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.
स्वेदाण्डजोद्भिदो ये वै ये च जीवा जरायुजाः अस्यां निधाय सर्वांस् तान् अनाथान् पाहि सुव्रत
Whatever beings are born from sweat, eggs, or sprouts, and those born alive—place all those helpless ones in this, and protect them, O virtuous one.
युगान्तवाताभिहता यदा भवति नौर् नृप शृङ्गे ऽस्मिन्मम राजेन्द्र तदेमां संयमिष्यसि
When the boat is struck by the winds at the end of the age, O king, you shall tie it to this horn of mine, O lord of kings.
ततो लयान्ते सर्वस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च प्रजापतिस्त्वं भविता जगतः पृथिवीपते
Then, at the end of the dissolution of all that is moving and unmoving, you will become the progenitor of the world, O king of the earth.
एवं कृतयुगस्यादौ सर्वज्ञो धृतिमान्नृपः मन्वन्तराधिपश्चापि देवपूज्यो भविष्यसि
Thus, at the beginning of the Kṛta Yuga, you, the all-knowing and steadfast king, will become the lord of the Manvantara and worthy of worship by the gods.
एवमुक्तो मनुस्तेन पप्रच्छ मधुसूदनम् भगवन्कियद्भिर्वर्षैर् भविष्यत्यन्तरक्षयः
Thus addressed, Manu asked Madhusūdana, 'Blessed one, after how many years will the destruction come?'
सत्त्वानि च कथं नाथ रक्षिष्ये मधुसूदन त्वया सह पुनर्योगः कथं वा भविता मम
'And how, O lord, Madhusūdana, shall I protect the beings? How will I be united with you again?'
अद्यप्रभृत्यनावृष्टिर् भविष्यति महीतले यावद्वर्षशतं साग्रं दुर्भिक्षम् अशुभावहम्
From today onward, there will be no rainfall upon the earth for one hundred years and more—a famine will arise, bringing misfortune.
ततो ऽल्पसत्त्वक्षयदा रश्मयः सप्त दारुणाः सप्तसप्तेर्भविष्यन्ति प्रतप्ताङ्गारवर्षिणः
Then, when living beings are few and perishing, the seven terrible rays of the seven suns will appear, raining down burning embers.
और्वानलो ऽपि विकृतिं गमिष्यति युगक्षये विषाग्निश्चापि पातालात् संकर्षणमुखच्युतः भवस्यापि ललाटोत्थस् तृतीयनयनानलः
At the end of the age, the fire of Aurva will also become fierce, and the poison-fire, released from the mouth of Sankarṣaṇa in the netherworld, as well as the fire from the third eye on the forehead of Bhava, will manifest.
त्रिजगन्निर्दहन् क्षोभं समेष्यति महामुने एवं दग्धा मही सर्वा यदा स्याद्भस्मसंनिभा
Burning the three worlds, it will bring turmoil, O great sage; when the entire earth is thus consumed and becomes like ashes—