9 - Description of the Fish-Incarnation

Earth said:

1. O Lord, I wish to know precisely what was done in the beginning of Kruta Age by Näräyana who has the entire world as His form.

Varäha said:

2. In yore, O Earth, there was nothing other than Näräyana. Being single and doing everything on his own accord, He was not happy.

3. As he longed for another one also with Him, within a moment there arose a form of Intellect by name Abhäva (non-being) resembling the sun.

4. This knower of Brahman wanted this to be divided into two. One having the name Umä was placed in mortal beings.

5. The other one, the single syllable, namely com’, created this earth. The worlds Bhüh, Bhuvah, svar and Mahar were then created.1

1. A half verse relating to Mahar and Satya seem to be lost here.

7. Then was created Jana (loka). Ätman dissolves in it. It is woven with this just like jewels in a thread.

7. The world that was evolved out of the Pranava (omkära) was then completely void. This form of the Lord was Shañkara (Shiva) which is the form of Hari (Vishnu).

8. After creating this world, He, with a view to creating the best form, stirred the scat of His mind and sat there in His own form. When thus stirred, there arose the Brahmända (universe).

9. When this was divided into pieces, there came to existence the Bhüloka (the earth). Another world also arose there resembling the sun.

10-11. In yore, there was the lotus on Navruka. That was God Näräyana resplendent with creative lustre. From Him there arose the vowels beginning with ‘a’ and also the consonants. Then He uttered Šhästras for creating abstract beings.

12. After the creation, the immeasurable Lord thought about the preservation the created things. While He was thinking, a brilliant lustre arose from His eye.

13. The right part of it was like fire and the left like frost. Seeing this, the Creator called them the sun and the moon.

14. Then the life-breath came out from the Creator. It is the very air, the all-pervading God, that is now in our heart.

15. Fire arose from it; great water arose from the fire. The same fire is the lustre of Brahmins.

16. The lustrous God produced the lustre of Kshatriya out of His arms. He created Vaišhyas from His thighs and Shüdras from His feet.

17-18. Then the Lord created Yakshas and Rakshasas. He filled up the Bhüloka with the four kinds (Brahmins, Kshatriyas etc) and the Bhuvarloka with aerial beings; Svarloka with other types of celestial beings who followed his path. Like wise Maharloka with sages like Sanaka.

19. Then he filled Janaloka with Vairäjas and Tapoloka with the gods performing penance. 

20. Similarly, he filled Satyaloka with the gods freed from re-birth.

After having this creation, the benevolent God gave it the meaningful name Kalpa, the whole thing being his creation.

21. In that cosmos, the three worlds Bhür Bhuvah and Suvah arise, no doubt.

22. The time when the God sleeps at the end of a Kalpa is called night. Then all these three worlds are subject to turmoils.

23. Night being over, the lotus-eyed God got up and thought about the four Vedas and in them the Goddess of the Vedas.

24. Despite this thinking, he did not get the Vedas because He was illusioned by the sense of sleep. He was in utter confusion.

25. Then seeing them hidden in his own form called water, he thought of entering into it taking the form of a fish.

26. So after meditating for sometime He took the form of a great fish and entered into the water agitating it all around.

27. When the excellent God in the form of the huge fish resembling a big mountain, suddenly entered the ocean, He who had uplifted the earth before was extolled.

28. “Obeisance to you, O God, who is difficult to be attained even by Vedänta! Obeisance to Narayana   in the form of fish. Obeisance to you, the embodiment of all the worlds and the lord of gods; Obeisance to you taking the form of the two kinds of knowledge (spiritual and worldly).

29. Obeisance to you having manifold forms like the sun and the moon and having beautiful eyes, and now in the ocean; Obeisance to you, O Vishnu. We seek shelter in you! Giving up this form of fish, please protect us.

30. O God having endless body, this world is pervaded by you. O God, there is nothing here except you. There is nothing other than yourself in this world. We seek protection in you.

31. O God having eyes resembling lotus petals, ether, soul, moon, fire, mind and form—all these are your primordial body itself. Itis by you that this cosmos is illumined. Please forgive me if I am devoid of proper devotion to you.

32. O God, this form of yours is contradictory in itself. It is pleasant-speaking and pleasant-voiced and at the same time it is like a mountain. O the ancient and imperishable great God who is the repose of all the worlds, please turn this scorching form into one that is benign.

We all seek shelter in you. We prostrate before you terrified by this huge form. There is nothing in this world outside yourself.” 

34. Extolled thus, the God caught the Vedas with Upanishads and Šhästras out of the water and then took his own form.

35. As long as the God bears his own form, this world exists. When the God assumes his primordial form this world is dissolved. When He takes his manifested forms, this world also evolves.