Avatar of Vishnu - Matsya Avatar

Matsya Avatar

Satya Yuga

Vaivasvata Manu was the son of Vivasvan (Surya) and Saranyu . He was a just and noble ruler. So he was also called as Satyavrata and  Shraddhadeva. In the olden days people followed the Ashrama dharma. 

According to the Asharma Dharma, there are four stages of life they are :

Brahmacharya(student)

Grihastha (Householder)

Vannaprastha (retired to forest life)

Sanyasa (renounciation)

Manu had coronated his heir and moved to the lush green forest of Malaya hills where beautiful river kirtamala flowed to make it as his home by sacrificing the comforts of a home. Manu and his wife , Shrradha engaged in secular ritual activities. one day Manu  was at the river offering his daily ablutions to the Surya devta. Manu was standing in waist deep water and facing the gorgeous Sun god who was slowing waking all the creatures. Manu cupped waters in his palms and recited Gayathri mantra as he was about to offer the water to Surya devata. He heard a tiny voice " o passionate human being , Please Do not let me into the water . kindly help me."

Manu looked everywhere and he could spot the source of the voice. Suddenly the same voice called him back  " o dear human please look down  in your cupped palm. I am a small fish if u let me slip from your hands i will be devoured by large fishes." Manu was surprised  when he saw  little fish which was golden in colour with streaks of orange. He was a satyapurusha who would offer to sacrifice his life to provide for people who asked his help. 

Manu transferred the fish into his Kamandalam(water pot carried by sanyasi) and reached his modest hut. He heard someone asking for his help. He looked into his kamadalam and the fish had grown big and filled out the kamandalam and asked him to tranfer it to a bigger vessel. He put the fish into a bigger mud pot and after some time there was a call for help. Manu looked into the earthern pot and saw that the fish had grown much bigger and transferred it into a bigger vessel.  Manu transferred the fish to a well and after some time it outgrew the well and Manu transferred it to a pond and the fish again grew up in size and filled the pond. Manu took the fish to the river and let it go. After some time, the fish shouted for help saying that river is geeting small for it. Manu was astonished at how fast the fish that fit his hand would no longer fit to live in a mighty river. He identifies that fish is a supernatural power and requests it to disclose itself. The fish moves towards the direction of  ocean. 

" Manu be prepared for a deluge which is about to come after seven days as a yuga is going to end.

 Built a boat, collect seed of every living thing along with the Saptha rishis, a golden fish with a horn will lead your way "

 Manu was gratified that Lord vishnu has chosen him as a medium to help the creatures of the world.  According to Puranas ,Brahma would sleep during night time  of  BrahamaLoka where all the creations would be immersed in deluge.

Manu  had built a boat and boarded it with SaptaRishis and there was so much water that there was no land visible. saptarishis guided the boat with their light. As promised a monstrous fish with a horn came towards the ship. adisheshan was used as a rope to tie the fish and the boat. The fish swam through the dark waters. As Brahma deva slept off , an asura called shankaasura was born when vishnu's conch fell into the water. Shankaasura was formed out a water bubble and lived in a conch in the underwater. he was hungry so he stole the vedas slipping from Brahma Devas mouth as he was tired after a day of cosmic creation and retreated to the world. Lord took the form of Matsya avatar where the upper torso resembles a human and lower torso resembles a fish. While he was steering the ship, he fought with Shankhaasura and restored vedas to the Brahma. He left Manu with the task of getting things ready for next Yuga at the Mount Himavan . slowly the waters receded and land started appearing. Manu and his wife  procreated  to populate the world and Sapta rishis also populated the world with living beings. Manu had ten children Vena, Dhrishu, narishyan, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Ila (daughter), Prishadhru and Nabhagarishta

Manu was the forefathers of Manavas who seperated into Brahmins , kshytriya and other varna. He was the predecessor for both Solar (Ikvashu line) and Lunar (chandravanshi / Somavanshi / Ila Line)