Dasavathara and Bhagavatgita - 2. Mathsyavathara

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Mathsya form of the Lord is called mahaamathsyaH , It represents the pure intellect , all pervading, sarvajna, which alone could save the Vedas and dharma.

 

The brhadharyanaka Upanishad says, yaThaa mahaamathsyaH ubhe koole anusancharathi poorvam cha aparam cha, which means, `as the large fish goes along the two banks being in contact with one and the other.'

 

Small fish are agitated by the current of the river and run to this bank and the other whereas the mahamathsya goes touching both the banks and not affected by the current of the river, mahaan cha asou mathsyaScha naadheeyena srothasa ahaaryaH.

 

The two banks are doubt and delusion. Born out of the dhvandhvas, raga and dvesha, sukha and duhkha etc. between which the jiva oscillates like a pendulum.

 

When the intellect is not mature with wisdom it is oscillating between doubt and delusion, running hither and thither like small fish swimming alternately between the two banks. But when it is grown fully, all the doubts are resolved and the delusion is no more. Gita says, `raagadvesha viyukthaisthu vishayaan indhriyaischaran athma vaSairviDheyaathmaa (2.64) the one who contacts the sense objects with his senses fully controlled due to the absence of likes and dislikes is disciplined and self-controlled The two banks have now become vivika and vairagya. The same intellect becomes all pervading, being established in Brhaman, the Absolute reality, and is firmansd unaffected by the cross currents of samsara, the transmigratory existence.

 

In the story, the Lord as matsya instructs the king satyavrata to take pairs of all beings and seeds of the plants and herbs when the world is submerged in water during deluge and get into a boat drawn by mahamatsya which would come there He did so and the Lord took him to safety and the reproduction continued. The deluge was the effect of maya which could be crossed only with the help of the Lord as said in the Gita dhaivee hyeshaa guNamayee mama maayaa dhurathyayaa maamevaye prapdhyanthe maayaam ethaam tharanthi the(BG.7.14) "This divine delusion formed by the gunas created by Me is difficult to cross and those who resort to Me alone are able to cross over."