Matsya Avatar
The ten incarnations of God are – Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vaman, Parashuram, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki. Among them, Matsya Avatar is revered as the first incarnation of God Vishnu.
In India
India is famous for its ancient knowledge system. India’s ancient wisdom shows the path of development and peace. We have many scriptures in which the path of world peace is advised. The Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas are the most ancient scriptures of this world.
Among them, the Puranas are the most popular in society. The Puranas are explained in simple language so everyone can understand them. Vishnu, Siva and Devi are particularly mentioned in the Puranas. Our scriptures have taught that Lord Vishnu is the sustainer of the world. There is scriptural evidence that Lord Vishnu took ten incarnations for the protection of Dharma and the destruction of evil in the world.
This is clearly stated in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita –
Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata
Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham
Paritranaya sadhunam vinashay cha dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthaya sambhabami yuge yuge
The significance of this Matsya Avatar is described in various Puranas. It is elaborately described in the Matsya Purana. Apart from the famous Eighteenth Purana, there are special descriptions of Dasavatar in other scriptures. Srimadbhagavata mahapurana and Vishnu Purana describe Matsya Avatar simply and emotionally.
Suta Muni explained the story of Matsya Avatara
The 24th subchapter of the 8th chapter of Srimadbhagavata Mahapurana describes in detail the Matsya avatara. Once Suta Muni was asked by King Parikshit about the Matsya incarnation of Sri Vishnu.
Seeing the interest of the king; Suta Muni explained the story of Matsya Avatara.
The Suta muni said– that God is everywhere but for the protection and honour of all beings in the world, He has assumed many bodies. Thus told –
Goviprasurasadhuunam
chhandasamapi cheswaraha
Rakshyamichhamstanurdhartte
dharmasyarthasya chaiba hi
– Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana (24.8.5)
Once Lord Brahma fell asleep at the end of Kalpa. At this time the pralaya started. The Pralaya named as Brahma. As a result, the whole world was submerged in the sea. The holy Vedas came out of Lord Brahma’s mouth while He was asleep.
At this time, the daitya called Hayagriva, who was near to Lord Brahma, stole the Vedas by His power. But God Vishnu knew that the Vedas had been stolen by Hayagriva. Then the Almighty Sri Vishnu tried to rescue the Vedas. However, since there was water all over the world, God took the form of a fish and tried to save the Vedas. It is said –
Asidatitakalpanto brahmo naimittiko layaha
Samudropaplutastatra loka bhuradayo nrupa
kalenagatanidryasya dhatuhu sisayishorbalii
Mukhato nihsrutan vedan hayagrivontike harat
Jnanyatwa tad danavendrasya hayagrivasya chestitam
Dadhara saphari rupam bhagavan haririswaraha
– Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana – 24.8.7-9
King Satyavrata
At that time, a king who was a devotee of God named Satyavrata was doing penance only by taking water. Once upon a time, King Satyavrata was doing (Tarpan) giving water to his forefathers in a river called Krutamala. At this time, a small fish came into Satyavrata’s hand. Satyavarata released the fish into the stream of the river with a very compassionate heart.
At this time the fish very compassionately said to the merciful king Satyavrata –
‘O king! You are very kind. You know that aquatic organisms in the water eat small organisms. So I am afraid that they will eat me. So please don’t leave me in the river water. Please save me.’
King Satyavrata did not know that God Himself appeared to Satyavrata in the form of a small fish. So the king in his generous heart tried to protect the fish. The king Satyavrata put the fish in his water pot and came to the ashram. Thus said:
Tatra rajarishi kaschinamna satyavrato mahan
Narayanaparotapyat lapaha sa salilasanaha
Yosavasmin mahakalpe tanayaha sa vivaswataha
Sraddhadeva iti khyato manutwe harinarpitaha
Ekada krutamalayam kurvato jalatarpanam
Tasyanjalyudake kechichhphryekebhyapadyata
Satyavratonjaligatam saha toyen bharat
Utsasarj naditoye sapharim dravideswaraha
Tamaha satikarunam mahakarunikam nrupam
Yadobhyo jnyatighatibhyo deenam mam deenavatsala
Katham visrujase rajan bhitatamasmin sarijjale
Tamatmanonugrahartham pritya matsyavapurdharam
Ajanan rakshyanarthaya saphryaha sa mano dadhe
Tasya deenataram vakyamasrutya sa mahipatihi
Kalasapsu nidhayeiinam dayalurninya ashramam
– Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana – 24.8.10-16
When he came to the ashram, he saw that the fish had taken the shape of a water container in one night. In the morning the fish said to the king, ‘O! king! Because I have grown up, I cannot live in this vessel. I’m having a hard time trying to figure it out. So choose for me a big place where I can live happily.’ The king took the fish out of the bowl and put it in a big water bowl.
But within a few hours, the fish grew bigger. The fish again said to the king,
‘O! king! arrange a large place for me.’
The king removed the fish from the water tank and released it into a large pond. But after some time, he saw that the fish had become as big as the pond.
The fish said again,
‘O! king! There is no place for me in this pond. Find a bigger swamp for me and arrange to keep me there.’
In this way, the king made arrangements to keep the fish in many huge ponds one after the other. But in every swamp, the body of the fish got bigger. Finally, the king took the fish and released it into the ocean.
But at this time the fish said again,
‘O! king! The big crocodiles in the sea will eat me, so don’t leave me in the seawater.’
Hearing this, King Satyavrata was surprised and delighted.
He said, “O! God! In the form of a fish, I do not know who you are.” You must be the Almighty in fish form. Then King Satyavrata praised and bowed down to the fish-shaped Sri Vishnu.
Satyavrata praised and said – ‘Oh! God! You are the creator of the world. I salute you. You exist in the bodies of all beings. But I do not know what the characteristic of this form is. I am amazed at seeing this strange form.’
Thus said: –
Na teravindakshya padosamrpanam
Mrusam bhavate sarvasuhrutpriyatamnaha
Yathetaresam pruthagatmanam sata-
Madidruso yad vapuradbhutam hi naha
– Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana – 24.8.30
Then the Matsya told to His dearest devotee –
“O Satyavrata! Seven days from today this earth will be submerged in the ocean. When the whole earth is flooded, a boat will come to you from me. Then you will sit in that boat with Saptarshi. The time of the calamity will be very terrible. But I will protect you during that calamity and instruct you the doctrine of Parabrahma.”
By giving such an order, the Matsya disappeared from there. Then the king started meditating on God.
Exactly seven days later, the Great Flood came. According to God’s instructions, the king sat in the boat with Saptarshi and remembered God. At this time, the Lord appeared to the Rushis in the form of a fish. God assumed the form of a golden fish. God had a big horn on His body. By tying His boat to that horn, King Satyabrata and Saptarishi saved them from the great calamity.
Then the Rishis prayed to God. This prayer is very emotional. If a man regularly prays, all the sorrows of man will removed. That is like –
Anadyavedyopahatatmasamvida
Stanmulasamsaraparisramaturaha
Yadruchhyehopasruta yamapnuyur
Vimuktido naha paramo gururbhavan
– Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana – 24.8.46
Sukamuni again explained to the king and said – During the calamity, Hayagriva ditya stole the Vedas and hid them in the patala. In the Matsya avatar, Sri Vishnu protected the Vedas from Hayagriva and returned them to Brahma again. Later with the grace of Sri Vishnu the king Satyavrata came to be known as Lord Vaivaswat Manu.
Then a new era began. A person who worships the fish incarnation (Matsya Avatara) of God every day will be blessed.
