Matsya Purana

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्

Having bowed to Narayana, to Nara the supreme man, and to the goddess Sarasvati, one should then utter victory.

अजो ऽपि यः क्रियायोगान् नारायण इति स्मृतः त्रिगुणाय त्रिवेदाय नमस् तस्मै स्वयम्भुवे

He who, though unborn, is known as Narayana through his acts, who possesses the three qualities and the three Vedas—salutations to that self-born One.

सूतमेकाग्रमासीनं नैमिषारण्यवासिनः मुनयो दीर्घसत्त्रान्ते पप्रच्छुर् दीर्घसंहिताम्

The sages dwelling in Naimisha forest, at the end of their long sacrificial session, questioned Suta, who was seated with single-minded attention, about the extensive tradition.

प्रवृत्तासु पुराणीषु धर्म्यासु ललितासु च कथासु शौनकाद्यास् तु अभिनन्द्य मुहुर्मुहुः

When the ancient, righteous, and delightful stories were recited, Shaunak and the others repeatedly expressed their appreciation.

कथितानि पुराणानि यान्यस्माकं त्वयानघ तान्येवामृतकल्पानि श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे पुनः

O blameless one, those ancient tales you have told us are like nectar; we wish to hear them again.

कथं ससर्ज भगवंल् लोकनाथश्चराचरम् कस्माच्च भगवान् विष्णुर् मत्स्यरूपत्वम् आश्रितः

How did the Lord, the master of the worlds, create the moving and unmoving beings, and for what reason did Bhagavan Vishnu assume the form of a fish?

भैरवत्वं भवस्यापि पुरारित्वं च केन हि कस्य हेतोः कपालित्वं जगाम वृषभध्वजः

By what cause did Bhava become terrifying, and the enemy of the cities, and for what reason did the bull-bannered one become the skull-bearer?

सर्वम् एतत् समाचक्ष्व सूत विस्तरशः क्रमात् त्वद्वाक्येनामृतस्येव न तृप्तिरिह जायते

O Suta, tell us all this in detail and in order; just as one never tires of nectar, so here there is no satiation from your words.

पुण्यं पवित्रम् आयुष्यम् इदानीं शृणुत द्विजाः मात्स्यं पुराणमखिलं यज्जगाद गदाधरः

Now listen, O twice-born, to the sacred, purifying, and life-giving Matsya Purana in its entirety, as spoken by Gadadhara.

पुरा राजा मनुर् नाम चीर्णवान् विपुलं तपः पुत्रे राज्यं समारोप्य क्षमावान् रविनन्दनः

Long ago, King Manu, renowned for his great austerity, entrusted the kingdom to his son and, patient as the sun's descendant, practiced forbearance.

मलयस्यैकदेशे तु सर्वात्मगुणसंयुतः समदुःखसुखो वीरः प्राप्तवान् योगम् उत्तमम्

In a certain region of the Malaya mountains, endowed with all virtues, the heroic king, equal in joy and sorrow, attained the highest yoga.

बभूव वरदश् चास्य वर्षायुतशते गते वरं वृणीष्व प्रोवाच प्रीतः स कमलासनः

After a hundred thousand years had passed, the lotus-seated One, pleased, granted him a boon, saying, 'Choose your wish.'

एवमुक्तो ऽब्रवीद् राजा प्रणम्य स पितामहम् एकम् एवाहम् इच्छामि त्वत्तो वरमनुत्तमम्

Thus addressed, the king bowed to the grandsire and said, 'I desire from you a single, unsurpassed boon.'

भूतग्रामस्य सर्वस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च भवेयं रक्षणायालं प्रलये समुपस्थिते

May I be sufficient to protect all beings, both stationary and moving, when the dissolution arrives.

एवमस्त्विति विश्वात्मा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत पुष्पवृष्टिः सुमहती खात्पपात सुरार्पिता

Let it be so,' said the soul of the universe, and disappeared right there; a great shower of flowers, offered by the gods, fell from the sky.

कदाचिदाश्रमे तस्य कुर्वतः पितृतर्पणम् पपात पाण्योर् उपरि शफरी जलसंयुता

Once, while he was performing ancestral offerings in his hermitage, a small fish, accompanied by water, fell onto his hands.

दृष्ट्वा तच्छफरीरूपं स दयालुर्महीपतिः रक्षणायाकरोद्यत्नं स तस्मिन्करकोदरे

Seeing that fish form, the compassionate king made efforts to protect it, placing it in the hollow of his hand.

अहोरात्रेण चैकेन षोडशाङ्गुलविस्तृतः सो ऽभवन्मत्स्यरूपेण पाहि पाहीति चाब्रवीत्

In just one day and night, he became sixteen fingers wide in the form of a fish, and he said, 'Protect me, protect me!'

स तमादाय मणिके प्राक्षिपज्जलचारिणम् तत्रापि चैकरात्रेण हस्तत्रयम् अवर्धत

He took him and placed the water-dweller in a small pot; there too, in a single night, he grew to the size of three hands.

पुनः प्राहार्तनादेन सहस्रकिरणात्मजम् स मत्स्यः पाहि पाहीति त्वामहं शरणं गतः

Again, with a plaintive cry, that fish addressed the son of the thousand-rayed one, saying, 'Protect me, protect me! I have taken refuge in you.'

ततः स कूपे तं मत्स्यं प्राहिणोद् रविनन्दनः यदा न माति तत्रापि कूपे मत्स्यः सरोवरे

Then the descendant of the sun sent that fish into a well; but when it did not fit there either, the fish was placed in a lake.

क्षिप्तो ऽसौ पृथुतामागात् पुनर् योजनसंमिताम् तत्राप्याह पुनर् दीनः पाहि पाहि नृपोत्तम

Thrown there, he became vast, measuring a yojana; again, in distress, he said, 'Protect me, protect me, best of kings!'

ततः स मनुना क्षिप्तो गङ्गायामप्यवर्धत यदा तदा समुद्रे तं प्राक्षिपन्मेदिनीपतिः

Then, cast by Manu into the Ganges, he grew even there; when that happened, the lord of the earth placed him in the ocean.

यदा समुद्रमखिलं व्याप्यासौ समुपस्थितः तदा प्राह मनुर्भीतः को ऽपि त्वमसुरेश्वरः

When he filled the entire ocean and appeared there, Manu, frightened, said, 'Who are you, O lord of the asuras?'

अथवा वासुदेवस्त्वम् अन्य ईदृक्कथं भवेत् योजनायुतविंशत्या कस्य तुल्यं भवेद्वपुः

Or perhaps you are Vāsudeva; who else could be like this? Whose form could match twenty thousand yojanas?

ज्ञातस्त्वं मत्स्यरूपेण मां खेदयसि केशव हृषीकेश जगन्नाथ जगद्धाम नमो ऽस्तु ते

I have recognized you, Keśava; you trouble me in the form of a fish. Hṛṣīkeśa, lord of the world, abode of the universe, I bow to you.

एवमुक्तः स भगवान् मत्स्यरूपी जनार्दनः साधु साध्विति चोवाच सम्यग्ज्ञातस् त्वयानघ

Thus addressed, the blessed Janārdana in the form of a fish said, 'Well done, well done! You have truly recognized me, sinless one.'

अचिरेणैव कालेन मेदिनी मेदिनीपते भविष्यति जले मग्ना सशैलवनकानना

Very soon, O king of the earth, the earth with its mountains, forests, and groves will be submerged in water.

नौर् इयं सर्वदेवानां निकायेन विनिर्मिता महाजीवनिकायस्य रक्षणार्थं महीपते

This boat has been constructed by all the gods together, O king, for the protection of the great multitude of living beings.