Countless aeons ago, before the dawn of the resplendent Satya Yuga, humanity had plunged into darkness. The people of the earth had grown corrupt and wayward, consumed by selfishness and relentless greed. Morality had crumbled, chaos reigned, and the world seethed with disorder.
In Chapter 4 verse 8 of the Holy Bhagavad Gita the Lord says, “To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked and to re-establish Dharma I appear age after age.”
With the proliferation of evil the time had come for the Lord to descend to earth and reinstate Dharmic laws. The Lord prepared to take on an avatar, to restore the sacred balance. Lord Vishnu took the form of a tiny fish and began swimming merrily in the clear waters of the river Kritamala.
There lived at that time a good, pious and upright king named Satyavrata. Every day the king Satyavrata, who was a sincere devotee of Lord Vishnu, would go to the river Kritamala to offer obeisance to the Lord. With a heart brimming with faith and longing, he prayed fervently, day after day, beseeching the Lord to grace him with a divine vision of His presence.
One day, as King Satyavrata cupped his hands to lift water from the sacred river, he was startled to find a tiny, glistening fish resting in his palms. Wanting to save the fish the king was about to quickly drop the tiny creature back into the water when to his utter astonishment the little fish popped its head up and spoke to him pleading, “Oh noble king, I beg you protect me! The large fish, in these waters, will surely devour me if they catch sight of me.”
The compassionate King Satyavrata immediately felt protective of this little fish and gently carried it home with him and placed it in a bowl in his palace. The very next morning the fish seemed to have grown too large for the bowl and the kind king noticing its discomfort in the bowl immediately had it moved to the tranquil pond in the palace gardens. To the king’s surprise, the very next day the fish had grown too large for the pond and its tail fin was now over the edge of the pond. Concerned and perplexed, the king had it carefully transported to the vast lake bordering the palace grounds. But yet again, within a single day, the lake too became insufficient to contain the fish, its massive form stretching beyond the waters.
King Satyavrata was absolutely stupefied but unwavering in his care; he had the fish returned to the river Kritamala, hoping the river’s natural flow would offer more space. But by the following morning, even the river proved too narrow for the fish's ever-growing body. With no other recourse, the king finally carried the fish to the mighty ocean, believing that it would find safety and freedom in its vast depths. Yet, as he prepared to leave the ocean shores, the fish gazed up at him with imploring eyes and spoke again: "Oh gentle king, do not abandon me here. Though the ocean is vast, it teems with great sharks, whales, and monstrous fish that would surely swallow me whole."
Satyavrata gazed upon the colossal fish with a serene and benign smile, his eyes reflecting wonder and reverence. “Truly, you are no ordinary fish,” he said, his voice filled with awe. “In mere hours, you have grown to an unimaginable size, stretching hundreds of miles. Such a marvel is beyond anything I have ever seen. It is clear to me now that you are not a mere fish but the divine Lord Vishnu Himself—Lord Narayana—manifest in this extraordinary form. You have revealed yourself to protect and guide the helpless like me. Having shown me your magnificent and celestial form, I humbly beseech you: why have you chosen to take the guise of a fish?”
The great fish spoke again, its voice resonating with divine authority, “I am Lord Vishnu. I have taken this form to test your faith and virtue. Your prayers have reached me, and I know the yearning in your heart to behold me. Now, here I stand before you. Tell me, what is it that you desire?”
Overcome with emotion, tears welled up in Satyavrata’s eyes and streamed down his cheeks. Struggling to find words to express his joy, he finally whispered in a trembling voice, “My Lord, you have already fulfilled my deepest longing. I desire nothing more.”
He bowed low before the Lord and then prostrated himself fully, his heart brimming with devotion. With profound reverence, he began to pray, his words flowing with heartfelt fervor.
It was when the king rose to his feet that the great fish began to reveal His divine plan—a plan to save the world from its descent into wickedness and to restore faith and righteousness.
With a voice both grave and compassionate, the Lord spoke of a mighty flood that would engulf all creation. “A deluge shall come,” He said, “sweeping away life as it is known. The gods, the constellations, and the very fabric of the universe will be submerged. The seven clouds of pralaya (destruction of the world) will unleash torrents of rain that will transform the earth into a boundless ocean.”
The Lord instructed Satyavrata, “In the next seven days, you must build a sturdy and large boat. On this boat, you must take on board one representative of every species of plant, medicinal herb, variety of seed, animal and living creature. Then seek out the seven most holy sages and bring them aboard as well. Once your preparations are complete, await the coming of the rains that I shall send from the heavens.”
Satyavrata bowed his head and with palms joined replied, “Lord, I will carry out your instructions exactly as you have commanded. But tell me—why must mankind suffer such a devastating fate?”
Matsya, the divine avatar of Vishnu, spoke with solemnity. “Mankind has fallen into such depths of evil and corruption that redemption is no longer possible. Their wickedness has sealed their fate,” He continued. “But you, Satyavrata, stand apart—you alone remained righteous and steadfast in virtue. That is why I have chosen to save you. You shall become the progenitor of a new lineage, the father of future generations who will rise anew after the great Pralaya.”
Satyavrata, folded his hands in prayer and prostrated on the shore of the ocean in reverence to the Matsya Avatar of Lord Vishnu. When he opened his eyes Lord Matsya had disappeared into the depths of the mighty ocean.
Satyavrata knowing he had only seven days to complete all the tasks the Lord had assigned him set to work immediately. Just as the Lord had directed he built a massive, sturdy boat, its timbers strong enough to withstand the coming deluge.
He gathered every variety of plant, medicinal herb, seed, animal and living creature, ensuring no life-giving element was overlooked. He then went in search of the holiest saints in the land. Then guided by divine intuition he was led to the seven holy sages. These enlightened men in their profound wisdom recognized the gravity of the king’s request and needed no convincing to join him on the boat. Once they were in the boat the king along with the holy men settled down on mats of kusa grass and went into deep meditation contemplating on the Lord.
On the seventh day, the skies darkened as ominous black clouds gathered, shrouding the heavens in foreboding gloom. Thunder roared with deafening magnitude, shaking the very air, while blinding flashes of lightning tore through the darkness like fiery spears. Moments later, the heavens unleashed their fury as torrents of rain fell in relentless sheets, each drop striking the earth with a fierce intensity.
The floodwaters surged rapidly, rising higher with every passing moment. From the safety of the ark, Satyavrata watched in silence as the world around him disappeared beneath the swelling tides. Cities, forests, and fields vanished, swallowed by the merciless floods.
Yet, amidst all the chaos, Satyavrata’s faith remained unwavering. His heart held firm, his resolve unshaken. Trusting completely in Lord Vishnu, he remained serene in prayer. With devotion as his anchor, he waited patiently in the ark, prepared to heed the Lord’s next command.
It was when the waters had swelled to seemingly dangerous heights that Lord Vishnu in His magnificent Matsya avatar appeared once again from the depths of the tumultuous waters. Then before the kings eyes the colossal fish underwent a wondrous transformation, sprouting a mighty horn at the centre of His head.
The Matsya avatar spoke to the king and instructed, “Secure the boat to my horn using the serpent Vasuki as a rope.”
With unwavering faith, Satyavrata obeyed, securing the boat to the divine horn with Vasuki’s coiled strength. The boat then set sail with Lord Matsya cutting gracefully through the raging flood waters. Under His guidance, the boat sailed steadily, protected and unharmed, through the cataclysmic deluge - the chaos of the world had indeed bowed down in reverence to the will of the Lord.
Despite the raging waters and the stormy skies the sages and the king remained unafraid. The skies churned dark with fury, yet their hearts were steadfast, for they knew they were in the Lord’s care. With unwavering devotion they continued to chant the name of the Lord as they were steered through the heavy waves. The boat rocked violently from side to side but Satyavrata remained resolute in his resolve to follow the Lord’s commands no matter where it led him. He had never questioned the will of the Lord and he never would.
While steering the boat steadily through the terrifying storm the Lord revealed the Vedas and many great truths to King Satyavrata.
Finally after seven days of violent stormy weather the rains began to subside and the skies cleared. The heavens had vented their fury and the rain began to taper off. The dark clouds parted, and the skies cleared to reveal the first light of a calm dawn.
As the storm’s roar faded into silence and the floodwaters began to recede, Satyavrata peered over the edge of the ark. What he saw filled him with awe and sorrow—the world as he had known it had been swept away. Everything had vanished beneath the mighty waters. But amidst the vast, empty expanse, one thing remained untouched - the ark, guided by the hand of Lord Vishnu, had come to rest atop Mount Hemavan, a towering peak in the Himalayas. Safe from the floods, the king, the sages and all the other life forms aboard the ark were sheltered at the summit in divine protection.
There, on the peak of Mount Hemavan, Lord Matsya appeared once more. His form gleamed with radiance, and His presence filled the air with a profound sense of peace. With a final, loving gaze upon the king, Lord Vishnu imparted His last instructions to Satyavrata. He instructed the king on how he was to replenish the earth, restore life, guide this new world with wisdom and righteousness and create a strong moral foundation.
Then just as suddenly as He had appeared in Satyavrata’s cupped palms the Matsya Avatar of Lord Vishnu disappeared without a trace leaving King Satyavrata to reminisce upon the divine blessing he had been fortunate to have received.
The invaluable knowledge imparted by the Lord to the king came to be known as the Satyavratasmriti – the memories of Satyavrata.
Every time there was a disorder in the world beyond the scope of any hope, Lord Vishnu incarnated in one of his many forms to restore order, peace and righteousness. Lord Matsya was his first incarnation.
LIFE LESSONS
1. Like King Satyavrata we too must hold on to our strong, good values even when surrounded by evil.
2. Like King Satyavrata we should continue to pray and have faith in God through all our difficulties.
3. God will always save his devotees
4. If we have faith in God we have no cause to fear.
5. Evil will always be destroyed and the righteousness will be restored – this is the will of God.
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