Matsya Avatar

The Matsya Avatar is the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Incarnated as a fish, Lord Vishnu instructed a sage to gather all living creatures. When the earth was sinking, Lord Vishnu, in the form of Matsya, protected the sage’s boat. Brahma then recreated life.

According to another belief, when a demon stole the Vedas and hid them in the depths of the ocean, Lord Vishnu took the form of a fish, retrieved the Vedas, and restored them.

Once, due to Brahma’s carelessness, a powerful demon stole the Vedas. That demon’s name was Hayagriva. Due to the theft of the Vedas, knowledge vanished. Darkness of ignorance spread everywhere, and sin and unrighteousness became rampant. To protect dharma, Lord Vishnu took the form of a fish, killed Hayagriva, and saved the Vedas. Here’s how the Lord assumed the form of a fish.

Before the end of the Kalpa, a virtuous king was performing penance. His name was Satyavrat. Satyavrat was not only virtuous but also generous. It was morning, the sun had risen. Satyavrat was bathing in the Kritamala River. After bathing, when he took water in his hands for offering, a small fish also came along with the water.

Satyavrata released the fish into the river. The fish said, “King! Large aquatic creatures kill and eat smaller creatures. Surely some large creature will kill and eat me too. Please save my life.”

Satyavrat’s heart was filled with compassion. He placed the fish in his water pot. Then a surprising incident occurred. In one night, the fish’s body grew so much that the water pot became too small for it to live in.

The next day, the fish said to Satyavrat, “King! Please find another place for me to live, because my body has grown. I have great difficulty moving around.” Satyavrat took the fish out of the water pot and placed it in a water pot.

Here too, the fish’s body grew so much overnight that the pot became too small for it to live in. The next day, the fish again said to Satyavrat, “King! Please make arrangements for me to live somewhere else, because even the pot is becoming too small for me.”

Then Satyavrat took out the fish and put it in a lake, but even the lake was too small for the fish. After this, Satyavrat put the fish in the river and then in the sea.

Amazing! Even in the ocean, the fish’s body grew so large that it became too small for the fish to live in. So the fish again said to Satyavrat, “King! This ocean is also not suitable for me. Make arrangements for me to live somewhere else.”

Now Satyavrat was astonished. He had never seen such a fish before. He said in a surprised voice, “Who are you to drown my mind in this ocean of wonder?”

Lord Hari, disguised as a fish, replied, “King! A demon named Hayagriva has stolen the Vedas. The world is shrouded in darkness of ignorance and unrighteousness.

I have assumed the form of a fish to kill Hayagriva. On the seventh day from today, the earth will again be plunged into a cycle of destruction. The ocean will swell. There will be a terrible downpour. The entire earth will be submerged in water. Nothing will be visible except water. A boat will reach you.”

You will take all the seeds of grains and herbs and board the boat with the seven sages. I will appear to you again at that time and impart knowledge of the soul. From that day on, Satyavrat began to await the apocalypse, remembering Hari. On the seventh day, the scene of the apocalypse appeared.

The ocean swelled and began to overflow its boundaries. A terrible downpour began. Within a short time, the entire earth was covered in water. At that very moment, a boat appeared. Satyavrata boarded the boat with the seven sages. They also loaded the boat with seeds of all kinds of grains and medicinal herbs.

The boat started floating in the ocean of destruction. In that ocean of destruction, nothing was visible except that boat. Suddenly, Lord in the form of a fish appeared in the ocean of destruction.

Satyavrat and the seven sages started praying to Lord in the form of a fish. Satyavrat’s life became blessed after receiving self-knowledge from the Lord. He became free from the clutches of life while still alive. When the fury of the destruction subsided, Lord in the form of a fish killed Hayagriva and snatched the Vedas from him.

The Lord restored the Vedas to Brahma. Thus, by assuming the form of a fish, the Lord not only saved the Vedas but also brought immense welfare to the creatures of the world.