Chapter 2
मत्स्यावतारवर्णनम
Agni Purana, Chapter 2: matsyāvatāravarṇanam
Shlokas (17)
+ Add ShlokaChapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 1
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 1
मत्स्यादिरूपिणं विष्णुं ब्रूहि सर्गादिकारणम । पुराणं ब्रह्म चाग्नेयं यथा विष्णोः पुरा श्रुतम ।।
matsyādirūpiṇaṃ viṣṇuṃ brūhi sargādikāraṇam | purāṇaṃ brahma cāgneyaṃ yathā viṣṇoḥ purā śrutam ||
Describe Vishnu in the form of Matsya, the cause of creation; tell the Purāṇa, Brahma, and Agni as told earlier about Vishnu.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 2
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 2
मत्स्यावतारं वक्ष्ये ऽहं वसिष्ठ शृणु वै हरेः । अवतारक्रिया दुष्ट-नष्ट्यै सत्पालनाय हि ।।
matsyāvatāraṃ vakṣye 'haṃ vasiṣṭha śṛṇu vai hareḥ | avatārakriyā duṣṭa-naṣṭyai satpālanāya hi ||
I shall declare the Matsya-avatar of Vishnu — listen, Vasiṣṭha — for the act of incarnation is to destroy the wicked and to protect the good.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 3
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 3
आसीदतीतकल्पान्ते ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिको लयः । समुद्रोपप्लुतास्तत्र लोका भूरादिका मुने ।।
āsīdatītakalpānte brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ | samudropaplutāstatra lokā bhūrādikā mune ||
At the end of a past kalpa Brahman dissolved incidentally; the oceans overflowed there — O sage, the worlds from Bhūrita and below were submerged.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 4
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 4
मनुर्वैवस्वतस्तेपे तपो वै भुक्तिमुक्तये । एकदा कृतमालायां कुर्वतो जलतर्पणं ।।
manurvaivasvatastepe tapo vai bhuktimuktaye | ekadā kṛtamālāyāṃ kurvato jalatarpaṇaṃ ||
Manu Vaivasvata performed austerities for enjoyment and liberation; once, making a garland, while offering water (to the dead).
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 5
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 5
तस्याञ्जल्युदके मत्स्यः स्वल्प एको ऽभ्यपद्यत । क्षेप्तुकामं जले प्राह न मां क्षिप नरोत्तम ।।
tasyāñjalyudake matsyaḥ svalpa eko 'bhyapadyata | kṣeptukāmaṃ jale prāha na māṃ kṣipa narottama ||
A small fish approached that water offered in reverence and said: 'I wish to be cast into the water; do not throw me away, O best of men.'
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 6
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 6
ग्राहादिभ्यो भयं मे ऽद्य तच छ्रुत्वा कलशे ऽक्षिपत । स तु वृद्धः पुनर्मत्स्यः प्राह तं देहि मे वृहत ।।
grāhādibhyo bhayaṃ me 'dya tac chrutvā kalaśe 'kṣipat | sa tu vṛddhaḥ punarmatsyaḥ prāha taṃ dehi me vṛhat ||
Fearing being seized, he heard that and threw the pot; but the old fish again said: 'Give me a large (place).'
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 7
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 7
स्थानमेतद्वचः श्रुत्वा राजाथोदञ्चने ऽक्षिपत । तत्र वृद्धो ऽब्रवीद्भूपं पृथु देहि पदं मनो ।।
sthānametadvacaḥ śrutvā rājāthodañcane 'kṣipat | tatra vṛddho 'bravīdbhūpaṃ pṛthu dehi padaṃ mano ||
Hearing these words he threw (it) from the royal bathing place; there the old man said: 'O king, give me a broad footing of mind.'
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 8
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 8
सरोवरे पुनः क्षिप्तो ववृधे तत्प्रमाणवान । ऊचे देहि वृहत स्थानं प्राक्षिपच्चाम्बुधौ ततः ।।
sarovare punaḥ kṣipto vavṛdhe tatpramāṇavān | ūce dehi vṛhat sthānaṃ prākṣipaccāmbudhau tataḥ ||
Cast again into the lake he rose to his former measure. He said: ‘‘Put down a broad place; then cast (it) before into the waters.’’
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 9
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 9
लक्षयोजनविस्तीर्णः क्षणमात्रेण सो ऽभवत । मत्स्यं तमद्भुतं दृष्ट्वा विस्मितः प्राब्रवीन मनुः ।।
lakṣayojanavistīrṇaḥ kṣaṇamātreṇa so 'bhavat | matsyaṃ tamadbhutaṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitaḥ prābravīn manuḥ ||
In an instant he became spread across a hundred yojanas. Seeing that wondrous fish, astonished Manu said,
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 10
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 10
को भवान ननु वै विष्णुर नारायण नमोस्तुते । मायया मोहयसि मां किमर्थं त्वं जनार्दन ।।
ko bhavān nanu vai viṣṇur nārāyaṇa namostute | māyayā mohayasi māṃ kimarthaṃ tvaṃ janārdana ||
Who indeed are you? Surely you are Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa — salutations to you. You delude me by māyā; why do you, O Janārdana, do this?
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 11
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 11
मनुनोक्तो ऽब्रवीन्मत्स्यो मनुं वै पालने रतम । अवतीर्णो भवायास्य जगतो दुष्टनष्टये ।।
manunokto 'bravīnmatsyo manuṃ vai pālane ratam | avatīrṇo bhavāyāsya jagato duṣṭanaṣṭaye ||
The fish, cited by Manu, said: I am devoted to protecting Manu. I have descended for the world’s welfare and to destroy the wicked.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 12
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 12
सप्तमे दिवसे त्वब्धिः प्लावयिष्यति वै जगत । उपस्थितायां नावि त्वं वीजादीनि विधाय च ।।
saptame divase tvabdhiḥ plāvayiṣyati vai jagat | upasthitāyāṃ nāvi tvaṃ vījādīni vidhāya ca ||
On the seventh day the ocean will surely inundate the world. You, being present on the ship, sow the seeds and set things in order.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 13
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 13
सप्तर्षिभिः परिवृतो निशां ब्राह्मीं चरिष्यसि । उपस्थितस्य मे शृङ्गे निबध्नीहि महाहिना ।।
saptarṣibhiḥ parivṛto niśāṃ brāhmīṃ cariṣyasi | upasthitasya me śṛṅge nibadhnīhi mahāhinā ||
Surrounded by the seven sages, you will wander the night as a Brahmin. Bind with great force the horn of him who stands before me.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 14
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 14
इत्युक्त्वान्तर्दधे मत्स्यो मनुः कालप्रतीक्षकः । स्थितः समुद्र उद्वेले नावमारुरुहे तदा ।।
ityuktvāntardadhe matsyo manuḥ kālapratīkṣakaḥ | sthitaḥ samudra udvele nāvamāruruhe tadā ||
Thus spoken, the fish placed himself within and Manu waited for the appointed time. When the ocean rose, he then boarded the boat.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 15
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 15
एकशृङ्गधरो मत्स्यो हैमो नियुतयोजनः । नावम्बबन्ध तच्छृङ्गे मत्स्याख्यं च पुराणकम ।।
ekaśṛṅgadharo matsyo haimo niyutayojanaḥ | nāvambabandha tacchṛṅge matsyākhyaṃ ca purāṇakam ||
The fish had one horn and was golden, measureless in yojanas. The boat was tied to that horn — that ancient one called Matsya.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 16
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 16
शुश्राव मत्स्यात्पापघ्नं संस्तुवन स्तुतिभिश च तं । ब्रह्मवेदप्रहर्तारं हयग्रीवञ्च दानवं ।।
śuśrāva matsyātpāpaghnaṃ saṃstuvan stutibhiś ca taṃ | brahmavedaprahartāraṃ hayagrīvañca dānavaṃ ||
They heard the sin-destroying fish and praised him with hymns. He who upended the Vedas, Hayagriva the demon, was also praised.
Chapter 2 — matsyāvatāravarṇanam — Verse 17
Agni Purana · Chapter 2 · Verse 17
अवधीत, वेदमत्स्याद्यान पालयामास केशवः । प्राप्ते कल्पे ऽथ वाराहे कूर्मरूपो ऽभवद्धरिः ।।
avadhīt, vedamatsyādyān pālayāmāsa keśavaḥ | prāpte kalpe 'tha vārāhe kūrmarūpo 'bhavaddhariḥ ||
He subdued the fish and others and Keshava protected them. At the end of the kalpa, when the boar appeared, the bearer assumed the tortoise form.