In the Bhagvatam the story goes thus. One Cycle of Creation, Brahma's day, was about
to be completed and Brahma himself about to fall asleep. When he does so all creation
is dissolved except the Vedas, which are eternal, and outside the Cycle of Creation
and dissolution. They lodge safely inside Brahma's body while he slumbers and are
given back to the universe in the next Cycle of Creation. Unfortunately, Brahma
gave a prodigious yawn and the Vedas flowed out of his lips. He was too sleepy to
notice this catastrophe, but a cunning asura named Hayagriva had been hanging around
observing the process of dissolution and determined to become eternal by any means
necessary. This was his main chance and he literally swallowed it, i.e. gulped the
Vedas down.
He correctly assumed that the eternal nature of the Vedas would rub off on him too
and he was therefore free of the endless cycle of entropy and dissolution, he was
not only immortal he was eternal! This was an unbearable situation as it violated
the cosmic order in no uncertain terms. All that had form had to die someday but
Hayagriva had found a way out. Not only that there was no way he would release the
Vedas into the next Cycle of Creation, he would instantly die as he belonged to
an earlier cycle and could not exist without this extraordinary support system.
He would be like a chunk of anti-matter in the new universe immediately imploding
it to destruction while safe himself because he had the Vedas within him. Not that
it mattered to him. He was asura and could never think of anything beyond his own
immediate personal benefit.
Vishnu determined to flush out this cosmic troublemaker and retrieve the Vedas at
the same time. Hayagriva was skulking around in the depths of the cosmic ocean again
correctly assuming that he would be difficult to find there while the universe was
coming crashing down. (It is truly interesting that the first avatar myth begins
by stating the essential impermanence of the universe Vishnu is dedicated to saving;
it is not a myth of origin or genesis, it is a grim statement that all origins have
endings, ad infinitum. It is a remarkable perspective and not even the Norse
myths have such a take on life). Vishnu being a very efficient personality decided
that this avatar might as well identify the Manu for the next Cycle of Creation
or Kalpa. The Manu is a proto-Adam, responsible for overseeing the first hesitant
stages of all life forms in the new Cycle of Creation and they live for the entire
cycle as some sort of cosmic warden. They re-establish culture and civilization
and above all ensure the Vedas are transmitted to the next Cycle. The Manu
and his wife become the First Parents for each Cycle. Vishnu chose a great and pious
king named Satyavrata to become the next Manu.
When Satyavrata was praying in the traditional manner, waist deep in flowing water,
his cupped handful of the fluid found a little fish inside. The fish spoke to him
and demanded his royal protection from the larger fish. Since Matsyanyaya,
the law of the fish, - or big fish eat little fish and little fish eat littler fish
and so on - has been a metaphor for social governance in India for aeons, Satyavrata
was captivated by the magical talking fish and its reasons for wanting to come out
of the water. He agreed but found out that 'fishy business' did not begin to cover
what was happening. The fish began to grow and grow, pots and drums and tanks and
ponds proving mere stopovers for minutes. The largest lake and the widest rivers
were outgrown in one single day and the harassed king finally led it to the ocean
where he realized it had been Vishnu himself playing this prank on him. One of the
more delightful aspects of Vishnu is his innate Prankster God nature. By himself
Satyavrata had not accumulated enough good karma to deserve to become the next Manu,
but by helping Vishnu out so consistently he accelerated to the head of the list!
The trouble he was put through was a favor Vishnu was doing for this devotee.
Vishnu filled in his devotee on the news that the universe was about to be dissolved
in seven days time. He instructed Satyavrata to build a giant ark, fill it up with
the entire flora and fauna on the earth and meet him again at a designated time.
The Saptarishis or Seven Eternal Sages were his only human companions. While the
pious king was so doing, Vishnu was hunting in the oceans for the Veda stealer.
Hayagriva had chosen the better part of valor and almost managed to elude Vishnu.
However he was found out and the usual thunderous and bombastic combat so beloved
of Sanskrit literature ensued, with Hayagriva being finally torn apart and the Vedas
liberated. This colossal fish form of Vishnu then turned to the problem of the imminent
dissolution of the universe.
The giant fish arrived at the spot glowing with a golden light, it was the only
illumination available as darkness had fallen across the cosmos and the rain had
begun, the torrents of water that would sweep away the tired old creation. For the
entire night, which is the equivalent of one Cycle of Creation, Vishnu towed the
boat, which was tied to a horn he had manifested on his head. During that night
he is supposed to have instructed Satyavrata and the seven sages on all the knotty
problems of existence that plague Man. Unfortunately the teaching was strictly esoteric
and never communicated to the next Cycle of Creation. The basis of the Sankya Philosophy
is supposed to have been communicated in that mother of all night classes and the
Matsya Purana deals with some of the teachings that were deemed allowable for humans
to hear.
That's is more or less the story though some texts, notably the Mahabharatha and
the Satapa Brahmana have a few minor variations. They really do not take away from
the basic idea. The bad guys lose and the universe is saved, Vishnu is back in heaven
and all is well with the world.
|