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.
प्रलये चापि निर्वृत्ते प्रबुद्धे च पितामहे। त्वमेकः सृज्यमानानि भूतानीह प्रपश्यसि
And when the dissolution has ended and the grandsire awakens, you alone behold the beings being created here.
चतुर्विधानि विप्रर्षे यथावत्परमेष्ठिना। वायुभूता दिशः कृत्वा विक्षिप्यापस्ततस्ततः
The fourfold beings, O best of sages, as established by the supreme lord, after making the directions into wind and scattering the waters here and there.
त्वया लोकगुरुः साक्षात्सर्वलोकपितामहः। आराधितो द्विजश्रेष्ठ तत्परेण समाधिना
You, O best of twice-born, have directly worshipped the teacher of the worlds, the grandsire of all beings, with supreme concentration.
स्वप्रमाणमथो विप्र त्वया कृतमनेकशः। घोरेणाविश्य तपसा वेधसो निर्जितास्त्वया
And you, O Brahmin, have repeatedly established your own measure; by entering into fierce austerity, you have conquered the Creator.
नारायणाङ्कप्रख्यस्त्वं सांपरायेऽतिपठ्यसे
You are renowned in the final battle as one resembling Narayana himself.
भगवाननेकशः कृत्वा त्वया विष्णोश्च विश्वकृत्। कर्णिकोद्धरणं दिव्यं ब्रह्मणः कामरूपिणः। रत्नालंकारयोगाभ्यां दृग्भ्यां दृष्टस्त्वया पुरा
The blessed one, having performed many times the divine extraction of the lotus of Brahma, the wish-formed, adorned with jewels, was seen by you in ancient times with your own eyes.
तस्मात्तवान्तको मृत्युर्जरा वा देहनाशिनी। न त्वां विशति विप्रर्षे प्रसादात्परमेष्ठिनः
Therefore, O best of sages, death, the ender, or old age that destroys the body, does not touch you, by the grace of the Supreme Lord.
यदा नैव रविर्नाग्निर्न वायुर्न च चन्द्रमाः। नैवान्तरिक्षं नैवोर्वी शेषं भवति किंचन
When neither the sun, nor fire, nor wind, nor the moon exists, when there is no sky, nor earth, nor anything else remaining—
तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे लोके नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे। नष्टे देवासुरगणे समुत्सन्नमहोरगे
When, in that single oceanic world, all that is moving and unmoving is lost, when the hosts of gods and asuras are gone, and the great serpents are destroyed—
शयानममितात्मानं पद्मे पद्मनिकेतनम्। त्वमेकः सर्वभूतेशं ब्रह्माणमुपतिष्ठसि
Then you alone approach Brahma, the lord of all beings, whose measure is infinite, who rests on a lotus, dwelling in the lotus, as he lies there.