नौश्च कारयितव्या ते दृढा युक्तवटारका। तत्र सप्तर्षिभिः सार्धमारुहेथा महामुने
You must construct a sturdy boat, fitted with strong ropes; then, together with the seven sages, O great sage, you should board it.
बीजानि चैव सर्वाणि यथोक्तानि मया पुरा। तस्यामारोहयेर्नावि सुसंगुप्तानि भागशः
And all the seeds, as I have previously instructed, you should place upon that boat, well secured and divided.
नौस्थश्च मां प्रतीक्षेथास्ततो मुनिजनप्रिय। आगमिष्याम्यहं शृङ्गी विज्ञेयस्तेन तापस
You should wait for me on the boat, O beloved of ascetics; I will come, marked by a horn, and you will recognize me thus, O ascetic.
एवमेतत्त्वया कार्यमापृष्टोसि व्रजाम्यहम्। ता न शक्या महत्यो वै आपस्तर्तुं मया विना। नातिशङ्क्यमिदं चापि वचनं मे त्वया विभो
This is what you must do; having been asked, I now depart. These great waters cannot be crossed without me. You need not doubt my words, O lord.
एवं करिष्य इति तं स मत्स्यं प्रत्यभाषत। जग्मतुश्च यथाकाममनुज्ञाप्य परस्परम्
"I will do so," replied Manu to the fish; and having mutually given permission, they departed as they wished.
ततो मनुर्महाराज यथोक्तं मत्स्यकेन ह। बीजान्यादाय सर्वाणि सागरं पुप्लुवे तदा। नौकया शुभयावीर महोर्मिणमरिंदम
Then Manu, O great king, as instructed by the fish, gathered all the seeds and sailed upon the ocean in a splendid boat, O subduer of foes, amidst great waves.
चिन्तयामास च मनुस्तं मत्स्यं पृथिवीपते। सच तच्चिन्तितं ज्ञात्वा मत्स्यः परपुरंजय। शृङ्गी तत्राजगागाशु तदा भरतसत्तम
Manu pondered upon the fish, O lord of the earth; and the fish, knowing his thoughts, swiftly arrived there, O best of the Bharatas, marked by a horn.
तं दृष्ट्वा मनुजव्याघ्र मनुर्मत्स्यं जलार्णवे। शृङ्गिणं तं यथोक्तेन रूपेणाद्रिमिवोच्छ्रितम्
Seeing the fish in the waters, Manu, tiger among men, beheld him, horned and in the form described, towering like a mountain.
वटारकमयं पाशमथ मत्स्यस्य मूर्धनि। मनुर्मनुजशार्दूल तस् शृङ्गे न्यवेशयत्
Then Manu, lion among men, placed the rope made of strong cords upon the fish's horn.
संयतस्तेन पाशेन मत्स्यः परपुरंजय। वेगेन महता नावं प्राकर्षल्लवणाम्भसि
Bound by that rope, the fish, conqueror of cities, swiftly pulled the boat across the salty waters with great force.
स ततार तया नावा समुद्रं मनुजेश्वर। नृत्यमानमिवोर्मीभिर्गर्जमानमिवाम्भसा
With that boat, O king of men, Manu crossed the ocean, as the waves danced and the waters roared.
क्षोभ्यमाणा महावातैः सा नौस्तस्मिन्महोदधौ। घूर्णते चपलेव स्री मत्ता परपुरंजय
Tossed by mighty winds in that vast ocean, the boat swayed like a capricious, intoxicated woman, O conqueror of cities.
नैव भूमिर्न च दिशः प्रदिशो वा चकाशिरे। सर्वं सलिलमेवासीत्खं द्यौश्च नरपुङ्गव
Neither land nor directions nor regions could be seen; everything was water, and the sky alone, O foremost of men.
एवंभूते तदा लोके संकुले भरतर्षभ। अदृश्यन्त सप्तर्षयो मनुर्मत्स्यस्तथैव च
In such a world, O bull among Bharatas, crowded and tumultuous, the seven sages, Manu, and the fish were unseen.
एवं बहून्वर्षगणांस्तां नावं सोऽथ मत्स्यकः। चकर्षातन्द्रितो राजंस्तस्मिन्सलिलसंचये
For many years, O king, the fish tirelessly pulled that boat through the mass of waters.
ततो हिमवतः शृङ्गं यत्परं भरतर्षभ। तत्राकर्षत्ततो नावं स मत्स्यः कुरुनन्दन
Then, O bull among Bharatas, the fish drew the boat to the highest peak of the Himalaya.
अथाब्रवीत्तदा मत्स्यस्तानृषीन्प्रहसञ्शनैः। अस्मिन्हिमवतः शृङ्गे नावं बध्नीत माचिरम्
Then the fish, smiling gently, spoke to the sages: 'Fasten the boat quickly to this peak of the Himalaya.'
सा बद्धा तत्र तैस्तूर्णमृषिभिर्भरतर्षभ। नौर्मत्स्यस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शृङ्गे हिमवतस्तदा
Thereupon, O bull among Bharatas, the sages swiftly tied the boat to the peak of the Himalaya, hearing the fish's words.
तच्च नौबन्धनं नाम शृङ्गं हिमवतः परम्। ख्यातमद्यापि कौन्तेय तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ
That peak of the Himalaya, O son of Kunti, is called Naubandhana; even today it is renowned by that name—know this, O best of the Bharatas.
अथाब्रवीदनिमिषस्तानृषीन्सहितस्तदा। अहं प्रजापतिर्ब्रह्मा मत्परं नाधिगम्यते। मत्स्यरूपेण यूयं च मयाऽस्मान्मोक्षिता भयात्
Then, at that time, the sleepless one addressed those seers together: 'I am Prajapati Brahma; my supreme nature cannot be attained. In the form of a fish, I have delivered you all from this danger.'
मनुना च प्रजाः सर्वाः सदेवासुरमानुपाः। स्रष्टव्याः सर्वलोकाश्चयच्चेङ्गं यच्चा नेङ्गति
And by Manu, all creatures—gods, asuras, men, and others—must be created, as well as all the worlds, whatever moves and whatever does not move.
तपसा चापि तीव्रेण प्रतिभाऽस्य भविष्यति। मत्प्रसादात्प्रजासर्गे न च मोहं गमिष्यति। इत्युक्त्वा वचनं मत्स्यः क्षणेनादर्शनं गतः
And by intense austerity, he will gain insight; by my grace, in the creation of beings, he will not fall into delusion.' Having spoken thus, the fish vanished in an instant.
स्रष्टुकामः प्रजाश्चापि मनुर्वैवस्वतः स्वयम्। प्रमूढोऽभूत्प्रजासर्गे तपस्तेपे महत्ततः
Desiring to create beings, Manu, son of Vivasvat, himself became bewildered at the task of creation and then undertook great austerity.
तपसा महता युक्तः सोऽथ स्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे। सर्वाः प्रजा मनुः साक्षाद्यथावद्भरतर्षभ
Endowed with great austerity, Manu then began to create all beings directly and properly, O best of the Bharatas.
इत्येतन्मात्स्यकं नाम पुराणं परिकीर्तितम्। आख्यानमिदमाख्यातं सर्वपापहरं मया
Thus this account called the Matsya Purana has been recounted; this story, which I have told, removes all sins.
य इदं शृणुयान्नित्यं मनोश्चरितमादितः। स सुखी सर्वपूर्णार्थः सर्वलोकमियान्नरः
Whoever listens daily to this tale of Manu from the beginning, that man attains happiness, fulfillment in all things, and reaches all worlds.
ततः स पुनरेवाथ मार्कण्डेयं तपस्विनम्। पप्रच्छ विनयोपेतो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः
Then once again, King Yudhishthira, possessed of humility, questioned the ascetic Markandeya.
नैके युगसहस्रान्तास्त्वया दृष्टा महामुने। न चापीह समः कश्चिदायुष्मान्दृश्यते तव
You have witnessed countless ends of ages, O great sage, and no one here is seen to be your equal in lifespan.
वर्जयित्वा महात्मानं ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम्। न तेऽस्ति सदृशः कश्चिदायुषा ब्रह्मसत्तम
Except for the great-souled Brahma, the supreme lord, there is no one equal to you in lifespan, O best of Brahmins.
अथाऽन्तरिक्षे लोकेऽस्मिन्देवदानववर्जिते। त्वमेव प्रलये विप्र ब्रह्माणमुपतिष्ठसे
And when, in this world, the space between gods and asuras is empty, you alone, O Brahmin, attend upon Brahma at the time of dissolution.