Matsya Avatar - Fish

The first incarnation or avatar taken by Vishnu was that of a fish. I have to digress slightly from this story to bring together another popular mythological story from the Biblical times.

All over the world there exist stories of a universal flood--so devastating that practically every species of life was threatened with utter annihilation. In order to save the living entities, a hero arose just in time to protect the seeds of all species for their future perpetuation. Most popularly known as Noah (in the Biblical tradition) and Gilgamesh (in the Middle Eastern traditions), this divinely inspired hero carefully protected all types of creatures in a huge boat until the end of the flood, after which he allowed them to multiply and recreate life as it existed before. To be sure, this story known as "the Flood myth" is found with various embellishments in all cultures throughout the world.

Indian mythology has a similar story which is represented in the Matsya avatar incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is amazing that three different cultures have similar beginnings and end but the means to the end were different. The Sanskrit word avatara is composed of the two words- ava (downwards) and tara (passage)-and usually refers to the descent of a divinity.

There are two stories of Matsya. One is that the Veda's were stolen by a demon kind Haragriva. This demon swallowed the vedas and hid deep inside the ocean. Without the veda's the world was enveloped in darkness. Matsya had killed the demon Hayagriva, who had stolen the Vedas and, and reinstated Brahma with the Vedic mantras.

The second story is that Manu was practicing penance for gaining objects of enjoyment and for release from mundane existence. Once when he was offering waters of libation in the river, a small fish came in the waters in his folded palms. As he desired to throw it into the waters, it said, "O excellent man! Do not throw Me away! Now I have fear of crocodiles (and others)."
Having heard this, Vaivasvata Manu put it into a vessel. When it had grown in size, it requested him, "Get me a bigger vessel." Having heard these words, the king put the fish in a bigger vessel. Growing there again in size it requested the king, "O Manu! Get Me a bigger place." When it was put into a tank, it soon grew in size as big as the tank and said, "Get Me a bigger place." Then Manu put it into the ocean. In a moment, it grew in size extending hundreds of thousand of miles. Seeing that wonderful fish, Manu got surprised and realised that it was Lord Vishnu himself. He questioned the motives of the fish and Matsya replied to Manu who had been engaged in the protection of the world, "I have manifested for the protection of this universe and for the destrction of the wicked. On the seventh day, the ocean will flood the earth. Having put the seeds (of creation) etc. in the boat that would approach you, you should spend the night of Brahma on it being encircled by the seven sages. You should bind this boat to My horn with the big serpent."

Saying thus, Matsya dissappeared. Manu, who was waiting for the appointed hour, boarded the boat as the ocean commenced to a swell. Matsya now appeared with a single golden horn of one million miles in length. Manu tied the boat to its horn. Matsya then disappeared from sight and left the boat on a mountain top. When the flood waters receded and the next yuga (loosely translated as era of life) began, the king Manu and sages stepped ashore and recreated everything as it had been before.

I get sketchy here but it is my belief that the floods were caused due to the battle between Haragriva the demon and Matsya. With the destruction of the demon, came destruction of everything and hence Manu with his boat was able to restore life as it was. I am going to check with my family on this.