In
Hindu mythology there are four eras [yuga] – Satya yuga, Treta
yuga, Dwapara yuga and Kali yuga. Each Yuga is supposed to be a day
for Lord Brahma. One day of Lord Brahma is 4320 million human years.
After the end of every yuga Lord Brahma goes to sleep. The power of
Lord Brahma’s creation comes from the Vedas. When Lord Brahma
sleeps there is no creation and the universe comes to an end.
Lord
Vishnu is the God of Preservation. Whenever the earth was in danger
and when evil threatens to overpower good, Lord Vishnu descends from
the heaven to incarnate on the earth. There are ten incarnations of
Lord Vishnu. [Dasavatar – Das meaning "ten" and avatar is
"incarnation", the last avatar – Kalki avatar is yet to
come] The first avatar of Lord Vishnu is called as Matsya Avatar
[Matsya means "fish"].
In
the Satya Yuga there was a king by name Manu. He 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.
The
Satya Yuga was about to end and a great flood was to come and destroy
all the life on earth to start afresh for the next Yuga. Lord Brahma
after a day full of creation, was tired. He wanted to go to sleep and
was soon snoring loudly.
While
Lord Brahma was sleeping an asura Hayagriva emerged from Brahma’s
nose. With Brahma asleep, Hayagriva realized that it was the right
time to take in all the knowledge of the Vedas. Hayagriva
concentrated and soon absorbed the knowledge in the Vedas. He then
hid deep inside the ocean, thinking that nobody would find him there.
Lord
Vishnu saw this and was worried. If the Vedas were stolen by the
asura, the knowledge of the Vedas could not be passed on to the Next
Yuga. As a Preserver, it was his job to make sure the knowledge
survived to the next Yuga.
Wondering
what to do, Lord Vishnu looked at Manu performing penance. Lord
Vishnu smiled realizing that he could complete quiet a lot than just
save the Vedas…
The
next morning, Manu went to the river to begin his prayers. He took
the water in his hands and held it high above his head and offered it
to the Lord Vishnu to mark the beginning of his prayer. He was about
to pour the water into the river, when he heard a tiny voice from his
hands. "O great king! Please do not put me back in the river…"
Surprised
Manu stared at his hands. In the palms of his hands was a tiny fish,
squirming. The fish looked at Manu, pleading, "Please do not put
me back in the water. There are so many bigger fishes 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 anybody who came to him for help. The king readily agreed and
put the fish inside his "kamandalam". [Kamandalam is a
small jug carried by sages in those days to carry water]
Manu
finished his penance and went home for the night. He had left the
fish inside the kamandalam, knowing that the fish would be safe
inside. 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 at him from the top of the kamandalam. The fish was
pushing the sides of the jug as the jug was too small for it.
Overcoming
his surprise, Manu ran inside his house 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 the home to begin his morning
prayers, when he heard an even more powerful voice, "King, this
vessel in too small for me. Please get me another one."
Manu
blankly stared as the fish stared out of the vessel he had got just
minutes back. The fish was again struggling for breath. Manu brought
the biggest vessel in his house and threw the fish inside it. The
fish thanked him and after checking that the vessel was big enough
for the fish, still puzzled, was about to walk out of the house, when
he heard a strong voice, "I am sorry 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 and ran to the river, where he had found the fish
and threw the fish inside.
The
fish gulped a few breaths inside water, "Thank you…king. You
have protected me. But please don't leave me here. I am afraid the
other bigger fishes may eat me…"
Manu
began to get suspicious, but he was a king. He could not just stop
protecting someone who had come to him for help. He stared at the
fish for long and before his very eyes saw the fish getting larger
and larger, till it had covered up the entire river.
The
same routine followed again. Manu carried the fish from one river to
another river, but the fish kept getting bigger.
Finally
he dropped the fish inside the ocean, only to find that the fish
grown to full one side of the ocean. Looking at gigantic fish, a
sudden flash came to Manu. He bowed before the fish, "Narayana,
you are Narayana..my Lord."
The
fish smiled, "You wanted to see me and here I have come."
Manu stared with tears in his eyes, as a huge horn grew on 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 before the
fish.
"Manu,
the Yuga is about to end in seven days. There will be a great flood
and all living things on the earth would 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 also." Manu nodded again as he watched the fish tear
through the ocean to the other side.
One
half of the fish’s work completed, the fish went to the other side
to complete the other reason for the incarnation. On the other end of
the ocean, the fish saw Hayagriva guarding the Vedas. Seeing the huge
fish, Hayagriva was terrified. What a huge fish…However no sooner
than he had thought this, the fish attacked him. The fish was so
huge, that a single push sent the asura reeling. Still dazed
Hayagriva tried fighting the fish, but the fish was huge and
powerful.
After
a brief and futile struggle, the asura was dead. Once the asura was
dead, the vedas imbibed by him went back to Lord Brahma, who was
still asleep.
On
the other side of the ocean Manu was building his ship. He had also
brought the seven sages with their families.
Soon
there were torrential rains which washed away everything. The water
level kept increasing and very soon there was a flood. The ship
wobbled and many times was about to capsize, but Manu and that others
were steadfast in their belief that Lord Vishnu would protect them.
Soon
the fish came as promised, "Manu, use Vasuki as a rope to tie my
horn to the ship" It bellowed loudly, above the roar of the
rain.
Once
the fish was tied to the ship, the fish guided the ship in sea and
kept the ship safe while the storm raged outside. The fish taught the
Vedas to Manu and the others during the voyage. After the storm
abated and everything was washed away, the fish deposited the ship at
Mount Himavan for the people there to continue the new yuga.
All the seeds
gathered in the ship were thrown on the earth. All the representatives
of the different animal species started procreating once again.
Vaivasvata Manu performed
a huge sacrifice or Yajna to propitiate the gods. With the blessings of
the gods, a beautiful damsel named Ida appeared from the fire and
married Manu. Both of them gave rise to the human race once again.
