The Matsya Avatar

Long ago there was a righteous king named Satyavrat. One day he was offering water to the ancestors in the Kritamala river. A tiny fish came into the water in his cupped hands. The fish said: O king, do not leave me in the river; the big fish will eat me. The kind king carried it home in his water pot.

Overnight the fish grew so big that the pot was too small. The king put it in a jar, then a pond, then a lake, but it grew bigger each time. At last he released it into the ocean, and even the ocean seemed too small. The king understood: this was no ordinary fish; it was the Lord Himself.

The Lord said: on the seventh day from now the pralay will come and the whole earth will sink under water. A great boat will come to you. Board it with the seven sages, seeds of every kind and healing plants. I will come as a fish; tie the boat to my horn using the serpent Vasuki.

It happened just so. There was water everywhere. Satyavrat tied the boat to Matsya's horn. Through the long flood, the Lord taught him about the soul and the Supreme. At that time the Lord also killed an asura named Hayagriva and brought back the Vedas he had stolen from Brahma.

After the flood, this same King Satyavrat became Vaivasvat Manu, from whom the present human race is said to descend. By showing kindness to one small fish, the king was blessed to become the means of saving all creation.