Narratives from the Matsya Purāṇa

In the Matsya Purāṇa, Śiva fights Andhakāsura at Mahākālavana, creates the Mātṛkās to drink his blood, impales him on his trident and makes him a gaṇa.

Chapters 179 to 184 of the Matsya Purāṇa praise Avimukta, the kshetra of Kāśī where Bhagavān Śiva never leaves and gives moksha at death.

Bhagavān Śiva burns Bāṇāsura's flying city, Bāṇa surrenders and receives a vara of fearlessness, and the Jvāleśvara liṅga rises on the Narmadā.

Chapter 47 of the Matsya Purāṇa speaks of the twelve wars of devas and asuras, Śukrācārya's tapas, Bhṛgu's curse on Vishṇu and the ten avatāras.

King Dharma-mūrti learns from Vasishṭha that his royal glory came from selfless work as a goldsmith in a past life, and then gives the ten mountain gifts.

Harikeśa, a yaksha and son of Pūrṇabhadra, did tapas in Vārāṇasī and received from Bhagavān Śiva the offices of Gaṇeśvara, giver of food and guardian.

The Matsya Purāṇa tells how Hiraṇyakaśipu won a vara from Brahmā, ruled the three worlds, and was torn apart by Bhagavān Narasiṃha.

Iḷā, child of Vaivasvata Manu, entered Śiva's grove and changed form. As the wife of Budha she gave birth to Purūravas, who began the lunar line.

Kaca, son of Bṛhaspati, learned the Saṃjīvanī vidyā from Śukrācārya. He refused Devayānī's love, and they cursed each other.

Diti vowed to bear a son who would kill Indra. Indra cut the embryo into forty-nine parts, and each became a Marut, a companion of Indra.

The ṛshi Mārkaṇḍeya is breathed out of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa into the waters of pralaya and sees the infant Nārāyaṇa on a fig leaf.

Mārkaṇḍeya tells Yudhishṭhira of the Narmadā's power to purify, her tīrthas from Amarakaṇṭaka to the sea, and the rewards of bathing there.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of creation at the start of the Pādma Kalpa: the dissolution, the golden lotus, Brahmā's birth, Gāyatrī and the four Vedas.

How Devī Pārvatī was born to Himavat and Menā, won Bhagavān Śiva, and how Kumāra was born to end Tārakāsura, as the Matsya Purāṇa tells it.

How King Pṛthu was born from Vena's body, chased the earth in the form of a cow, and milked her so that she gave food to all beings.

King Purūravas of Madra, born ugly for one fault in a past life, did tapas in the Himālaya and received the grace of Bhagavān Janārdana, as told in the Matsya Purāṇa.

How a poor lotus-seller of a past life became King Pushpavāhana with a golden lotus chariot, through one night of unplanned devotion at the Vibhūti Dvādaśī Vrata.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of the Syamantaka gem, Prasena's death, Kṛshṇa's fight with Jāmbavān, and his marriage to Satyabhāmā.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of the great war between the devas and Tārakāsura's army, ending with Bhagavān Vishṇu's Sudarśana cakra slaying Kālanemi.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of Tārakāsura: his birth, Brahmā's boon, his conquest of the three worlds, and his death at the hands of Kumāra, the son of Bhagavān Śiva.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of the three dānava cities built by Maya and burned by Bhagavān Śiva with a single arrow.

The Matsya Purāṇa's account of the quarrel and mutual curse of the ṛshi Vasishṭha and King Nimi, Nimi's home in the eyelids, and Vasishṭha's rebirth from the kalaśa.

King Yayāti marries Devayānī, takes his son Pūru's youth for a thousand years, learns that desire is never satisfied, falls from svarga, and is raised again.

The Matsya Purāṇa tells how the devas and asuras churned the Kshīrasāgara for amṛta, Bhagavān Śiva drank the Kālakūṭa, and Rāhu was cut down.

The Matsya Purāṇa tells how Sāvitrī followed Yama and, by her words on dharma, won back the life of her husband Satyavanta.

The Matsya Purāṇa tells how Bhagavān Vishṇu came as the dwarf Vāmana, took three steps as Trivikrama, and sent Bali to Sutala.

The Matsya Purāṇa tells of the pralaya, Bhūdevī sinking into Rasātala, her stotra, and Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa taking the great Varāha form.