Matsya


Matsya is an avatar or incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu. With literary origins in the Yajurveda, Matsya is often associated with post-Vedic literature such as the Puranas which entail legends describing the rescue of Vaivasvata Manu from a deluge and that of the four Vedas stolen by a demon named Haygriva. Matsya is listed as the first incarnation of the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
Matsya iconography is on occasion zoomorphic and depicts a giant fish with a horn. It is usually anthropomorphic with depictions of a form of human torso connected to the rear half of a fish.

Etymology

The term 'Matsya' is derived from 'matsaya' meaning 'Fish', which itself is derived from 'mad', meaning 'religion', 'counsel', 'knowledge' or 'religious doctrine'. The term 'Matsya' also appears in the Rigveda. It is related to maccha, which also means fish. R. Franco states that etymologically, 'Matsa' means 'gay one' or 'Fish', and is derived from :
The Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary agrees with Franco. According to the Nirukta, an ancient ancillary text to the Vedas:
Sarup, the translator, elaborates for the above section, stating 'Matsyah is derived from √syand and madhu '. The Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary does not seem to agree however, as although 'madhu' does mean 'water', 'syand' means 'to trickle or flow'. The four etymological definitions of 'Matsya' according to the below mentioned sources are therefore:
Matsya is depicted as possessing a horn, and according to the Nirukta:

Symbolism

Cosmogonic creation and dissolution: J. Roy states in the RigVeda, water represents 'the first principle of creation ... Thus, the story of deluge and the fish-god, even though of foreign origin, finds a parallel in the Vedic and Puranic cosmogonic myth, representing the universe emerging out of waters'. In regards to dissolution, Roy adds that in 'the epic and Puranic versions of the legend of deluge, the great flood allegorizes dissolution of the world. The Fish incarnation is thus rightly enumerated as the first incarnation, allegorizing Brahma or Narayana, who creates the world anew after dissolution'.
Astronomy: Roy also states that it 'has been suggested that the boat of Manu and the Fish in the epico-puranic legend allegorically represent the constellation of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor respectively. The legend is construed as pointing to a remote period of antiquity when Alpha Draconis was the Pole Star'.
Sacrifice: N. Aiyangar states that in 'the Rig-veda the idea that Sacrifice is Ship is expressed in many places... As thus Sacrifice is metaphorically called Ship and as Manu means man, the thinker, the story seems to be a parable of the Ship of Sacrifice being the means for man's crossing the sea of his duritas, sins, and troubles'. In regards to Matsya, Auyangar states that the 'Supreme self is found as a small fish... thus cultivated and realised is able to conduct the Ship of Sacrifice across the sea of the Duritas of the selfish world of strife'. Ida is also stated to 'represent here the blessedness of mind-born Śraddhā, Faith'.
Deluge / Historical Fact: T.W. Munro states that the 'deluge, in this land is both astronomically and geologically an accomplished fact'. Munro adds that although the accounts of the deluge were considered 'a merely fanciful tissue of imagination from the brains of fanciful men', one of those incorrectly believing the deluge to be 'fanciful', Sir William Jones, 'very properly corrected his former error' after travelling to India.

The Vedas

J. Roy states that the 'earliest reference to the legend of the fish occurs in the Satapatha Brahmana though not as an incarnation of any particular deity... believed to be of Babylonian origin by many scholars'.

Rig Veda

V. Mani states that the Manu is Vaivasvata, son of the sun-god Vivasvan, grandson of Kasyapa and Aditi, and the seventh of fourteen total Manus of the current Kalpa. M. Dhavamony states that in the RigVeda, the most important hero 'is Manu the first man, the ancestor of the human race and the first sacrificer... He it was who, having kindled the fire, presented the first offering with seven priests to the gods ... Thus manu's sacrifice becomes the prototype and exemplary model of all other sacrifices '.
Notably, the account of Manu's first offering with the Saptarishi - seven sages - also mentions ascending in a 'well-oared heavenly ship'. The belief of Aiyangar in the metaphorical 'ship of sacrifice' is further supported by the Aitareya Brahmana, an exposition of sacrificial rites attached to the RigVeda :

It is also stated that 'Over this earth with mighty step strode Viṣṇu, ready to give it for a home to Manu'. D.M. Knipe states Ida is 'a personification of sacrificial remnants'. J. Dowson elaborates that in 'the RigVeda, Ida is primarily food, refreshment, or a libation of milk; thence a stream of praise, personified as the goddess of speech'. G.M. Williams agrees, stating 'ida was a word for food or refreshment, especially milk... worked metaphorically as the refreshment given to the devas as praise'.
According to the Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, Ida is also synonymous with Ila, as the daughter of Manu, as the Earth, the cow, praise, the goddess of speech, and as the sacrificial offering/libation 'consisting of four preparations of milk, poured into a vessel containing water, and then partially drunk by the priest and sacrificers; personified in the cow, the symbol of feeding, and nourishment'. Notably, Ida/Ila is also stated in the RigVeda to be the mother of King Pururavas, from whom the Pandavas and Kauravas descend. In the following verse, Ida/Ila is associated with sacrifice:

Sama Veda

Yajur Veda

Shukla (White) Yajurveda

In this original account, Manu is approached by a small fish requesting protection, and having reared it to become a ghasha, is warned of an impending flood and instructed to build a ship. After the earth is flooded, the ship is tied with rope to the horn of Matsya, and 'by that means he passed swiftly up to yonder northern mountain'. As the water subsides, Manu performs the pâka-sacrifice, from which "Ida" emerges. "Ida" identifies herself as 'Manu's daughter' when approached by Mitra and Varuna, and explains to Manu that 'Those offerings clarified butter, sour milk, whey, and curds, which thou madest in the waters, with them thou hast begotten me. I am the blessing : make use of me at the sacrifice'. Manu does so to regenerate the human race through sacrifice.
The legend of Matsya rescuing Manu from the flood, taking the ship to the summit of a mountain, and the birth of "Ida" from the pâka-sacrifice - consisting of only the first 10 of 44 verses in this Brahmana - is a prelude to explain the symbolic importance of the ida, the domestic offering in the form of a sacrificial cake. In the practice of the ritual described in the remaining verses, the daughter of Manu is explicitly stated to be 'essentially the same as the Ida' to attain prosperity from a successful sacrifice in the form of cattle and offspring. Linking to academics' claims of Ida representing libations such as milk in the RigVeda, the domestic offering is stated to be milk in the Shatapatha Brahmana. Notably, this first account of the Matsya legend also seems to link directly with the RigVeda :
  • SB 1.8.1.7 'clarified butter gathered in her footprint' and RV 10.70.8 'May Iḷā, she whose foot drops oil...'
  • SB 1.8.1.21 'Hither is called by that which is performed by the seven Hotris ' and RV 10.63.7: 'Ye to whom Manu, by seven priests, with kindled fire, offered the first oblation with his heart and soul...The well-oared heavenly Ship that lets no waters in, free from defect, will we ascend for happiness'.
Y. Bonnefoy states that 'classical India indeed speaks of the "law of the fishes" to designate what we could call the "law of the jungle." The law of the fishes is set against the order imposed by a good king, an order in which the weak are protected from the strong and in which dharma rather than individual force is the organizing principle. Manu, who is in essence the legislator and the father of the traditional royal dynasties, had an obvious connection with royal power'. These claims are supported in texts such as the Ramayana, as illustrated below.
As stated by W.J. Wilkins, Matsya in this account is not ascribed to any particular deity. Aiyangar supposes that the 'Fish that conducts the Ship seems to me to be Agni, the symbol of the all-knowing and all-embracing God... The reason why this Fish is horned may be due to Agni being described as having four horns in , a verse which is repeated daily in Agni-worship.' Eggeling supposes, that in the Taittiriya Samhita 'idâ is represented as a cow, produced by Mitra and Varuna. Perhaps it was this version and the symbolical representation of the idâ as meaning cattle, which suggested the notion of a horned fish, in adapting an older legend'.

Krishna (Black) Yajurveda

This above-quoted verse links directly with the Shatapatha Brahmana and the RigVeda. Macdonell adds that in the Taittiriya Samhita, 'Ida, or personified libation, is represented as a cow'.
Although 'satasphyam' from the above-quoted verse was translated by Keith as 'a hundred spars', Aiyangar translates it as a hundred sphyas, and explains that a 'Sphya is a wooden sword used as a sacrificial instrument'. Both interpretations are correct. Eggeling adds that the 'sphya is a straight sword or knife, a cubit long, carved out of khadira wood... It is used for various purposes calculated to symbolically insure the safe and undisturbed performance of the sacrifice'.

Atharva Veda

In this commentary to the eighth verse of hymn XIX, where a ship rests at the peak of a mountain, Bloomfield states it 'seems difficult to abstain from comparing with this passage certain features of the well-known legend of Manu and the flood' in the account of the Shatapatha Brahmana and the Mahabharata. In regards to the Kushtha-plant mentioned, Bloomfield adds that combined with the RigVeda which 'speaks of pure, most wholesome, and strengthening remedies which 'Father Manu' chose... it seems altogether likely that the two independent legends should blend here in the mind of the poet'.

Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Itihāsa (Epics)

Mahabharata

Although the Matsya Kingdom of the Vedic Period features throughout the Mahabharata, the legend of Matsya the fish occupies a single chapter, narrated by the sage Markandeya to Yudhishthira. In this account, Vaivaswata Manu performs austerities for 10,000 years in the 'jujube forest called Visala' before a small-fish, i.e. Matsya, approaches him on the banks of the Chirini river. Outgrowing a tank 'two yojanas in length and one yojana in width', Matsya is deposited in the Ganges river before outgrowing that and being deposited in the sea, where Manu is warned 'the dissolution of all this mobile and immobile world is nigh at hand' and is instructed to 'build a strong massive ark and have it furnished with a long rope. On that must thou ascend, O great Muni, with the seven Rishis and take with thee all the different seeds which were enumerated by regenerate Brahmanas in days of yore'. As noted by Aiyanger, RigVeda Hymn 10.63 states 'Manu, by seven priests, with kindled fire, offered the first oblation with his heart and soul'; in the same hymn, mention is also made of the 'well-oared heavenly Ship that lets no waters in'.
After the flood, a rope is used to tie the ark to the horns of Matsya where it is taken to safety at the peak of the Himavat. Matsya then identifies itself as Brahma and states 'Manu will create all beings--gods, Asuras and men' before disappearing. Notably, this account does not mention Ida/Ila. Other details include:
  • A description of a sacrifice performed states 'The gods also were gratified at the sacrifice by the Ida, clarified butter, Homa and libations poured by the great Rishis versed in mantras and pronunciation'
  • Yudhishthira describes religion as 'the only raft for those desirous of going to heaven, like a ship to merchants desirous of crossing the ocean'
  • Markandeya states that 'a man's mind is overpowered by any one of these senses running wild, he loses his reason, and becomes like a ship tossed by storms upon the high ocean'

    Ramayana

As evidenced below, the assertion of Bonnefoy that Matsya refers to the "law of the fishes" - equivalent to the "law of the jungle" - in respect to an absence of a monarchy to rule a given land, is fully supported by various versions of the Ramayana. Notably, Manu in the account of Matsya is the father of Ikshvaku, the first king of the Solar Dynasty, of which Prithu and Rama are descendants.

Valmiki version 1

Adhyatma Ramayana

Maha-Puranas

Roy states that a 'comparison of the Mahabharata account with those of the Matsya and Bhagavata Puranas... clear that new elements were gradually brought into the legend and slight changes occasioned so as to allegorize the Brahmanical ideas', adding that all these versions agree in ascribing a horn to Matsya, which adds a 'religious sacredness'.

Agni Purana

R. Dalal describes the Agni Purana as an 'encyclopedic work, which is classified as a SHAIVITE Purana, through is begins with a section on VISHNU, and has several other topics'. As narrated by Agni to the sage Vasistha, in this account, as Manu 'was offering waters of libation in the Krtamala, a small fish came in the waters in his folded palms', seeking protection from crocodiles and others. Growing and being transferred first to a vessel, then to a tank, and then the ocean when finally 'in size extending to a lakh of yojanas', Manu identifies the fish as Vishnu, who warns of the impending flood and instructs him to board a ship with seeds, etc. Notably, this includes being told that he will spend the 'night of Brahma' on the ship while 'being encircled by the seven sages', i.e. the Saptarishi.
After the flood occurs and Manu is on the ship, a serpent - in place of a rope - is used to tie the ship to the horn of Matsya, described as 'one million yojanas in length'. The final verses, rather than narrate the arrival of Manu at the safety at the peak of a mountain or his subsequent sacrificial ritual to produce Ila, instead briefly narrate that Manu 'heard from the fish the Purana known as the Matsya Purana, and that 'Kesava killed the demon Hayagriva, the destroyer of the Vedas of Brahman and thus protected the Vedic mantras'. Other details include:
  • Matsya is listed as the first of the Dashavatara, or ten primary incarnations of Vishnu
  • The Matsya salagrama is described as 'long and has three dots. It is crystalline-coloured... The Sridhara has a garland of wild flowers and five lines and is circular'
  • Images of Vishnu as Matsya 'should be installed in waters'
  • Vishnu resides in 'Kurus in the form of Matsya'
  • Ila is mentioned as the daughter of Manu, mother of Pururavas with Budha, and becoming a male called Sudyumna 'after delivering Pururavas'
  • It is stated the Purusha is 'just like the fish in the water attached and detached'
  • Contemplation of Vishnu should include 'with ear-ring

Bhagavata Purana

The legend of Matsya in the Bhagavata Purana consists of two separate accounts. In the first, as quoted above in its entirety, after the Vedas are stolen by an Asura called Hayagriva, Krishna assumes the form of Matsya to destroy the demon and retrieve the stolen Vedas. This account is very similar to those of the Narada and Garuda Puranas; similar stories involving other demons are also mentioned in the Padma and Skanda Puranas. From the second account, following directly from the first:
The second account occurs at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara with King Satyavrata, stated to 'later became the son of Vivasvān... and was known as Śrāddhadeva. By the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was given the post of Manu'. While performing austerities, a small fish jumps into the King's hands, which he throws back into the river, prompting to fish to request his protection. Doing so, the fish grows as it is first deposited in a water jug, then a well, a lake, and then finally the sea where it expands for 'hundreds of miles'. Recognising the fish as Krishna, Satyavrata is warned of the impending dissolution of the three worlds and instructed to board a boat built for him, taking 'herbs and seeds... the seven ṛṣis and... all kinds of living entities'.
Satyavrata meditates on Krishna until the 'gigantic clouds pouring incessant water swelled the ocean more and more', boards the boat, and 'while the King constantly meditated upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a large golden fish appeared in the ocean of inundation. The fish had one horn and was eight million miles long'. Vasuki is used as a rope. During the journey, Satyavrata praises Krishna, and Krishna - as Matsya - 'explained to King Satyavrata the spiritual science known as sāṅkhya-yoga, the science by which one distinguishes between matter and spirit, along with the instructions contained in the Purāṇas and the saṁhitās'.
The second account is similar to that given in the Matsya Purana, particularly as both Puranas omit the remainder of the original legend from the Shatapatha Brahmana, where Manu is taken to safety by Matsya to a mountain where he consequently performs a sacrifice to produce his "daughter" Ila. Instead, this sacrifice is described in a separate legend, similar to that of the Vishnu Purana, where 'Manu had begun that sacrifice for the sake of getting a son, but because the priest was diverted by the request of Manu’s wife, a daughter named Ilā was born'.

Brahma Purana

The legend of Matsya is only briefly mentioned in the Brahma Purana, as quoted above. O.M. Starza states that Svetamadhava 'to the south of the Blue Mountain... On its banks are the two shrines, those of Matsya Avatara and King Sveta '. He adds that in the Skanda Purana, Vishnu granted Sveta a crystalline image seated in front of Matsya as a reward for asceticism.
Otherwise, it is stated that this 'ocean of worldly existence is painful and utterly full of misery... with passions acting like crocodiles', reminiscent of the account in the Agni Purana where Matsya seeks protection from crocodiles and others.
The Brahma Purana also states that a 'son is the exceedingly splendid ship for those who are about to sink in the ocean of misery'. Ila/Ida is also mentioned as emerging after Manu 'desirous of begetting sons, so performed the sacrifice with Mitra and Varuna as deities... It is said in the Vedas that Ila was born therefrom'. This is consistent of the account of Matsya in the Shatapatha Brahmana. Notably, Ila is also stated to be synonymous with the Earth, carrying out the function of productivity.

Brahmanda Purana

The legend of Matsya does not seem to be mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana. However, a detailed genealogy is provided for Vaivasvata Manu, as well as an account of producing Ila/Ida through performance of a sacrifice, which is almost identical to the account given in the legend of Matsya in the Shatapatha Brahmana. Notably, although the name of the "daughter" of Manu in the Brahmana was 'Ida', in the Brahmanda it is "Ila", thus evidencing claims that Ida and Ila are the same are indeed correct.

Brahmavaivarta Purana

The legend of Matsya does not seem to be mentioned in the Brahmavaivarta Purana. A reference to Matsya found states that this avatar - along with Varaha, Vamana, Kalki, Buddha, and Kapila - is 'the amsa of the lord '.

Garuda Purana

The legend of Matsya does not seem to be mentioned in the Garuda Purana. In addition to the demon Pralamba as quoted above, it is also mentioned that Matsya 'fought with the demon Hayagriva in battle, killed him, redeemed the Vedas, and saved Manu and others'. Notably, Hayagriva is also the name of the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu that recovered the stolen Vedas and returned them to Brahma. Stated to be the tenth overall incarnation of Vishnu at the end of the Cakusa Manvantara that saved Vaivasvata Manu, the seventh and current Manu associated with the legend of Matsya, other details include:
  • Matsya is stated as the first in the Dhashavatara, the ten primary incarnations of Vishnu
  • 'Matsya' is also one of the 1,000 names of Vishnu
  • Ila is mentioned, albeit without reference to the sacrifice of Manu: 'Manu had a daughter Ila of whom Budha begot three sons: Rajas, Rudra and Pururavas. Ila was transformed into a man named Sudyumna. Sudyumna begot three sons - Utkala, Vinata, and Gaya'. The word 'Ila' also signifies the soul

    Kurma Purana

Although the legend of Matsya does not seem to be mentioned in the Kurma Purana, Ila/Ida from the original legend is, albeit without reference to Manu or the performance of a sacrifice to produce her. Ila is stated to have bared sons with Budha, the son of Soma, and having 'transformed as a stainless man' called Sudyumna, also had another three sons called Utkala, Gaya, and Vinatasya. One of the sons of the female Ila with Budha, King Puruavas, is also mentioned.

Linga Purana

The legend of Matsya is only briefly mentioned in the Linga Purana, as quoted above, and as stated by Virabhadra to Nrismha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu. Matsya is also mentioned as one of the 10 primary avatars of Vishnu for the good of the world; other avatars are due to the curse of Bhrgu. Ila is also mentioned as becoming a 'Kimpurusa' called Sudyumna, alternating between being a man and a woman from one month to another; as a woman she bore children with Budha, the son of Soma, including King Pururavas. No mention is made of being produced by the sacrifice of Manu.

Markandeya Purana

Matsya Purana

As stated by the Agni Purana, V. R. R. Dikshitar notes that after the flood, when 'the boat was floating in the dark waters, Vasudeva, in the form of a fish, addressed the Matsya Purana to Manu'. H.H. Wilson adds that the legend of Matsya 'is told in the Mahabharata, with reference to the Matsya as its authority; from which it might be inferred, that the Purana was prior to the poem'. Dalal also states about the Matsya Purana that it 'is one of the older Puranas, and was narrated by LOMAHARSHANA to the rishis in the NAIMISHA forest. It begins with the story of MANU'.
In this account, which consists of the first two chapters, King Vaivasvata, 'after making over his kingdom to his son , devoted himself to rigid asceticism the summit of the Malnya mountain'. After a million years, granted a boon by Brahma, the King requested 'power sufficient for the protection of the whole creation, movable and immovable, when the hour of Pralaya will come'.
Afterwards, while performing Tarpana at his hermitage, a small carp jumps into his hands which as it grows, is first deposited in a jar, then a large pitcher, a well, a tank, the Ganges, and then the ocean where 'it very nearly filled the vast expanse of the great ocean'. Identifying the gigantic fish as Krishna, Manu is warned by Matsya that in 'a few days time, O King, the Universe shall be deluged with water, along with the mountains and forests', adding that the Devas had created a boat to rescue creation which Manu is to take charge of to 'help the distressed' and to tie to His horn if in danger from strong gusts of wind.
, husband of Ila.
The dissolution of the Earth is described to Vaivasvata by Matsya, beginning with no rain for a hundred years, famine as the rays of the sun 'shall become seven times more powerful', and subterranean fire from the thousand mouths of Sesa which will destroy creation, reducing the three worlds to ash. Then 'the seven destructive clouds, viz - Samvarta, Bhimanada, Drona, Chanda, Balahaka, Vidyut Pataka, and Sona, would spring up from the vapours arising out of such a head, and would rain in torrents till all the seas become united in one great mass'. Matsya, before disappearing, also states that at the beginning of re-creation, He will bring back Vedic knowledge. Finally, after performing Yoga, Vaivasvata boards the boat at the time of dissolution, Sesa appears in the shape of a rope, and the horned Matsya reappears to narrate the Matsya Purana.

Ila

Notably, the remainder of the legend from the Shatapatha Brahmana, where Manu is taken to safety by Matsya to a mountain where he consequently performs a sacrifice to produce his "daughter" Ila is not mentioned. Instead it is stated in a separate legend that Vaivasvata had ten sons, 'the eldest of whom was Ila who was born by the performance of putresti sacrifice'. It was Ila - not Iskwaku - who was made King, who then 'started on an expedition of conquest and visited several countries'. Happening to enter Saravana, the pleasure gardens of Shiva who was enjoying conjugal love with His consort Parvati, Ila 'was instantly transformed into a woman, and his horse was transformed into a mare'. Ila - as a woman again - later marries Budha, the son of the Moon.

Narada Purana

It seems the legend of Matsya rescuing Manu from the flood is not narrated in the Narada Purana. Instead, a brief account of Matsya destroying the demon Hayasiras to return the Vedas to Brahma is given, similar to the accounts of the Agni and Garuda Puranas. Notably, worldly existence is described as a 'terrible ocean... Miseries constitute its foams; it is turbulent with furious temperament constituting its sharks and crocodiles. The mundane affairs are its flood of waters; the different kinds of ailments are its waves; it is impassable due to the whirlpool of delusion'. Also notably - especially as virtually identical to the account given in the Brahma Purana - mention is made of visiting the shrines of Matsya and King Sveta. Other details include:
  • It is stated that the legend of Matsya is narrated in the eighth Skandha of the Srimad Bhagavatam,
  • It is stated that the 'Pancami in the bright half of the month of Caitra is called Matsya Jayanti. On this day, the worship of the incarnation of the Lord as fish is to be formed with great festivities, by devotees'
  • In ritual worship, 'a beautiful square-shaped put fourteen Angulas deep should be made and sprinkled with sandal water. After filling it with the milk of cows, the devotee should put in it an image of a fish made of gold and exquisite in every limb, and with eyes constituted of pearls. Uttering the Mantra, 'Obeisance to the great fish' the devotee should worship it with scents and other things and offer it to a Brahmana'
  • Kama has a fish for a banner
  • Matsya is listed as the first of the Dashavatara, or ten primary incarnations of Vishnu

    Padma Purana

There are two accounts of the Matsya legend in Padma Purana. In the first, it is Kasyapa - a Saptarishi synonymous with Kurma - who rears Matsya, not the Manu Vaivasvata. The story itself is in regards to rescuing the Vedas from the demon Sankha, not in regards to protection from the deluge or dissolution of the Earth. It is also the sages that return the Vedas to Brahma, not Vishnu.
In the second account, Kasyapa is stated to have had four wives: Aditi, Diti, Kadru and Vinata. As well as Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakashipu, Diti also gives birth to other demons including Hayagriva and Makara.
It is Makara, through performance of severe penances, who enters into the realm of Brahma, steals the Vedas, and enters 'into the great ocean' with them, causing ruin to the world. Reminiscent of the legend of Kurma, Brahma, 'surrounded by the hosts of all gods, went to the Milky Ocean, and seeking refuge of god ' informs Him of what has happened. Vishnu 'thus addressed by Brahma, resorted to the Fish-form and entered the great ocean' before then adopting the form of a crocodile to kill Makara and return the Vedas, Vedangas, and Upangas to Brahma. Other details include:


  • Ila was created from a sacrifice by Manu to produce a son and alternated between being man for one month and woman in another; made pregnant by Budha
  • Matsya is listed as first in the Dashavatara, the ten primary incarnations of Vishnu
  • 'That stone which is long, has a golden complexion, and adorned with three lines, is known as 'Matsya', and gives the fruit like enjoyments and salvation'
  • It is stated about Vishnu that 'You are the Fish holding the Vedas' and that 'taking the form of a Fish, extracted the Vedas'
  • It is stated 'The third auspicious covering consists of the worlds of Matsya, Kurma, etc.'

    Shiva Purana

The legend of Matsya does not seem to be narrated in the Shiva Purana. Matsya is however listed as first in the Dashavatara, the ten principle avatars of Vishnu. it is also mentioned that Vaivasvata had nine sons, plus a daughter Ila from performance of a sacrifice. Born 'of the parts of Mitra and Varuna', these deities inform Ila that she 'alone will become the son establishing the family of Manu. You will be famous in the three worlds as Sudyumna'.

Skanda Purana

There are several accounts of Matsya in the Skanda Purana. In the first, as quoted above, Vishnu in the form of Matsya destroys the Asura called Damanaka in the ocean, who turns into fragrant Damanaka grass. This story is in relation to the Matsya Jayanti which takes place in Caitra, as related by the Narada Purana. From the second account:
Notably, the second account, as quoted above, is in many respects almost identical to the account in the Padma Purana, with the exception of being nurtured by Kasyapa. In the third account, the Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha steal the Vedas from Brahma and enter 'the great ocean'. Mahadeva - i.e. Shiva, not Vishnu in this account - assumes the form of a Fish, stirs up the ocean, and finds the Vedas in Patala before destroying the Daityas and returning the Vedas to Brahma. Notably, in the Bhagavata Purana, it is Vishnu in the form of Hayagriva who retrieves the Vedas from Madhu and Kaitabha.
The fourth and fifth accounts are brief mentions of Matsya in relation to the legend of the flood and of Manu. In the fourth account Vishnu states ''When you day ends, I shall become a fish and shall support like a boat, the earth along with its medicinal plants, Manus and others'. In the fifth account it is stated 'In order to please Brahma in a former Kalpa, the Lord became a Fish, recovered the Vedas that were immersed in the great sea and handed them over to Brahma'. Elsewhere, it is also stated that at the beginning of a new Kalpa, Vishnu in the form of Matsya taught the Vedas to Brahma. The accounts of Matsya in this Purana are thus primarily concerned with the retrieval or restoration of the Vedas after being stolen by various demons. Other details include:
  • It is stated 'in the morning on Dvadasi day, in the bright half of the month of Margasirsa, the Matsya festival is to be celebrated by the wise'
  • Matsya is stated to be the protector of the Vedas
  • Matsya is listed in the Dashavatara, or ten primary incarnations of Vishnu
  • King Pururavas was the son of Ila ; it is also stated that 'The earth is called Ila'
  • 'Matsya' is one of the thousand names of Vishnu
  • It is stated that the Matsyavahana is the emblem of Parvati

    Varaha Purana

As quoted above, the account of Matsya in the Varaha Purana concerns the retrieval of the Vedas at the beginning of a new Kalpa, where creation begins anew. This occurs after the dissolution of creation at the end of the previous Kalpa, followed by the 'night' of Vishnu / Narayana, which lasts 1,000 Yugas. With the exceptions of verses listing Matsya as first in the Dashavatara, the ten primary incarnations of Vishnu, almost all references to this avatar are in respect to retrieving the lost or stolen Vedas from the ocean.

Vayu Purana

Although there are no notable mentions of Matsya in the Vayu Purana, the account of the birth of Ida at sacrifice of Manu clearly originates from the Shatapatha Brahmana. The account itself is very similar to that of the Brahmanda Purana. Part 2 also contains detailed information on the Manus and Saptarishi.

Vishnu Purana

It seems the legend of Matsya is not narrated in the Vishnu Purana. As quoted above, the aspect of Vaivasvata performing a sacrifice and producing a "daughter" called Ida/Ila from the original legend in the Shatapatha Brahmana is mentioned, albeit as a separate legend and in a modified form; it seems to contain elements also found in the Matsya, Padma, and Skanda Puranas, although Ila being produced due to a mistake by the ministering priest at the sacrifice seems to be shared only with the Bhagavata Purana.

Upa-Puranas

Vishnudharmottara

  • The Ardhacandra Mudra signifies Matsya
  • Images of Matsya should depict Him with a horn
  • The Mantra of Matsya is 'I shall invoke god Matsya moving in the sea. O Matsya deva, the sustainer of the lives of the world, O infallible, kindly come'
  • Men 'desirous of grains' should worship Matsya

    Iconography

Matsya is depicted in two forms: as a zoomorphic fish or in an anthropomorphic form. In the latter form, the upper half is that of the four-armed man and the lower half is a fish. The upper half resembles Vishnu and wears the traditional ornaments and the kirita-makuta as worn by Vishnu. He holds in two of his hands the Sudarshana chakra and a shankha, the usual weapons of Vishnu. The other two hands make the gestures of varadamudra, which grants boons to the devotee, and abhayamudra, which reassures the devotee of protection. In another configuration, he might have all four attributes of Vishnu, namely the Sudarshana chakra, a shankha, a gada and a lotus.
In some representations, Matsya is shown with four hands like Vishnu, one holding the chakra, another the shankha, while the front two hands hold a sword and a book signifying the Vedas he recovered from the demon. Over his elbows is an angavastra draped, while a dhoti like draping covers his hips.
In rare representations, his lower half is human while the upper body is of a fish. The fish-face version is found in a relief at the Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura.
Matsya may be depicted alone or in a scene depicting his combat with a demon. A demon called Shankhasura emerging from a conch is sometimes depicted attacking Matsya with a sword as Matsya combats or kills him. Both of them may be depicted in the ocean, while the god Brahma and/or manuscripts or four men, symbolizing the Vedas, may be depicted in the background.

Comparative mythology

The story of a great deluge is found in many civilizations across the earth. It is often related to the Genesis narrative of the flood and Noah's Ark. The fish motif reminds readers of the Biblical 'Jonah and the Whale' narrative as well; this fish narrative, as well as the saving of the scriptures from a demon, are specifically Hindu traditions of this style of the flood narrative. Similar flood myths also exist in tales from ancient Sumer and Babylonia, Greece, the Maya of Americas and the Yoruba of Africa.
Matsya is believed to symbolise the aquatic life as the first beings on earth. Another symbolic interpretation of the Matsya mythology is, states Bonnefoy, to consider Manu's boat to represent moksha, which helps one to cross over. The Himalayas are treated as a boundary between the earthly existence and land of salvation beyond. The protection of the fish and its horn represent the sacrifices that help guide Manu to salvation. Treated as a parable, the tale advises a good king should protect the weak from the mighty, reversing the "law of fishes" and uphold dharma, like Manu, who defines an ideal king. In the tales where the demon hides the Vedas, dharma is threatened and Vishnu as the divine Saviour rescues dharma, aided by his earthly counterpart, Manu - the king.

Worship

There are very few temples dedicated to Matsya. Prominent ones include the Shankhodara temple in Bet Dwarka and Vedanarayana Temple in Nagalapuram. The Koneswaram Matsyakeswaram temple in Trincomalee is now destroyed. Matsya Narayana Temple, Bangalore also exists.