ततः स पाण्डवो भूयो मार्कण्डेयमुवाच ह। कथयस्वति चरितं मनोर्वैवस्वतस्य च
Then that son of Pandu again spoke to Markandeya: 'Tell me the story of Manu, son of Vivasvat.'
विवस्वतः सुतो राजन्महर्षिः सुप्रतापवान्। बभूव नरशार्दूल प्रजापतिसमद्युतिः
O king, Vivasvat’s son was a great sage, blazing in splendor, a tiger among men, shining like the lord of creatures.
ओजसातेजसा लक्ष्म्या तपसा च विशेषतः। अतिचक्राम पितरं मनुः स्वंच पितामहम्
By his energy, brilliance, fortune, and especially his austerity, Manu surpassed his own father and grandfather.
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विशालायां बदर्यां स नराधिपः। एकपादस्थितस्तीव्रं चकार सुमहत्तपः
That lord of men, with arms raised upward, stood on one leg in the vast Badari, performing intense and great austerities.
अवाकूशिरास्तथा चापि नेत्रैरनिमिषैर्दृढम्। सोऽतप्यत तपो घोरं वर्षाणामयुतं तदा
With his head bent down and his gaze fixed, unmoving, he practiced fierce austerity for ten thousand years.
तं कदाचित्तपस्यन्तमार्द्रचीरजटाधरम्। चीरिणीतीरमागम्य मत्स्यो वचनमब्रवीत्
Once, as he was engaged in austerity, wearing wet bark and matted hair, a fish approached him on the bank and spoke these words:
भगवन्क्षुद्रमत्स्येस्मि बलवद्भ्यो भयंमम। मत्स्येभ्यो हि ततो मां त्वं त्रातुमर्हसि सुव्रत
'O venerable one, I am a small fish and I fear the strong; please protect me from the bigger fish, O steadfast one.'
दुर्बलं बलवन्तो हि मत्स्या मत्स्यं विशेषतः। भक्षयन्ति सदा वृत्तिर्विहिता नः सनातनी
'For the strong always devour the weak fish, especially among us; such is our eternal way of life.'
तस्माद्भयौघान्महतो मज्जन्तं मां विशेषतः। त्रातुमर्हसि कर्तास्मि कृतेप्रतिकृतं तव
'Therefore, as I am sinking in this great flood of fear, you should protect me; I will repay your kindness in return.'
स मत्स्यवचनं श्रुत्वा कृपयाऽभिपरिप्लुतः। मनुर्वैवस्वतोऽगृह्णात्तं मत्स्यं पाणिना स्वयम्
Hearing the fish’s words, Manu Vaivasvata, filled with compassion, took the fish in his own hand.
उदकान्तमुपानीय मत्स्यं वैवस्वतो मनुः। अलिञ्जरे प्राक्षिपत्तं चन्द्रांशुसदृशप्रभम्
Bringing the fish to the edge of the water, Manu Vaivasvata placed it in a vessel, shining like the rays of the moon.
स तत्र ववृधे राजन्मत्स्यः परमसत्कृतः। पुत्रवत्स्वीकरोत्तस्मै मनुर्भावं विशेषतः
There, O king, the fish grew greatly, being well cared for; Manu regarded it with special affection, as if it were his own child.
अथ कालेन महता स मत्स्यः सुमहानभूत्। अलिञ्जरजले चैव नासौ समभवत्किल
Then, with the passage of much time, that fish became exceedingly large, and in the water of the jar, it could no longer remain.
अथ मत्स्यो मनुं दृष्ट्वा पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत। भगवन्साधु मेऽद्यान्यत्स्थानं संप्रतिपादय
Then the fish, seeing Manu, once again spoke to him: 'O venerable one, kindly provide me today with another place.'
उद्धृत्यालिञ्जरात्तस्मात्ततः स भगवान्मनुः। तं मत्स्यमनयद्वापीं महतीं स मनुस्तदा
Thereupon, Manu, the blessed one, took the fish out of the jar and brought it to a great pond.
तत्रतं प्राक्षिपच्चापि मनुः परपुरंजय। अथावर्धत मत्स्यः स पुनर्वर्षगणान्बहून्
There, Manu cast the fish, O conqueror of enemy cities; and in that place, over many years, the fish grew again.
द्वियोजनायता वापी विस्तृताचापि योजनम्। तस्यां नासौ समभवन्मत्स्यो राजीवलोचन
The pond was two yojanas long and one yojana wide, but even there, O lotus-eyed one, the fish could not be contained.
विचेष्टितुं च कौन्तेय मत्स्यो वाप्यां विशांपते। मनुं मत्स्यस्ततो दृष्ट्वा पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत
And, O son of Kunti, the fish was unable to move about in the pond, O lord of men; so, seeing Manu, the fish again spoke to him.
नय मां भगवन्साधो समुद्रमहिषीं प्रियाम्। गङ्गां नांत्रापि शक्तोस्मि वस्तुं मतिमतांवर
'Take me, O venerable and virtuous one, to my beloved queen, the ocean; I am not able to remain even in the Ganga, O best of the wise.'
निदेशे हि मया तुभ्यं स्थातव्यमनसूयता। वृद्धिर्हि परमा प्राप्ता त्वत्कृते हि मयाऽनघ
'For I must remain wherever you command me, without resentment; through you, O sinless one, I have attained the highest growth.'
एवमुक्तो मनुर्मत्स्यमनयद्भगवान्वशी। नदीं गङ्गां तत्रचैनं स्वयं प्राक्षिपदेव च
Thus addressed, Manu, the blessed and self-controlled one, took the fish to the river Ganga and himself cast it there.
स तत्र ववृधे मत्स्यः कंचित्रालमरिंदम। गतः पुनर्मनुं दृष्ट्वा मत्स्यो वचनमब्रवीत्
There the fish grew for some time, O subduer of enemies; but again, seeing Manu, the fish spoke these words.
गङ्गायां हि न शक्नोमि बृहत्त्वाच्चेष्टितुं प्रभो। समुद्रं नय मामाशु प्रसीद भगवन्निति
'In the Ganga, O lord, I am unable to move because of my great size; quickly take me to the ocean, I pray, O venerable one.'
उद्धृत्य गङ्गासलिलात्ततो मत्स्यं मनुः स्वयम्। समुद्रमनयत्पार्त तत्रचैनमवासृजत्
Then Manu himself took the fish out of the waters of the Ganga, O Partha, and brought it to the ocean, where he released it.
सुमहानपि मत्स्यस्तु स मनोर्नयतस्तदा। आसीद्यथेष्टहार्यश्च स्पर्शगन्धसुखश्च वै
Even though the fish was exceedingly large, when Manu brought it there, it became as it wished—easy to carry, pleasant to the touch and smell.
यदा समुद्रे प्रक्षिप्तः स मत्स्यो ननुना तदा। तत एनमिदं वाक्यं स्मयमान इवाब्रवीत्
When the fish was cast into the ocean by Manu, then it spoke these words, as if smiling:
भगवन्हि कृता रक्षा त्वया सर्वा विशेषतः। प्राप्तकालं तु यत्कार्यं त्वया तच्छ्रूयतां मम
'O venerable one, you have indeed protected me in every way; now, hear from me what you must do, for the time has come.'
अचिराद्भगवन्बौममिदं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। सर्वमेव महाभाग प्रलयं वै गमिष्यति
'Soon, O blessed one, all that is on earth, both moving and unmoving, will surely go to destruction.'
संप्रक्षालनकालोऽयंलोकानां समुपस्थितः। तस्मात्त्वां बोधयाम्यद्ययत्ते हितमनुत्तमम्
'The time for the washing away of the worlds has arrived; therefore, today I instruct you for your supreme welfare.'
त्रसानां स्तावराणां च यच्चेङ्गं यच्च नेङ्गति। तस्य सर्वस् संप्राप्तः कालः परमदारुणः
'For all that moves and does not move, the time has come—a most terrible time.'