In Sanatan Dharma, Lord Vishnu Perumal is known to be the preserver of the universe. That’s why he is called Perumal, the great one who preserves the universe. According to the Vishnu Purana, a sacred book in the Hindu Puranas, Lord Vishnu has taken many avatars in order to save the universe from evil, bad, or wrong. Of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, 9 are more famous. One more is yet to come, which is the 10th one, known as Kalki.
Matsya Avatar
Matsya Vishnu is known to be the 1st avatar of Lord Vishnu. One famous story of Matsya’s avatar you all must have watched on television. This is the narrative of the beginning of the Satya Yuga. Vaivasvata Manu, a sage who is thought to be the first person to ever live on earth, was performing his religious rites in the Badri forest along the banks of the Cherivi river.
A little fish appeared coming out of the river as Manu was doing his rituals. The fish begged him for protection, pledging to guard him against the approaching flood in the future. Manu kept the fish, but ultimately, it began to grow up rapidly. He moves the fish to the water tank, then the river, and finally, Manu lets him go into the ocean, before realizing it was Lord Vishnu in the avatar of Matsya.
Manu was then warned by Lord Vishnu about the demon Hayagriva, who stole the Vedas, and of impending global devastation (floods and fire). To ensure everyone’s safety, Lord Vishnu instructed Manu to construct a boat and board it with seven sages (Saptarishi) and herbs and seeds that are important.
On the day of the flood, Lord Vishnu guided them to be secure by manifesting as a gigantic fish with a large horn. Lord Vishnu ultimately gave Manu the Vedas so that he might use them for the betterment of humanity.
Another Story of Matsya Avatar
One of the many stories about the Matsya Avatar of Lord Vishnu is this: A demon by the name of Hayagriva formerly lived there. The Sage Kashyapa and his wife, Danu, were his parents. When it came to humanity, people praised the guru Kashyapa, while Hayagriva was the complete opposite.
Demon Hayagriva was selected as the Danav Raj (king of the demons). And his only goal was to prevent humanity from surpassing the Danavs in strength. Hayagriva sought to elevate the Danav clan to the position of supremacy. He thus made numerous attempts to obstruct the advancement of the human class.
He also decided to steal the four Vedas. And when he discovered that Lord Vishnu Perumal had given the four Vedas to Lord Brahma, he decided to steal them to prevent the holy books from reaching the people.
The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda were successfully taken from Brahmaloka by Hayagriva. Lord Vishnu consequently manifested as a fish to save the Vedas from his grasp.
Why Did Vishnu Incarnate In The Body of A Matsya?
It is the divine Leela of Bhagvan to show to the world that all forms are His. Additionally the universe was going to be submerged into waters so Vishnu became Matsya. As Matsya, Vishnu protected Vedas, Manu, Shatarupa, the Saptarishis, and one set of other living beings to preserve them during dissolution. He kept cruising the waters while protecting Manu and others for the entire span of pralaya (cosmic dissolution).
Eventually when pralaya was over he handed down the Vedas to Brahma and imparted to Manu the knowledge of dharma needed to rule the next world as a righteous king. That knowledge is preserved in Matsya Purana.
Illustration of Matsya Avatar and Lord Vishnu
The avatar of Srinivasa Vishnu, Matsya, may be expressed as a giant fish, often golden in color with a horn on its head, or as half human and half fish, with the torso of Vishnu connected to the rear half of a fish.
The Shatapatha Brahmana contains the earliest description of Matsya, in which Matsya is not linked to any particular deity. Lord Vishnu is always portrayed as wearing a big crown on his head and having four arms, in which his two upper arms sport Shankha (conch) and Chakra (disc).
Both of his lower hands are displayed in the Varada (boon-giving) pose, with the other one artfully perched on his thigh. Positions are changed. Sometimes, Lord Vishnu is portrayed as resting on his serpent bed. In some pictures, he is painted in a standing position, as you can see in Vishnu – Venkateshwara Art Print.
Conclusion
Matsya Vishnu was Lord Vishnu’s first avatar. He has undergone countless avatars to preserve the universe, according to the Vishnu Purana, a holy text in the Hindu dharmic texts.
As Matsya, Vishnu slew Hayagreeva and recovered Vedas from him, protected the seeds of the next generation of beings, along with their to-be king – Manu and the wise Saptarishis thereby preserving the core elements of the next civilisation.
