Agnipurana 2: dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ

2.p1

matsyāvatāravarṇanam

2.p2

vasiṣṭha uvāca

2.1

matsyādirūpiṇaṃ viṣṇuṃ vrūhi sargādikāraṇam
purāṇaṃ brahma cāgneyaṃ yathā viṣṇoḥ purā śrutam

Vasiṣṭha said:
Tell of Viṣṇu in the form of the Fish and others, the cause of creation and the rest,
and the Āgneya Purāṇa, which is brahman, just as was heard formerly from Viṣṇu.

2.2

agniruvāca
matsyāvatāraṃ vakṣye'haṃ vasiṣṭha śṛṇu vai hareḥ
avatārakriyā duṣṭanaṣṭyai satpālanāya hi

Agni said:
I shall speak of the Fish incarnation of Hari; listen, Vasiṣṭha!
For the act of incarnation is for the destruction of the wicked and the protection of the good.

2.3

āsīdatītakalpānte brāhmo naimittiko layaḥ
samudropaplutāstatra lokā bhūrādikā mune

At the end of the past kalpa, there was the occasional dissolution pertaining to Brahmā;
there, O sage, the worlds beginning with the earth were submerged by the ocean.

2.4

manurvaivasvatastepe tapo vai bhuktimuktaye
ekadā kṛtamālāyāṃ kurvato jalatarpaṇam

Manu Vaivasvata performed ascetic austerity indeed for worldly enjoyment and liberation.
Once, as he was making a water oblation in the Kṛtamālā river,

2.5

tasyāñjalyudake matsyaḥ svalpa eko'bhyapadyata
kṣeptukāmaṃ jale prāha na māṃ kṣipa narottama

into the water in his hollowed palms a small fish came.
To him who wished to throw it into the water, it said: 'Do not throw me, O best of men!

2.6

grāhādibhyo bhayaṃ me'tra tacchrutvā kalaśo'kṣipat
sa tu vṛddhaḥ punarmatsyaḥ prāha taṃ dehi me bṛhat

Today I fear crocodiles and the like.' Hearing that, he placed it in a jar.
That fish, however, having grown, said to him again: 'Give me a large

2.7

sthānametadvacaḥ śrutvā rājā'thodañcane'kṣipat
tatra vṛddho'bravīd bhūpaṃ pṛthu dehi padaṃ mano

place.' Hearing these words, the king then cast it into a water vessel.
There, having grown, it said to the king: 'Give me a wide place, O Manu!'

2.8

sarovare punaḥ kṣipto vavṛdhe tatpramāṇavān
ūce dehi bṛhatsthānaṃ prākṣipaccāmbudhau tataḥ

Cast then into a lake, it grew to the measure of that [lake].
It said: 'Give me a large place.' Then he threw it into the ocean.

2.9

lakṣayojanavistīrṇaḥ kṣaṇamātreṇa so'bhavat
matsyaṃ tamadbhutaṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitaḥ prābravīnmanuḥ

In merely an instant, it became one hundred thousand yojanas wide.
Seeing that wondrous fish, Manu, astonished, spoke:

2.10

ko bhavānnanu vai viṣṇurnārāyaṇa namostu te
māyayā mohayasi māṃ kimarthaṃ tvaṃ janārdana

'Who are you? Surely you are Viṣṇu! O Nārāyaṇa, praise be to you!
Why do you delude me with your māyā, O Janārdana?'

2.11

manunokto'bravīnmatsyo manuṃ vai pālane ratam
avatīrṇo bhavāyāsya jagato duṣṭanaṣṭaye

Addressed by Manu, the Fish spoke to Manu, who was devoted to protection:
'I have descended for the welfare of this world, and for the destruction of the wicked.

2.12

saptame divase tvabdhiḥ plāvayipyati vai jagat
upasthitāyāṃ nāvi tvaṃ bījādīni vidhāya ca

On the seventh day, the ocean will indeed inundate the world.
When a boat has arrived, having placed seeds and other things in it,

2.13

saptarṣibhiḥ parivṛto niśāṃ brāhmīṃ cariṣyasi
upasthitasya me śṛṅge nibadhnīhi mahāhinā

surrounded by the Seven Sages, you will traverse the night of Brahmā.
Bind [the boat] to the horn of me who have arrived, with a great serpent.'

2.14

ityuktvāntarddadhe matsyo manuḥ kālapratīkṣakaḥ
sthitaḥ samudra udvele nāvamāruruhe tadā

Having spoken thus, the Fish vanished. Manu, awaiting the time,
stayed [there]. Then, when the ocean overflowed, he boarded the boat.

2.15

ekaśṛṅgadharo matsyo haimo niyutayojanaḥ
nāvaṃ babandha tacchṛṅge matsyākhyaṃ ca purāṇakam

The Fish, bearing a single horn, golden, one million yojanas [in length],

2.16

śuśrāva matsyātpāpaghnaṃ saṃstuvanstutibhiśca tam
brahmavedapraharttāraṃ hayagrīvañca dānavam

he heard from the Fish, which destroys sin, praising him with hymns of praise.
And the Dānava Hayagrīva, who had stolen the Vedas of Brahmā,

2.17

avadhīdvedamantrādyān pālayāmāsa keśavaḥ
prāpte kalpe'tha vārāhe kūrmmarūpo'bhavaddhariḥ

Keśava slew; he protected the Vedas, the Fish, and the others.
Then, when the Vārāha kalpa arrived, Hari assumed the form of the Tortoise.

2.17.p1

ityādimahāpurāṇe āgneye matsyāvatāro nāma dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ