Matsya Purana

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Hindu texts

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The Matsya Purana is the first and the oldest of all the Puranas and Hindu scriptures and texts. It is primarily the story of the first Avatar of Lord Vishnu, in the form of a fish. The Aryan way of life, most likened to the Hindu way of life in present times is supposed to have begun after this epoch. The story is set in then Dravida, the central characters are Lord Matsya and the then Emperor of Dravida called Satyavrata who later is known as Manu, the "Father of all Aryaas (Aryans)." The timeline is a bizarre two billion years.

The Purana describes the life of Satyavrata or Manu who is also the son of the Sun God, Surya. However, its main content is the description of the deluge that follows and the manner in which Lord Matsya directs Manu, his family and a handful of others to safety, and then reveals the Vedas to him, and the norms of the new Arya or Vedic way of life.

Further reading

• Mani, Vettam. Puranic Encyclopedia. 1st English ed. New Dehli: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.

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