Skip to content Matsya Jayanti: Celebrating the First Avatar of Vishnu
On the occasion of Matsya Jayanti 31-03-2025
According to the Matsya Purana, once upon a time, there was a king called Manu who left his kingdom and went to the Malaya country to perform penance. Lord Brahma was pleased and gave him the boon that he would be able to protect all creatures at the time of pralaya or dissolution.
Meanwhile, Somakasura (also known sometimes as Hayagriva), biding his time, stole the Vedas from Lord Brahma and ran to hide in the deep waters of the ocean. The Vedas are the core of knowledge and essential for creation at the beginning of the new era or kalpa.
Lord Vishnu who was already in his Mastyavatara, was able to quickly swim deep down in the depths of the ocean, and retrieve the Vedas from the asura. Thus, Vishnu retrieved and saved knowledge that would help mankind to survive.
When he reached the surface, he realized that pralaya was imminent. What should he do next?
Ah there he was! Manu who had got the special boon from Brahma. Now Lord Vishnu in his Matsya form shrank into a tiny fish and swam into Manu’s hand as he was performing his puja and asked for protection. Manu immediately agreed. The tiny fish that fitted into his palm grew and grew. Soon, his kamandalu, a large vessel, a well, a pond and even the river were too small to hold the fish. Manu realized that it was no ordinary fish, it was Lord Vishnu himself.
The fish spoke to Manu advising him that pralaya was imminent and Manu should prepare by gathering all kinds of seeds and wait for a big ship to arrive.
The ship, Veda naava, arrived, Vasuki the cosmic serpent was used to tie the ship to the horn of the big fish and they sailed to the highest point in safety. The Veda naava contained the core of knowledge for creation and hence had to be guarded and kept safe.
Key things that we learn from Matsyavatara
- The Matsya Avatar symbolizes the protection of dharma (righteousness).
- Matsya symbolizes vigilance and the responsibility to safeguard knowledge and life during times of cosmic upheaval or major crisis.
- Knowledge must be safeguarded and protected so that it is not stolen by those who want to do evil.
- The growth of the fish from a tiny creature to a huge animal is like the growth of consciousness. It grows over time and should be given sufficient space to expand to its fullness.
- The turbulence that the fish swims through is like the ups and downs we face in life. The avatar also showcases the importance of preparation and foresight. It also shows how seemingly unconnected things can come together to help.
- In this era of climate change, the symbolism of Matysavatara is very important. We must be watchful for signs of impending natural disasters – such as floods and take appropriate steps to safeguard ourselves and our property
Temples and places of visit in and around Tirupati
- Tirupati – Sri Govinda Rajaswami Temple
- Tirupati – Sri Kondanda Ramaswami Temple
- Tirupati – Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple
- Tirupati – Sri Lakshmi Narayanaswami Temple
- Tiruchanur – Sri Padmavati Ammavari Temple
- Srinivasa Mangapuram – Sri Kalyana Venkateswara swami Temple
- Narayanavanam – Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple
- Nagalapuram – Sri Veda Narayanaswami Temple
- Karveti Nagaram – Sri Venugopalaswami Temple
- Valmikipuram – Sri Pattabhi Ramaswami Temple
- Tarigonda – Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple
Matsya Jayanti at Sri Veda Narayanaswami Temple
On the occasion of Matsya Jayanti TTD is conducting shanti homam, Snapana thirumanjanam and Garuda vahana seva at the temple. The artists of the Annamacharya project will perform bhakti sangeet, devotional sangeet and other cultural programs during the festival days.
