Articles on Spiritual Books | Vedic Cosmos

A trend in today’s expression of Hinduism has been to take offence to criticism and to deem certain depictions demeaning. In so doing, the present-day “Hindus” seem to be forgetting their true roots, which is to accept criticism freely and to benefit from them. The Vedic tradition has always encouraged healthy scepticism and constructive criticism as a vital aspect of a robust intellectual engagement with reasoned beliefs. Similarly, no aspect of creation has been traditionally deemed too base for it to represent the Absolute. Essentially, no sentiment was considered hurtful to the “Hindu sentiment” as has been the trend in modern times for there was no conceivable conception that could be rejected as something other than the Supreme. After all, the tradition maintains staunchly that anything and everything in creation, be it good, bad, or ugly, is animated by the Supreme and is non-different from it. प्रलयपयोधिजले धृतवानसि वेदम्। विहितवहित्रचरित्रमखेदम्॥ केशव धृतमीनशरीर जय जगदीश हरे॥ pralayapayodhijale dhṛtavānasi vedam| vihitavahitracaritramakhedam|| keśava dhṛtamīnaśarīra jaya jagadīśa hare|| O’ Keśava, O’ Hari, the lord of the universe, and O’ bearer of the form of a fish! You retrieved the Vedas, the immaculate narration of the essence of creation, (from) the ocean of cataclysmic deluge; victory unto you! - Gītagovindam, 1.1 Fish are considered tāmasic in nature and are hence avoided by those aspiring to master the senses and channelising the intellect towards spiritual evolution. However, lord Viṣṇu assumed the form of this deplorable creature for a mission no less than protecting the venerated Vedas. The tradition seems to be egging man to the notion – “If a thing is conceived of and created, it cannot but be a reflection of the Supreme.” It is this all-embracing attitude that sets apart Sanātana-dharma, and this is the aspect that must never be lost sight of in the modern-day when the world is increasingly embroiled in divisive religious ideologies. Parīkṣit, the grandson of Arjuna, was equally perplexed upon hearing the lord assuming the form of a fish. He asked sage Śuka, his preceptor, “O’ venerable sage! Why did the Supreme being, choose to assume the form of a fish? After all, a fish is said to be dominated by tamas. The Supreme is not bound by the bonds of karma. Why then did he choose this lowly creature that is looked down upon as repulsive? Please explain to me in detail for great is my desire to know.” The son of the great Vyāsa was delighted by the question. With his eyes dancing with joy, he began elaborating the anecdote of the wondrous fish that was the Supreme being. The wise Śuka explained, “O’ Parīkṣit! The Supreme being assumes various forms to safeguard the Vedas and to protect the noble. There is nothing venerable to him and nothing deplorable for he encompasses everything in creation. He perceives no distinctions and thus, is neither repulsed nor attracted.” Said sage Śuka further, उच्चवचेषु भूतेषु चरन् वायुरिवीश्वरः। नोच्चावचत्वं भजते निर्गुणत्वाद्धियो गुणैः॥ uccavaceṣu bhūteṣu caran vāyurivīśvaraḥ| noccāvacatvaṁ bhajate nirguṇatvāddhiyo guṇaiḥ|| “(Although) coursing like air through (the bodies) of beings that are exalted and lowly, the Supreme one does not (himself) attain to exaltedness nor diminution owing to the attributes (of these beings he touches) as He is beyond attributes.” - Śrīmadbhāgavata, 8.24.6 Having explained this subtle fact about the Matsyāvatāra, sage Śuka began narrating the circumstances of the actual avatāra. He said, “O’ Parīkṣit, there was a pious king by name Satyavrata, who ruled over the Southern land during the previous kalpa. An ardent devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, King Satyavrata stood in the waters of the sacred river, Kritamālā, once, lost in thoughts of the lord. His eyes closed in blissful meditation of the Supreme, Satyavrata gathered water in his cupped hands and began making offerings when he noticed a tiny fish in his cupped hands. Not giving much thought to the fish, Satyavrata opened his fingers to release the water along with the fish back into the rives. To his utter amazement, the fish called out to Satyavrata in a piteous tone and began pleading with him. Just as Satyavrata looked on stunned, the fish said to him, ‘O’ valiant king! The world glorifies that you are a compassionate king who protects the helpless and the meek. When this is the case, I do not understand why you release me back into these frightening waters riddled with danger. O’ king, how am I to survive the vast ocean where larger fish devour meek and small ones such as myself?’ The piteous pleas of the fish moved Satyavrata to compassion. Unaware of who the tiny fish really was, Satyavrata resolved to protect it. The king had no idea that this seemingly tiny fish was, in reality, none other than lord Nārāyaṇa himself. Satyavrata placed the tiny fish in his water pot and bore the pot back to his kingdom. Nestling the pot in a secure corner, the king retired for the day. To his utter consternation, Satyavrata found that the tiny fish had outgrown the pot by the next morning. Cramped for space, the fish said to the king, ‘This is a rather tiny pot, making my life here very uncomfortable. O’ king, I request you to build a vessel large enough to house me.’ Surprised but not thinking much about the sudden burgeoning in size, the king had the fish placed in a larger vessel right away. However, the moment the fish was placed in the new vessel, it grew to become larger than the vessel and said to Satyavrata, ‘O’ Merciful king! This space too is insufficient for me to live comfortably. I have taken refuge in you, and it behoves you to make me comfortable.’ Satyavrata was perplexed now. He resolved that no vessel would do for this fish and decided to release it into a pond. He picked the fish up and released it into a pond nearby. However, no sooner than the fish was released into the pond, it grew in proportion to fill the entire pond. Looking up at Satyavrata innocently, the fish said, ‘It is obvious that a pond is not sufficient for a creature such as myself. Please find me a waterbody, the size of which can accommodate my body.’ Urged by the mysterious fish thus, Satyavrata moved it from the pond to a large lake, O’ Parīkṣit. Despite the vast expanse of the lake, the ever-burgeoning body of the fish could not be contained in the lake. Satyavrata then moved the fish from one perennial lake to another and was yet unsuccessful in finding a waterbody large enough. At his wit’s end, Satyavrata decided to consign the fish to the unending expanses of the ocean. He marched towards the ocean, fish in hand, but was stalled by the mysterious fish yet again. Said the fish to the king, ‘Mighty king, it does not behove you to cast me into the waters of this ocean. Should you cast me in the ocean and leave, sharks and the likes will eat me alive.’ Satyavrata was not fooled by the fish this time. He recognised that the fish could be no ordinary being and wondered who it could be. Mulling over the curious experience, Satyavrata said slowly, ‘Nowhere have such powers been heard of in a fish. Please tell me who you are and how, in a trice, you burgeoned in size to fill a pond that spanned a hundred yojanas1 in circumference. My heart believes firmly that you are none other than the Supreme being, Hari. You must have assumed the form of a fish for the benefit of the universe.’ 1 A unit of measure of distance that equals approximately 12-15 kilometre. Satyavrata said further, ‘O’ Supreme being! Salutations to you. You are the creator, the sustainer, and the annihilator of the universe. It is clear that you assume a myriad form for the delight of your ardent devotees. I believe that you have appeared before me in this form as a reward for my devotion. Quench my curiosity for details and explain to me why exactly you have descended in this form today.’ Hearing Satyavrata plead thus, the fish replied, ‘Naimittika-pralaya will occur in seven days from today2, O’ king. When heaven, earth, and the nether world below are engulfed in a cataclysmic deluge, I shall direct a ship in your way. Prepare a stock representative of all creatures of the earth by collecting the seeds of all trees and creatures beforehand. When the ship approaches you during the deluge, board the ship along with the stock of seeds and the Saptarṣis. The effulgence emanating from the Saptarṣis will guide you through the deluge. When you are tossed about in the deluge of the ferocious tempest, I shall appear before you as a fish that has an antenna-like appendage on its head. You will then tie your ship to my antenna-like appendage using the celestial serpent, Vāsukī, as the cord. O’ Satyavrata! I shall protect you and the seven seers until the naimittika-pralaya ends. While abroad that ship, I shall also initiate you in the highest truth.’” Sage Śuka continued, “O’ Parīkṣit! The fish disappeared with these words, leaving Satyavrata stunned. Snapping out of his daze, the king hastened to collect seeds as commissioned by the lord and eagerly awaited the onset of pralaya. At the end of seven mortal days, the day of lord Brahmā’s drew to an end3. Exhausted, Brahmā prepared to retire for the day when the Vedas that resided in his mouth slipped out and fell. The wicked Hayagrīvāsura, who stood nearby, grabbed the sacred Vedas in his hands and galloped away with them. In the meantime, as foretold by the lord, the cataclysmic waves flooded the three lower worlds. 2 Naimittika-pralaya is a periodical cataclysm that occurs when the creator, lord Brahmā falls asleep. In Naimittika-pralaya, the lower worlds alone are destroyed, unlike in total cataclysm when all creation ceases and is returned to the state of non-existence. 3 Refer to a previous article that explains mortal time in relation to celestial time - Pralaya – The End Of Time https://vediccosmos.com/pralaya-the-end-of-time/ The mortal world was inundated in a cataclysmic deluge as predicted by the lord and utter chaos ensued. Fear gripped mortal beings as colossal waves lashed the earth mercilessly. Satyavrata alone was unperturbed even amidst the chaos. His mind fixed on the lord, he prepared a seat of dūrva grass and sat upon it facing the north. Meditating upon the lotus-feet of lord Nārāyaṇa, he recalled the instructions of the lord. Just as he recollected the words of the lord, a ship drew near him. Grabbing the seeds of creation in his hands, the king climbed aboard the ship along with the Saptarṣis. Within a short while, the form of the amazing fish became visible. It was golden of hue and was a hundred-thousand yojana in size. Upon its handsome head was an antenna-like projection. Recalling the instructions of the lord, the king fastened the ship to the projection with Vāsukī as the cord. Overcome with love and gratitude, Satyavrata began glorifying the lord who presented himself in the form of a wondrous fish. He said, ‘Compassionate one! Men lose touch with their inner reality and become subjected to suffering in the materialistic world. They foolishly look upon other ignorant men as their preceptors. We, O’ compassionate one, surrender unto you, however. Rid us of ignorance by becoming our preceptor. O’ grantor of liberation! Please enlighten us on the nature of the eternal spirit. Please reveal your true form to us.’ Pleaded with earnestness thus, the merciful Śrīman-nārāyana began imparting the knowledge of the Ātman to Satyavrata. O’ son of Abhimanyu! The instructions of the lord took the form of the great Matsyapurāṇa. This great treatise is filled with teachings on devotion (bhakti), wisdom (jñāna) and dedicated service (karma). O’ Parākṣit, after having enlightened Satyavrata, the wondrous Matsyāvatāra vanquished the wicked Hayagrīvāsura and retrieved the Vedas. In the interim, the night of Brahmā drew to a close and he arose the following morning oblivious to the loss of the Vedas. Even before he could come to the recognition of the horrific transpiration, the wondrous Matsyāvatāra handed Brahmā, the invaluable Vedas. Thus not only had the lord protected the Vedas in his form as a lowly fish, but he had also ensured the continuation of creation by having Satyavrata preserve the seeds of all created beings. प्रलयपयसि धातुः सुप्तशक्तेर्मुखेभ्यः श्रुतिगणमपनीतं प्रत्युपादत्त हत्वा। दितिजमकथयद्यो ब्रह्म सत्यव्रतानां तमहमखिलहेतुं जिह्ममीनं नतोऽस्मि॥ pralayapayasi dhātuḥ suptaśaktermukhebhyaḥ śrutigaṇamapanītaṁ pratyupādatta hatvā| ditijamakathayadyo brahma satyavratānāṁ tamahamakhilahetuṁ jihmamīnaṁ nato'smi|| I bow before him, the basis of all (of creation), who is in the guise of fish, who had slain the son of Diti (Hayagrīvāsura) and restored the stolen collection of the Vedas to the creator, Brahmā, from whose mouth they fell into the (cataclysmic) deluge as he slumbered, and who initiated Satyavrata in (the esoteric knowledge of) the Ātman. - Śrīmadbhāgavata, 8.24.61

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