MATSYA AVATAR

Matsya Avatar

In Hindu mythology there are four Yuga (Epochs), the Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga,
Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. Each Yuga is equal to a single day for Lord
Brahma, and 4,320 million years for humans.

The power of Lord Brahma’s creation comes from the Vedas. After the end of
each yuga Lord Brahma sleeps. When Lord Brahma sleeps there is no creation
and the universe comes to an end.

Lord Vishnu is the God of Preservation. When the Earth is in danger and evil
threatens to overpower good, Lord Vishnu descends from heaven to incarnate
on Earth. There are ten incarnations (or Dasavatar) of Lord Vishnu. (Das
means "ten" and avatar means "incarnation".) The final Avatar, Kalki is yet
to come.

The first Avatar of Lord Vishnu is Matsya.1 This is his story...

After a full day of creation, Lord Brahma was tired. He wanted to sleep and was soon snoring
loudly. This meant the Satya Yuga was about to end in a great flood that would destroy all
life on Earth, and a new Yuga would begin.

While Lord Brahma slept, the Asura Hayagriva emerged from Brahma’s nose. Seeing Lord
Brahma sleeping, Hayagriva realized this was the perfect time to take in all the knowledge
of the Vedas. Hayagriva concentrated carefully, absorbed all the knowledge, and then hid
deep within the ocean where he thought no one could find him.

Lord Vishnu saw, and he worried that if the Vedas were stolen by the Asura, then the
knowledge of the Vedas could not be passed on to the next Yuga. As a Preserver, it was his
duty to ensure that this knowledge survived to be passed on to the next Yuga.

In the Satya Yuga there was a King named Manu who was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu.
His greatest desire was to see Lord Vishnu with his own eyes. For this he performed severe
penances for thousands of years.

One morning, Manu went to the river to pray, just as he did every morning. He took the
water in his hands and held it high above his head in an offering to Lord Vishnu. He was
1
Matsya in Sanskrit means "fish".

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about to pour the water back when he heard a tiny voice, “O great king! Please do not put
me back in the river. . . ”

Surprised, Manu stared into his hands where he saw a tiny fish. The fish looked up at Manu,
pleading, “Please do not put me back in the water. There are so many bigger fish in the
water. They will eat me. Please, O great King. . . ”

Manu looked at the tiny fish with pity. As a King, it was his duty to protect all who came
to him for help. The King put the fish inside his kamandalam. 2

Manu finished his penance and went home for the night. He had left the fish inside the
kamandalam, thinking it would be safe. He woke up next morning hearing a strong voice,
“O king. . . Help me. . . Your kamandalam is stifling me. I cannot breath in here. . . ”

Surprised Manu looked at his kamandalam, only to find a big fish staring back at him. The
fish was pushing against the sides of the jug as it was now far too small.

Overcoming his surprise, Manu ran to get a bigger vessel. The fish gulped few breaths and
said softly, “Thank you, kind king.”

Manu smiled and was about to walk out to begin morning prayers when he heard an even
more powerful voice say, “King, this vessel is too small for me. Please get me another one.”

Manu blankly stared as the fish staring back at him from the vessel . The fish was again
struggling to breath. Manu brought the biggest vessel in his house and threw the fish into
it, and the fish thanked him. After checking that the vessel was indeed big enough for the
fish, he was about to leave his house, when he heard a strong voice, “I am sorry, bu this
vessel is also not sufficient for me, king”

Manu stared in disbelief as he saw the huge fish stare out of the big vessel. However, realizing
that this was not the time for questions, he carried the fish to the river an threw him in. The
fish gulped a few breaths inside water and said, “Thank you. . . king. You have protected me.
But please don’t leave me here. I am afraid the bigger fish may eat me. . . ”

Manu became suspicious. But he was a king. He could not simply stop protecting someone
who had come to him for help. He stared at the fish for a long time, and before his eyes the
fish grew larger and larger until it filled the river.

2
Kamandalam is a small jug used by sages long ago to carry water.

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Manu carried the fish from one river to another river, but it kept growing larger. Finally
he dropped the fish into the ocean, only to find that the fish grew to full one side of the
ocean. Looking at the gigantic fish, a sudden flash came to Manu, and he bowed before it,
“Narayana, you are Narayana..my Lord.” The fish smiled, “You wanted to see me and here
I am.” As Manu stared with tears in his eyes, a huge horn grew from the head of the fish.

“My Lord, you have granted me my only desire. I want nothing more. What do you want
me to do now?” Manu said, prostrating himself before the fish.

“Manu, the Yuga will end in seven days. There will be a great flood and all living things on
Earth will perish. I want you to build a big ship. Take the seeds of all plants, the male and
female of every animal, and the seven sages along with their families. Take them all on the
ship.” Manu nodded.

The fish continued, “Don’t forget to bring Vasuki, the snake God.”

Manu nodded again as he watched the fish swim through the ocean to the other side. With
half of its work complete, the fish went to the other side to complete the other reason for its
incarnation.

On the other side of the ocean, the fish saw Hayagriva guarding the Vedas.

Seeing the huge fish, Hayagriva in terror thought, “What a huge fish!”

No sooner than he had thought this, than the fish attacked him. It was so huge that a single
thrust sent the Asura reeling. The dazed Hayagriva tried defending against the fish, but it
was too huge and powerful. After a brief and futile struggle, the Asura died, and the Vedas
returned to Lord Brahma, who slept on.

On the other side of the ocean Manu was building his great ship. He had also brought the
seven sages with their families. Soon torrential rains washed everything away. The water
rose and became a mighty flood. The ship wobbled and many times was about to capsize,
but Manu and the others were steadfast in their belief that Lord Vishnu would protect them.

Soon the fish came as promised and spoke. “Manu, use Vasuki as a rope to tie my horn to
the ship.” As the fish guided the ship safely through the stormy seas, it taught the Vedas to
Manu and the others. As the storm abated, they saw that the world had been washed away.
Eventually, the fish deposited the ship on Mount Himavan, and it was there that the people
began the new Yuga.