Matsya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article concerns the Hindu avatar. For the ancient kingdom, see Matsya Rajya. For other uses, see Matsya (disambiguation).
| Matsya | |
 Incarnation of Vishnu as a Fish, from a devotional text |
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| Devanagari | मत्स्य |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Avatar of Vishnu |
| Weapon | Chakra and Mace |
Matsya (Sanskrit: मत्स्य) (Fish in Sanskrit) was the first Avatar of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.
According to legend as in the Matsya and Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu assumed the form of a fish to save the Vedas which had been stolen by the demon, Hayagriva from Brahma.
Satyavrata, a devotee of Vishnu, while offering oblations in a river spots a tiny fish which begs him to save its life. He put it in a jar, which it soon outgrew. He then moved it to a tank, a river and then finally the ocean but to no avail. The fish then revealed himself to be Lord Vishnu and told him that a deluge would occur within seven days that would destroy all life. Therefore, Satyavrata was instructed to take "all medicinal herbs, all the varieties of seeds, and accompanied by the seven saints” [1] along with the serpent Vasuki and other animals.
Sathyavrata did accordingly and waited for Vishnu (Matsya) to return. In the meantime, Vishnu met Hayagriva and killed him, thus restoring the Vedas. The deluge occurred and the lord reappeared as promised and advised Sathyavrata to board the boat and fasten the serpent Vasuki to his horn as a rope to the boat.
Matsya is generally represented as a four-armed figure with the upper torso of a man and the lower of a fish.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Asiatic Soc. Res, Sir William Jones, Vol.i.230ff
[edit] External Links
http://www.indiadivine.org/articles/442/1/The-Matsya-Purana/Page1.html
[edit] See also
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