Agni Purana

अग्निरुवाच विष्णुः कालाग्निरुद्रोऽहं विद्यासारं वदामि ते। विद्यासारं पुराणं यत्सर्वं सर्वस्य कारणम्

Agni said: Viṣṇu, Kāla, Agni, and Rudra—I am all these; I will tell you the essence of knowledge, the Purāṇa, which is the cause of everything.

सर्गस्य प्रतिसर्गस्य वंशमन्वन्तरस्य च। वंशानुचरितादेश्च, मत्स्यकूर्म्मादिरूपधृक्

The creation, the dissolution, the genealogies, the ages of Manus, and the accounts of the lineages, as well as the forms of Matsya, Kūrma, and others.

द्वे विद्ये भगवान् विष्णुः परा चैवापरा च ह। ऋग्यजुः सामाथर्वाख्या वेदाङ्गानि च षड् द्विज

The Blessed Viṣṇu is twofold knowledge: the higher and the lower; the Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma, and Atharva Vedas, and the six Vedāṅgas, O twice-born one.

शिक्षा कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं ज्योतिषाङ्गतिः। छन्दोऽभिधानं मीमांसा धर्म्मशास्त्रं पुराणकम्

Phonetics, ritual, grammar, etymology, astronomy, metrics, lexicon, inquiry, law, and the Purāṇa.

न्यायवैद्यकगान्धर्वं धनुर्वेदोऽर्थशास्त्रकम्। अपरेयं परा विद्या यया ब्रह्माभिगम्यते

Logic, medicine, music, the science of archery, and economics—these are the lower knowledge; the higher knowledge is that by which Brahman is attained.

यत्तददृश्ययमग्राह्यमगोत्रचरणं ध्रुवम्। विष्णुनोक्तं यथा मह्यं देवेभ्यो ब्रह्मणा पुरा

That which is invisible, intangible, without lineage or class, and eternal, as Viṣṇu once spoke to me, as Brahmā did to the gods in ancient times.

तथा ते कथयिष्यामि हेतुं मत्स्यादिरूपिणम्

In the same way, I will tell you the reason for the forms such as Matsya and others.

इत्यदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये प्रश्नो नाम प्रथमोध्यायः

Thus ends the first chapter, called 'The Question,' in the Agni Purana, which is one of the great ancient Puranas.

वसिष्ठ उवाच मत्स्यादिरूपिणं विष्णुं ब्रूहि सर्गादिकारणम् । पुराणं ब्रह्म चाग्नेयं यथा विष्णोः पुरा श्रुतम्

Vasishtha said: Tell me about Vishnu, who took the form of a fish and other incarnations, and the cause of creation and so on. O Brahma, recount the Agni Purana as it was once heard from Vishnu.

अग्निरुवाच मत्स्यावतारं वक्ष्येऽहं वसिष्ठ श्रृणु वै हरेः । अवतारक्रिया दुष्टनष्ट्यै सत्पालनाय हि

Agni said: I will describe the fish incarnation of Hari, O Vasishtha, listen. The act of incarnation is for the destruction of the wicked and the protection of the good.

आसीदतीतकल्पान्ते ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः । समुद्रोपप्लुतास्तत्र लोका भूरादिका मुने

At the end of the previous kalpa, there was a Brahmic, occasional dissolution. At that time, O sage, the worlds beginning with Bhur were flooded by the ocean.

मनुर्वैवस्वतस्तेपे तपो वै भुक्तिमुक्तये। एकदा कृतमालायां कुर्वतो जलतर्पणम्

Manu, son of Vivasvat, performed austerities for enjoyment and liberation. Once, while offering water in the Kritamala river,

तस्याञ्चल्युदके मत्स्यः स्वल्प एकोऽभ्यपद्यत। क्षेप्तुकामं जले प्राह न मां क्षिप नरोत्तम

A small fish appeared alone in the water he held in his hands. As he was about to throw it back into the water, it spoke: 'Do not cast me away, O best of men.'

ग्राहादिभ्यो भयं मेऽद्यतच्छ्रुत्वा कलशेऽक्षिपत्। स तु वृद्धः पुनर्मत्स्यः प्राह तं देहि मे बृहत्

'I am afraid today of creatures like alligators.' Hearing this, he placed it in a pot. But the fish grew and again said to him, 'Give me a larger place.'

स्थानमेतद्वचः श्रुत्वा राजाऽथोदञ्चनेऽक्षिपत्। तत्र वृद्धोऽब्रवीद् भूपं पृथु देहि पदं मनो

Hearing these words, the king placed it in a water jar. There, as it grew, it said to the king, 'Give me a broader space, O king.'

सरोवरे पुनः क्षिप्तो ववृधे तत्प्रमाणवान् । ऊचे देहि बृहत् स्थानप्राक्षिपच्चाम्बुधौ ततः

Again placed in a lake, it grew to the size of that place. It said, 'Give me a greater space,' so he placed it in the ocean.

लक्षयोजनविस्तीर्णः क्षणमात्रेण सोऽभवत्। मत्स्यं तमद्‌भुतं दृष्ट्वा विस्मितः प्राव्रवीन्‌ मनुः

In a moment, it became as vast as a hundred thousand yojanas. Seeing that wondrous fish, Manu, astonished, spoke:

को भवान्ननु वै विष्णुः नारायण नमोऽस्तुते। मायया मोहयसि मां किमर्थं त्वं जनार्दन

'Who are you? Surely, you are Vishnu, O Narayana, I bow to you. Why do you bewilder me with your maya, O Janardana?'

मनुनोक्तोऽब्रवीन्मत्स्यो मनुं वै पालने रतम्। अवतीर्णो भवायास्य जगतो दुष्टनष्टये

Addressed by Manu, the fish spoke to Manu, who was devoted to protection: 'I have descended for the welfare of this world, to destroy the wicked.'

सप्तमे दिवसे त्वव्धिः प्लावयिप्यति वै जगत् । उपस्थितायां नावि त्वं बीजादीनि विधाय च

'On the seventh day, the ocean will flood the world. When the boat arrives, you should gather seeds and so forth.'

सप्तर्षिभिः परिवृतो निशां ब्राह्मीं चरिष्यसि। उपस्थितस्य मे श्रृङ्गे निबध्नीहि महाहिना

'Surrounded by the seven sages, you will traverse the Brahmic night. When I arrive, tie the boat to my horn with a great serpent.'

इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दृधे मत्स्यो मनुः कालप्रतीक्षकः । स्थितः समुद्र उद्वेले नावमारुरुहे तदा

Having spoken thus, the fish disappeared, and Manu waited for the appointed time. When the ocean swelled, he boarded the boat.

एकश्रृङ्गधरो मत्स्यो हैमो नियुतयोजनः। नालम्बबन्ध तच्छृङ्गे मत्स्याख्यं च पुराणकम्

The fish, bearing a single horn, golden, and measuring millions of yojanas, had a rope tied to its horn. It was called the Matsya Purana.

शुश्राव मत्स्यात्पापघ्नं संस्तुवन् स्तुतिभिश्च तम् । ब्रह्मवेदप्रहर्त्तारं हयग्रीवञ्च दानवम्

He heard from the fish, who destroys sin, while praising him with hymns, about Hayagriva, the demon who had stolen the Vedas.

अवधीद् वेदमन्त्नाद्यान् पालयामास केशवः। प्राप्ते कल्पेऽथ बाराहे कूर्म्मरूपोऽभवद्धरिः

Keśava killed the demon who had taken the Vedas and protected them. When the new kalpa arrived, Hari took the form of a boar and then a tortoise.

अग्निरुवाच अवतारं वराहस्य वक्ष्येऽहं पापनाशनम् । हिरण्याक्षोऽसुरेशोऽभूद् देवान् जित्वा दिवि स्थितः

Agni said: I will recount the descent of the Boar, which destroys sin. Hiraṇyākṣa, lord of the asuras, after conquering the gods, stood in heaven.

देवैर्गत्वा स्तुतो विष्णुर्यज्ञरूपो वराहकः । अभूत् तं दानवं हत्वा दैत्यैः साकञ्च कण्टकम्

Having gone to him, the gods praised Viṣṇu, who took the form of the Boar as the embodiment of sacrifice. He killed that demon, along with the thorn of the daityas.

धर्मदेवादिरक्षाकृतं ततः सोऽन्तर्द्दधे हरिः। हिरण्याक्षस्य वै भ्राता हिरण्यकशिपुस्तथा

Having protected Dharma and the other gods, Hari then disappeared. The brother of Hiraṇyākṣa was Hiraṇyakaśipu.

जितदेवयज्ञभागः सर्वदेवाधिकारकृत्। नारसिंहवपुः कृत्वा तं जघान सुरैः सह

He seized the gods’ share of sacrifices and assumed authority over all the gods. Taking the form of Narasiṃha, he slew him together with the gods.