Vyasa

Aranyaka Parva›Manu and the Great Deluge

Manu Rescues a Small Fish from Predators

Why "Major"?

Causal ReachTop 98%
Character WeightTop 97%
State ChangeTop 98%
Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

While performing severe austerities on the banks of the Virini river, Manu is approached by a tiny fish terrified of being eaten by larger ones. Overcome with compassion, he takes the fish home and raises it like a son — moving it from a water pot to a pond, then to the Ganga, and finally to the ocean as it grows beyond every container.

Manu, son of Vivasvat, surpassed his father and grandfather in vigour, energy, and austerities. For ten thousand years he stood on one foot in Vishala Badari, arms raised, head facing down, without blinking, clad in wet bark and matted hair, tormenting himself with terrible discipline. One day, on the banks of the Virini, a small fish came to him and spoke. "O illustrious one! I am a small fish and am frightened of the larger ones. Save me from them. It is the rule among fish that large ones prey on smaller ones — this has been decreed as our conduct from time immemorial. Save me from this great sea of terror in which I am immersed. If you save me, I will return the deed." Manu was overcome with compassion. He grasped the fish in his hands — its body shone like the rays of the moon — and took it out of the river. He placed it in a small water pot and tended to it like a son. The fish grew. After a long time, it became so large that there was no room left in the pot. It spoke to Manu again: "Find a different place for me to live." Manu took it to a large pond and threw it in. The pond was two yojanas long and one yojana wide. For many years the fish grew there, until it could no longer move in that pond either. It said to Manu: "Take me to the Ganga, the wife of the ocean. I will live there, or wherever else you desire." Manu, self-controlled, took the fish to the Ganga and placed it there with his own hands. The fish grew there too. It spoke to Manu again: "Because of my large size, I cannot move around in the Ganga. Take me to the ocean." Manu himself took the fish out of the Ganga and carried it to the ocean. Despite the fish's great size, Manu could carry it easily. Its touch and smell were pleasant. When the fish was thrown into the ocean, it seemed to smile.

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 482