Vageesh Express

January 2008 Edition

The DASAVATHARAM series

Matsya Avathar – The Fish Incarnation

vedhodhvaravicharamathe, somakadhanavasamharaNe |

meenakaara Shareera namo, harabhaktham the paripalaya maam ||

In order to protect the Vedas and Shasthras, He took the form of a fish!

Lord Vishnu’s first incarnation was Matsya meaning - Fish. This is the reason why Lord Vishnu is depicted as half-fish and half-God in the illustrations of the first avathara. This goes well with the concepts of evolution when the earliest multi-cell living beings were aquatic.

The Purana (Mythological story about the avathar)

Once upon a time, a demon called Hayagriva with the face of a horse stole all the vedas and shasthras from Brahma - the creator, when there was the deluge. He took all those and hid them deep in the sea. When Vishnu learnt about this he took the Matsya Avathar - incarnation as a fish which in time grew in size. When the deluge ended, Vishnu in the form of a huge fish like a whale killed Hayagriva, retrieved the scriptures and returned them to Brahma.

The end of deluge also marked the end of night for Brahma and the beginning of the day. Millions of years of our reckoning form a day and night for Brahma and the Gods. The vedas were returned, and with the beginning of the day, Brahma resumed his task of creation.

All creatures were created equal by the compassionate God. This is why Lord Vishnu is believed to have incarnated in forms other than human as well.

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