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# Agni purana (Chapter 2)  

# Agni purana (Chapter 2)  

# Bhagavata Purana (8th skandha, Chapter 24).<ref name=":0">Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, See: [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/78 Avatara].</ref>

# Bhagavata Purana (8th skandha, Chapter 24).<ref name=":0">Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, See: [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/78 Avatara].</ref>

== शतपथब्राह्मणे मत्यावतारकथा ॥ Story in the Shatapatha Brahmana ==

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

== शतपथब्राह्मणे मत्स्यावतारकथा ॥ Story in the Shatapatha Brahmana ==

Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 8, 1, 1 (the famous fish of the deluge legend); (Vedic index of names and subjects)

Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 8, 1, 1 (the famous fish of the deluge legend); (Vedic index of names and subjects)

Verse 10 onwards...  

Verse 10 onwards...  

Having heard the fish, Manu was overcome with compassion. He picked the fish who was as white as the rays of the moon and put him in a pot. He took very good care of the fish who began to grow. And after a long time, it was impossible for the fish to fit within the pot. Therefore, on the request of the fish, Manu took him to a huge well where the fish continued to grow for many more years. That well was 2 yojanas in length and 1 yojana in breadth. However, the fish outgrew the same. The fish then requested Manu take him to the Ganges. Then one day the fish said, "Oh Lord, my body has grown so much that I am unable to move about even in the Ganges. Therefore, take me to the ocean." Interestingly, though the fish had grown huge, when Manu would carry him, he would become that which is easy to carry. Thus, when MAnu released him in the sea, the fish said with a smile, "Oh Lord, you have taken special care for my protection. Let me know tell you the opportunity I have got to help you. This entire creation, movable and immovable, is going to be destroyed soon. The time has come for the final Pralaya where everything will become one in the flood of waters. Therefore, I will tell you what is best for you. You should create a strong boat with a rope tied to it and ascend the same with the Saptarshis. You should also carefully collect all kinds of seeds enumerated by the ancient seers separately and place them in the boat. Having done this, you should wait for me in the boat. I will come to you with a horn in my forehead by which you can recognise me." Saying thus, the fish took leave of Manu.   

Having heard the fish, Manu was overcome with compassion. He picked the fish who was as white as the rays of the moon and put him in a pot. He took very good care of the fish who began to grow. And after a long time, it was impossible for the fish to fit within the pot. Therefore, on the request of the fish, Manu took him to a huge well where the fish continued to grow for many more years. That well was 2 yojanas in length and 1 yojana in breadth. However, the fish outgrew the same. The fish then requested Manu take him to the Ganges. Then one day the fish said, "Oh Lord, my body has grown so much that I am unable to move about even in the Ganges. Therefore, take me to the ocean." Interestingly, though the fish had grown huge, when Manu would carry him, he would become that which is easy to carry. Thus, when Manu released him in the sea, the fish said with a smile, "Oh Lord, you have taken special care for my protection. Let me know tell you the opportunity I have got to help you. This entire creation, movable and immovable, is going to be destroyed soon. The time has come for the final Pralaya where everything will become one in the flood of waters. Therefore, I will tell you what is best for you. You should create a strong boat with a rope tied to it and ascend the same with the Saptarshis. You should also carefully collect all kinds of seeds enumerated by the ancient seers separately and place them in the boat. Having done this, you should wait for me in the boat. I will come to you with a horn in my forehead by which you can recognise me." Saying thus, the fish took leave of Manu.   

Manu also gathered all the seeds, as advised, on a boat and thought of the fish. Knowing this, Lord in the form of a fish with horn came there. Manu tied the boat's rope to the horn on the head of Lord Matsya who pulled them through the salty waters for many years to come. When the entire universe was submerged in waters, only 9 people viz. the Saptarshis, Manu and Bhagavan Matsya were visible. Bhagavan Matsya pulled the boat towards the highest peak of the Himalayas asked the rishis to tie the boat to the peak. From then on, that peak came to be known as 'Naukabandhana'. Bhagavan Matsya the said to the Rishis, "I am Prajapati Brahma. I took the form of a fish in order to save you all from this calamity. Now Manu has to take up the responsibility of creating the everything movable and immovable, the power for which he will gain from serious tapas. And by my grace, he will be devoid of attachments (moha) while creating the universe. Saying thus, Bhagavan Matsya disappeared.   

Manu also gathered all the seeds, as advised, on a boat and thought of the fish. Knowing this, Lord in the form of a fish with horn came there. Manu tied the boat's rope to the horn on the head of Lord Matsya who pulled them through the salty waters for many years to come. When the entire universe was submerged in waters, only 9 people viz. the Saptarshis, Manu and Bhagavan Matsya were visible. Bhagavan Matsya pulled the boat towards the highest peak of the Himalayas asked the rishis to tie the boat to the peak. From then on, that peak came to be known as 'Naukabandhana'. Bhagavan Matsya the said to the Rishis, "I am Prajapati Brahma. I took the form of a fish in order to save you all from this calamity. Now Manu has to take up the responsibility of creating the everything movable and immovable, the power for which he will gain from serious tapas. And by my grace, he will be devoid of attachments (moha) while creating the universe. Saying thus, Bhagavan Matsya disappeared.   

The Mahabharata further enumerates that this story destroys all papas. One who hears this story of Manu everyday becomes happy, attains all his desires abd can travel to all lokas.<ref>Ramanarayanadatta Shastri Pandeya, Mahabharata ([https://archive.org/stream/MAHABHARATA_201902/MAHABHARATA-02#page/n595/mode/2up Vol.2]), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref>  

The Mahabharata further enumerates that this story destroys all papas. One who hears this story of Manu everyday becomes happy, attains all his desires abd can travel to all lokas.<ref>Ramanarayanadatta Shastri Pandeya, Mahabharata ([https://archive.org/stream/MAHABHARATA_201902/MAHABHARATA-02#page/n595/mode/2up Vol.2]), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref>

मत्स्यपुराणे १ अध्यायः ॥ दशावतारान्तर्गतप्रथमावतारः । (Kalpadruma)

== अग्निपुराणकथा ॥ Story in the Agni Purana ==

Once, Vaivasvata Manu was practising penance for gaining objects of enjoyment and for release from mundane existence. When he was offering water as a ritual in the river Krtamala, a small fish came from the waters into his folded palms. As he was about to throw it back into the waters, the fish requested him not to do so as there was fear of crocodiles in the waters. Having heard this, Manu put the fish into a vessel. When it grew in size, the fish requested for a bigger vessel. But soon, it outgrew the big vessel also and was put into a tank. And eventually, as it grew as big as the tank, Manu released the fish into the ocean and in a moment the fish grew in size extending to one lakh yojanas. Manu then realised the fish to be none other than Sri Vishnu and at his behest the lord in the form of a fish said, “I have manifested for the protection of this universe and for the destruction of the wicked. On the seventh day, the ocean would flood the earth. Having collected the seeds of creation in the boat that would approach you, you should spend a night of Brahma (equal to 1000 mortal years) on it being encircled by the saptarshis. And bind the boat to my horn with the big serpent (as the rope). Saying thus, the fish disappeared. As the appointed hour approached and the ocean began to swell, Manu boarded the boat as instructed. The fish now appeared with a single golden horn of one million yojanas in length. And Manu tied the boat to its horn. Manu praised the lord in the form of a fish with adorations. And it was at this hour that the Matsya Purana, capable of destroying papas, was revealed by the lord in the form of a fish to Manu. This story of the Matsya Avatara occurs in the second chapter of the Agni Purana.<ref>The Agni Purana ([https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal/page/n7 Part 1]), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, First Edition: 1954, Reprint: 1998.</ref>

1: भा. I. १५. ३५; X. 2. ४०; XI. 4. १८;

In ancient times, Vaivasvata Manu, the first raja of the solar dynasty, after making over his kingdom to his son, devoted himself to rigid asceticism. 10-11

Br. III. 7. ४३३; २२. ६६; ५७. ६१; IV. 4. २२; २९. १३६;

After a period of a million of years of continued asceticism, Lord Brahma became pleased towards him and told him to ask for a boon. 12

M. २६०. ३९; २८५. 6; २९०. २३; Vi. I. 4. 8.

Having been thus addressed by Brahma, the raja, after saluting Him, said: "Lord! I have only one boon to beg of you, which is above all other boons. May I have power sufficient for the protection of the whole creation, movable and immovable, when the hour of Pralaya will come. 13-14

once during a Pralaya an Asura, हयग्रीव, carried off the Vedas when Hari took the form of a fish with one horn and fell into the palm of the द्रविड king Satyavrata, performing ablutions; finding that it outgrew the size of his palm he took it to a pond; it outgrew the size of the pond when it was taken to a lake; it was also too small to hold it; hence after many trials it was taken to the sea; addressed by the king the fish revealed to him his true form and warned him of the Pralaya coming in a week and prepared him to get into a boat to be sent by him and have it tied to its horn; the deluge came and Satyavrata did as was directed; when they were all floating on the sea, Matsya Hari narrated to him the मत्स्य पुराण; after the deluge Matsya killed the demon, हयग्रीव and recovered the Vedas; through his blessings Satyavrata became Vaivasvata Manu;

Lord Brahma, the atman of the universe, after granting the prayer of the raja saying, "Be it so", disappeared then and there and the devas profusely showered a rain of flowers from the ethereal regions.15

 

One day, in his hermitage, when the raja was making a libation of water to the manes of his deceased ancestors, a carp (small fish) fell into his hands along with the water. 16

 

On seeing that tiny fish, the merciful raja, out of compassion, wanted to preserve it and put it into his water jar. That tiny fish, in course of a day and night, grew into the form of a large fish, measuring sixteen fingers in length, and feeling uncomfortable inside the water jar where it was placed by the raja, cried for deliverance. 17-18

 

The raja took it out of the water jar and put it in a large pitcher but there also, in course of a night, it grew three hands in length. "I am at your mercy, come to my succour." The raja, again hearing these cries of the fish took it out of the pitcher and deposited it in a well. Later on, the well also proved insufficient. The raja then accommodated it in a tank. 19-20

 

In the tank, again, the fish grew a yojana (eight miles) in length, and again appealed to the raja, in a plaintive tone, to help it out of the tank. Then the raja put the fish in the Ganges and, finding that it increased there too, he placed it in the ocean. The fish went on increasing and increasing in bulk, until it very nearly filled the vast expanse of the great ocean. The raja, seeing this, was awe-stricken and said, "Are you the chief of the Asuras ? Or are you Vasudeva; who else has such an extraordinary power to assume such a tremendously big form extending to sixteen hundred miles ? 22-25

 

I have come to know you, O Keshava ! You are puzzling me in the form of a fish. I bow down to YOu, O Hrshikesha , Jagannatha, Jagaddhama."26

 

Being thus addressed, Bhagavan Janasdana, in the form of a fish, complimented him and said: "O Spotless One, I have been truly known by you. In a few days time, O raja, the universe shall be deluged with water, along with the mountains and forests. The Devas have made this boat to rescue the creation from such a calamity, placing in it svedajas, andajas, udbhijas and jarayujas. O raja ! you take charge of this boat and help the distressed at the time of the impending danger. When you find the boat in danger of being blown away by the strong gusts of wind, tie it to my horn. By rescuing the afflicted from such an awful misfortune, you will be rendering a great paternal seva (सेवा | selfless service) to the creation. And O blessed sovereign ! You shall reign for one Manvantara, from the beginning of the Krtayuga, and shall be venerated by all the devas.

 

 

On hearing such words of the Lord, the raja begged Him to reveal to him in how many years the time of destruction was likely to come. The raja also entreated the Lord to point out to him the means of saving the creation from such a distress and to let him know when he would again be fortunate enough to meet Him face to face. 1-2

 

The fish replied that from that day there would be no rain for a hundred years, and the universe would be overtaken by a dire famine. After that, all the inferior beings of the universe would be scorched to death by the seven ordinary rays of the sun which shall become seven times more powerful. 3-4

2: भा. VIII. ch. २४ (whole). appeared to Vaivasvata Manu during deluge; protected Manu and others;

In addition to all that, the subteranean fire would shoot-out, Shesha, from his abode in the lower regions, would send forth venomous flames from his thousand mouths, and a furious fire would emerge from the third eye of Shiva. 5

3: Ib. II. 7. १२; XI. 4. १८; M. २२. ९२. the form of विष्णु worshipped in Ramyaka.

Thus the three worlds would be crumbled to ashes by the combined fury of all those various fires. The sky, with all the stars and planets, would also be destroyed by the heat thus originated. 6-7

4: भा. V. १८. २४. (Purana Index Dev.)

Then seven destructive clouds viz. Samvarta, Bhimanada, Drona, Chanda, Balahaka, Vidyut pataka and Sona, would spring up from the vapours arising out of such a heat, and would rain in torrents till all the seas become united into one great mass. In fact the whole earth would be covered with one vast expanse of water, then get hold of that yonder boat and put the seed of creation and the sacred Vedas in it. After that, fasten the boat to my horn by means of this rope that I give you, and then the contents of the barge will be saved by my glory." O Piouos One ! when everything will be destroyed, your good-self, the moon, the sun, myself, Brahma, the sacred river Narmada, the great sage Markandeya, the sacred Vedas, The Puranas, The God Shiva, the various sciences, will alone be saved, and the reign of the raja Chakshusha Manu shall terminate with the coming partial dissolution. 8-14

मत्स्यपुराण - 1 (dcs frequency)

At the commencement of dissolution, the Lord appeared again in the form of horned fish. At the same time, Shesha, the Serpent Raja, appeared before the raja Vaivasvata Manu in the shape of a rope, and the raja, through his yogic power, collected together all living beings and piut them in the boat. And, after fastening the boat to the horn of the fish, by means of the rope, the raja saluted the Lord and got into it. 17-19

Works on Matsyavatara - Matsyavatara kathana and Matsyavatara Prabandha

== भागवतपुराणे मत्स्यावतारः ॥ Matsyavatara in Bhagavata Purana ==

Skandha 1, Chapter 3 - Description of twentyfour incarnations of Lord Vishnu

Skandha 8, [https://archive.org/details/BhagavataPuranaMotilalEnglish/page/n1127 Chapter 24] - The fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Once, Vaivasvata Manu was practising penance for gaining objects of enjoyment and for release from mundane existence. When he was offering water as a ritual in the river Krtamala, a small fish came from the waters into his folded palms. As he was about to throw it back into the waters, the fish requested him not to do so as there was fear of crocodiles in the waters. Having heard this, Manu put the fish into a vessel. When it grew in size, the fish requested for a bigger vessel. But soon, it outgrew the big vessel also and was put into a tank. And eventually, as it grew as big as the tank, Manu released the fish into the ocean and in a moment the fish grew in size extending to one lakh yojanas. Manu then realised the fish to be none other than Sri Vishnu and at his behest the lord in the form of a fish said, “I have manifested for the protection of this universe and for the destruction of the wicked. On the seventh day, the ocean would flood the earth. Having collected the seeds of creation in the boat that would approach you, you should spend a night of Brahma (equal to 1000 mortal years) on it being encircled by the saptarshis. And bind the boat to my horn with the big serpent (as the rope). Saying thus, the fish disappeared. As the appointed hour approached and the ocean began to swell, Manu boarded the boat as instructed. The fish now appeared with a single golden horn of one million yojanas in length. And Manu tied the boat to its horn. Manu praised the lord in the form of a fish with adorations. And it was at this hour that the Matsya Purana, capable of destroying papas, was revealed by the lord in the form of a fish to Manu. This story of the Matsya Avatara occurs in the second chapter of the Agni Purana.<ref>The Agni Purana ([https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal/page/n7 Part 1]), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, First Edition: 1954, Reprint: 1998.</ref>

== References ==

== References ==