॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 25 February 2023 - Srimad Bhagavatam VIII.24- Matsyavatara - Part 1
***
This chapter is the last one in the eighth Skandha. It comes just after the culmination of the wonderful Vamana Avatara episode. Praikshit is all curiosity to hear about the very first Avatara of Maha Vishnu, called the Matsya or the fish. He enquires:
श्रीराजोवाच
भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि हरेरद्भुतकर्मण: । अवतारकथामाद्यां मायामत्स्यविडम्बनम् ॥
यदर्थमदधाद् रूपं मात्स्यं लोकजुगुप्सितम् । तम:प्रकृति दुर्मर्षं कर्मग्रस्त इवेश्वर: ॥
एतन्नो भगवन् सर्वं यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि । उत्तमश्लोकचरितं सर्वलोकसुखावहम् ॥
T: Parikshit asked, " Oh great Sage Shuka Sir! I would like to know from you the astounding story of the very first Avatara that Bhagavan Maha Vishnu assumed, as the Maya Matsya (Surrealistic Fish). The form of the fish is considered lowly indeed as it has almost no intellect or development to survive amidst bigger fishes. It Is a symbol of the bondage of Karma in terms of life's limitations! Then why did Bhagavan become a fish? What was His mission that the world celebrates?"
Now we should pause and consider what we have read so far. Whereas the Varaha Avatara was all strength and splendour in saving the Earth, Narasimha was all terror and might to vanquish the redoubtable Hiranyakashipu. Varaha was a "Mission to Save the Earth". Narasimha was a "Mission to save the Bhakta." Then came Kurma, in a "Mission to save the Balance." Then came Vamana, in a "Mission to restore Order." The Matsya?
This chapter gives Shuka's reply.
At the end of the previous kalpa, an Asura named Hayagriva (not to be confused with Hayagriva Avatara of Vishnu) wanted to take the Vedic knowledge away from Lord Brahma at the time of cosmic dissolution. As Brahma lay down for his epochal slumber, his mouth was open and the Vedas where prised away by Hayagriva from Brahma's open mouth. At dissolution, there was only water, water everywhere, and the Asura hid the Vedas in the water. Therefore Bhagavan took the incarnation of a fish at the beginning of the period of Svāyambhuva Manu and saved the Vedas. He went and destroyed Hayagriva Asura and retrieved the stolen Vedas.
During the reign of Chakshusha Manu, there was a Rajarishi, a king named Satyavrata, who was a great pious ruler. To save him, the Lord appeared as the fish incarnation for a second time. This was also a period of cosmic deluge. King Satyavrata later became the son of the sun god and was known as Śraddhadeva. He was established as Manu by Bhagavan.
To receive the favour of Bhagavan, King Satyavrata engaged in the austerity of subsisting only by drinking water. Once, while performing this austerity on the bank of the KritamalaRiver and offering oblations of water with the palm of his hand, he found a small fish in the water in his cupped palms.
The fish appealed to the king for protection, asking the king to keep him in a safe place. Although the king did not know that the small fish was Bhagavan Himself, yet, as a Dharmic king, he gave shelter to the fish and kept Him in a water jug. The fish, none other than an Avatara of Maha Vishnu, wanted to show His potency to King Satyavrata, and thus He immediately expanded His body in such a way that He could be no longer kept in the jug of water. The king then put the fish in a big well, but the well was also too small. Then the king put the fish in a lake, but the lake was also unsuitable. Finally, the king put the fish in the sea, but even the sea could not accommodate Him.
It is interesting that the fish said this to the king:
क्षिप्यमाणस्तमाहेदमिह मां मकरादय: । अदन्त्यतिबला वीर मां नेहोत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥
T: "Oh, King! The ocean is a very unsafe place for me! There are shark whales who will eat me up! Please don't cast me into the ocean!"
The king was already dumbstruck by this Surreal Fish, Matsya. He begged, " Sir, who are You? Please reveal Yourself. My Lord, in one day You have expanded Yourself for hundreds of miles, covering the water of the river and the ocean. Before this, I had never seen or heard of such an aquatic animal."
The king no longer needed an answer. He intuited that this was Bhagavan incarnated as Matsya in answer to his prayers! Satyavrata ardently prayed to Bhagavan. We shall see that tomorrow.
Do you realise that in this Avatara, Bhagavan came as an insignificant, lowly, creature in "the Mission to invoke Karuna"!?
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
