Once more, with a plaintive cry, the fish called out to Manu, the noble son of the sun, “Protect me, protect me! I have taken refuge in you.” Moved by compassion, Manu tried to find the little fish a safe home. First, he placed it in a well, but the fish quickly outgrew the space and could not fit. So, Manu carried the fish to a lake, hoping it would have enough room to thrive. Yet, as soon as the fish entered the lake, it grew vast, spanning a whole yojana in length. In distress, the fish again pleaded, “Protect me, protect me, best of kings!” Seeing this, Manu lifted the fish and released it into the sacred river Ganges. But even there, the fish continued to grow, and soon, the mighty lord of the earth had no choice but to carry the fish to the ocean itself. When Manu placed the fish in the ocean, the creature grew until it filled the entire expanse of water. Awestruck and fearful, Manu exclaimed, “Who are you, O lord of the asuras? Or perhaps you are Vāsudeva himself—who else could take on such a marvelous form, stretching twenty thousand yojanas?” Recognizing the divine presence, Manu bowed deeply and said, “I know you now, Keśava! You trouble me in the form of a fish. O Hṛṣīkeśa, lord of the world, abode of the universe, I bow to you.” Hearing these words, the blessed Janārdana, still in the form of the great fish, replied, “Well done, well done! Sinless one, you have truly recognized me.” Then the divine fish spoke solemnly: “Very soon, O king, the earth with all its mountains, forests, and groves will be submerged beneath the waters. The gods, acting together, have constructed a boat for the protection of all living beings. Gather every helpless creature—those born from sweat, eggs, seeds, and wombs—and place them in this boat, O virtuous Manu, and protect them. “When the boat is tossed by fierce winds at the end of the age, tie it securely to my horn, O lord of kings. At the dissolution of all that moves and is still, you will become the progenitor of the next world, O king of the earth. At the dawn of the Kṛta Yuga, you, steadfast and all-knowing, will be the lord of the Manvantara, worthy of worship by the gods.” Thus addressed, Manu humbly asked Madhusūdana, “Blessed one, after how many years will this destruction come? And how, O Lord, shall I protect the beings? How will I be reunited with you again?” The divine Lord answered, “From this day, there will be no rainfall on earth for a hundred years and more. A terrible famine will arise, bringing great misfortune. When living beings are few and perishing, seven dreadful rays from the seven suns will appear, raining burning embers upon the world. At the end of the age, the fire of Aurva will become fierce, and the poison-fire from the mouth of Sankarṣaṇa in the netherworld, as well as the fire from the third eye of Bhava, will all be unleashed. “These fires will burn the three worlds, bringing turmoil. When the earth is consumed and reduced to ashes, the sky will be scorched, and then the world, along with the gods and stars, will face destruction. Seven mighty clouds—Saṃvarta, Bhīmanāda, Droṇa, Caṇḍa, Balāhaka, Vidyutpatāka, and Śoṇa—will arise from the sweat of fire and flood the earth. The oceans will be agitated and merge into one. “All three worlds will become a single ocean, and you will take aboard the boat the Vedas and the seeds of all beings. Using the serpent-rope I give you, tie the boat to my horn, and I will protect you in my fish form. You alone, O Manu, will remain among the gods, even when they are consumed, together with Brahmā, who carries the moon and sun, and the four worlds. The sacred river Narmadā, the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, Bhava, the Vedas, the Purāṇas, and all the sciences will be preserved with you. “With you, this universe will endure through the intermediate dissolution. When the one ocean arises at the dissolution of the Cākṣuṣa epoch, at the beginning of your creation, O king, I will reveal the Vedas anew.” Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord vanished from sight. Manu, filled with devotion, entered into deep yoga by the grace of Vāsudeva, practicing steadfastly until the foretold great flood arrived. At the appointed time, from the mouth of Vāsudeva appeared the horned one—Janārdana in the form of a mighty fish. A serpent, taking the form of a rope, approached Manu. Gathering all the beings through the power of yoga, Manu, the knower of righteousness, placed them on board the boat. He fastened the boat to the horn of the great fish with the serpent-rope and, standing above, bowed in reverence to Janārdana. When the great flood had passed, Manu asked the fish-formed Lord, who reclined in yoga, about the ancient lore. Now, O best of sages, I will relate to you what transpired. O twice-born, what you had previously asked me about—the origin of creation and so forth—Manu himself asked Keśava upon the primeval ocean. He inquired about creation and dissolution, the lineages and the Manus, the deeds of their descendants, and the expanse of the worlds. He also asked about the rules of charity and righteousness, the eternal rites of ancestor worship, the divisions of class and stage of life, and the acts of sacrifice and beneficence. He sought to know about the establishment of the gods and all that exists on earth. All this dharma should be explained in detail. At the end of the great dissolution, all this creation was enveloped in darkness—unfathomable, unmanifest, and without discernible characteristics, as if in deep sleep. The world, both stationary and moving, was unknowable and unknown. Then, from that darkness, the self-born, unmanifest source of all virtuous deeds arose.