Matsya Avatar was the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu – taking the form of a fish (“Matsya” in Sanskrit).
The Need Arises
Once, after
a tiresome day of his Creation business, Lord Brahma, retired to sleep.
**Lord
Brahma goes to sleep at the end of each Yuga, when he is done with his work.
Each Yuga is a day for him, comprising of 4,320,000 years for the common man.
As soon as
he fell asleep, a demon name Hayagriva, who had an eye on the Vedas, emerged
and eloped with the four Vedas. He hid himself under the deep oceans, assuming
that no one would be able to find him there. Lord Vishnu, the Protector of
All, had noticed this and decided to protect the Vedas. He had to assume the
responsibility of saving the Vedas from the treacherous demon.
Also, at the
end of each Yuga, the entire world would perish and there would be a new
beginning. Lord Vishnu decided that he would also preserve one species from
each flora and fauna, so that they could flourish in the next Yuga.
He decided
to take the form of a fish to achieve these two purposes: Save the Vedas from
the demon and preserve species for the next Yuga.
The Matsya Avatar
King Manu,
who was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, was chosen by the Lord to carry out
his mission. The Lord appeared in the form of a fish and gave the kings the
necessary instructions. He told the king that there would be torrential rains
and heavy floods in exactly seven days and that he had to build a huge ship
which would accommodate a male and female from each species on the earth. Also
to be saved were the Saptarishis (or the Seven Sages). The Lord advised the
king to carry along with him Vasuki, the Serpent king, as he would be of some
help in the mission. Lord Vishnu, in the form of Matsya, also told the king
that he would meet him at the required time and left the king to perform his
duties.
On the other
hand, the Lord had to vanquish the demon, Hayagriva and restore the Vedas to
Lord Brahma. He assumed the form of a huge fish, a form that would not even fit
in rivers, and swam across the great oceans in search of the demon. He found
the demon, and after a fierce fight, killed him. The Lord restored the Vedas to
Lord Brahma, so that He could use them for his further Creation purposes.
Having
fulfilled his first mission, the Lord set out to find King Manu, who had
completed the instructions given by the Lord. He had assembled all the species,
the Saptarishis and Vasuki on-board and was waiting the arrival of the Lord.
The devastating rains had already begun and the entourage was sincerely hoping
that their Lord would save them from the destruction.
Lord Vishnu,
in the form of Matsya, advised King Manu to tie the ship to his horn using the
Serpent king, Vasuki. Once this was done, the fish escorted them in safety over
a growling ocean and weather. He held onto them in protectively until the rains
and floods receded.
The new Yuga welcomed the species
and Saptarishis to begin and lead a new life!
Nirmagna sruthi jaala
maargana dasaa dathakshanair veekshanai:
Antha thanvadhiva aravinda gahanaan oudanvatheenaam apaam
Nishprathyooha tharanga ringana mitha: prathyooda paatha: chadaa
Dola Aaroha sadohalam bhagavatha: maatsyam vapu: paathu na:
Nishprathyooha tharanga ringana mitha: prathyooda paatha: chadaa
Dola Aaroha sadohalam bhagavatha: maatsyam vapu: paathu na:
Meaning: The Lord dived into the ocean in the form of a fish searched with His lotus eyes, rapidly viewing on all directions creating an illusion of lotus flowers blossoming everywhere - all in search of the Vedas that had been stolen by an Asura. The ebb and flow of the waves of the Ocean seemed to be a swinging cradle that soothed and almost lulled Him into a comfortable reverie. May this Lord of “Matsya Avataara” protect us
Reference for Sloka: http://srivaishnavam.com/stotras/dasavatharam_meaning.htm
