Embedded Files
In a time long ago, when humans had just begun to build great civilizations, there lived a man named Manu. He was a great leader.
One day Manu was walking along the banks of a river. He looked across the wide expanse of the still water. He saw fields of grain, which were only weeks from being harvested, along the other bank. He saw merchant boats passing as they traveled from city to city. He heard the water lapping at the bank of the river. He heard the water fowl calling to each other.
As he continued along the bank of the river, he heard a cry for help. His first thought was that someone was stuck in the river. He looked out into the river and saw no one. He heard the cry for help again and looked down on the bank to see a small fish. This fish cried up to him and asked, "Please, kind sir, can you help me? I am being chased by this large fish who is intent on eating me." Manu, being a compassionate man, reached down, cupped his hands and picked up the fish, who said his name was Matsya.
He took Matsya home and placed him in a small wooden bowl sitting on the breakfast table. Manu’s wife had just made fresh bread, so he fed the fish some of the bread. Manu went to bed and woke up in the morning to see Matsya had grown too large for the bowl. He moved Matsya from the bowl to a vase that they kept in the house. After a day Matsya had grown to that size as well, so Manu moved him to the barrel outside that was used to collect rainwater. Matsya even grew to the size of that barrel as well. He moved him to a pond near his home. Matsya then outgrew even a pond. It really begs the question where he was getting all the food. Manu then moved Matsya to the same river that he had found him in, but Matsya began to outgrow it. Manu told Matsya to make his way south along the river so that he could live in the ocean.
Once Matsya reached the ocean and saw its wide expanse he felt safe and happy. He looked to Manu and thanked him for all he had done to keep him safe. Matsya then made his way deep into the ocean. To Matsya’s disbelief he continued to grow. He realized that he would eventually outgrow even the ocean causing massive floods in the process, so he returned to shore and informed Manu of the impending disaster. Matsya told Manu to build a boat big enough to carry him, his family, some animals, and the seven wise men who safeguarded all knowledge in the world. The frightful day came, and a deluge dropped from the sky. The entire world became enveloped in water. The storms rocked the boat, but Matsya protected it with his massive body. He guided the boat to the Himalayas in the north. Once there Matsya took the form of Vishnu, and the deluge stopped. It took time for the water to recede, but once the sea reached its normal level, Manu returned to his homeland and attempted to rebuild. Vishnu, who felt sorrow at the loss of humanity, performed a yagna, and through the sacrifice, restored the entirety of humanity.
Author's Note:
The story of Matsya is one that is thousands of years old and dates back to the Vedic age. Initially Matsya was not associated with Vishnu because the religion had not evolved fully yet. The story starts with a small fish named Matsya attempting to evade a larger fish who is trying to eat him. This is a portrayal of a weak being who is at the mercy of the environment and the “law of the fishes” a.k.a the “law of the jungle” in English. Matysa calls out to Manu, a human, who saves him. Manu being a human and having agency is able to subvert the law of the fishes and protect the smaller fish from the larger one. Once the fish is large enough to fend for itself and is transferred to the ocean, Manu becomes the one who is in danger. Due to the impending floods, Manu would die, but Matsya informs him of the floods and tells him to build a boat. Matsya then guides this boat to the mountains, which signify salvation, and performs a ritual to save all of humanity. I think this is the most powerful story because it is so ancient; that is why I decided to write about it first.
Google Sites
Report abuse