadade -- returned; vai -- indeed; kavaye -- to the supreme poet (Lord Brahma); abhiya-cate -- when he asked for them; tasmai -- unto Him (the form of Hayagriva); namah -- my respectful obeisances; te -- to You; avitatha-ihitaya -- whose resolution never fails; iti -- thus.

TRANSLATION

At the end of the millennium, ignorance personified assumed the form of a demon, stole all the Vedas and took them down to the planet of Rasatala. The Supreme Lord, however, in His form of Hayagriva retrieved the Vedas and returned them to Lord Brahma when he begged for them. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, whose determination never fails.

PURPORT

Although Vedic knowledge is imperishable, within this material world it is sometimes manifest and sometimes not. When the people of this material world become too absorbed in ignorance, the Vedic knowledge disappears. Lord Hayagriva or Lord Matsya, however, always protects the Vedic knowledge, and in due course of time it is again distributed through the medium of Lord Brahma. Brahma is the trustworthy representative of the Supreme Lord. Therefore when he again asked for the treasure of Vedic knowledge, the Lord fulfilled his desire.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness