मत्स्य अवतार

Srishti ke aarambhik kaal mein Satyavrat naamak ek dharmatma raja the jo baad mein Vaivasvat Manu ke naam se prasiddh hue. Manu atyant dharmik, tapasvi aur nyaypriya shaasak the. Ve pratidin nadi mein snaan aur tarpan karte the. Ek din jab Manu Kritmala nadi mein jal arpan kar rahe the, tab unki anjuli mein ek atyant chhoti machli aa gayi.

Manu ne us chhoti machli ko waapas nadi mein chhodne ka vichaar kiya. Parantu machli ne karun swar mein kaha — "He Rajan, mujhe nadi mein mat daliye. Yahan badi machliyan mujhe kha jayengi. Kripaya meri raksha keejiye." Dayalu Manu ne us machli ko apne kamandalu (jal patra) mein rakh liya. Parantu raat bhar mein woh machli itni badi ho gayi ki kamandalu mein samaana kathin ho gaya.

Manu ne machli ko ek bade bartan mein rakha, parantu woh usmein bhi nahi samai. Phir ek talaab mein rakha — woh talaab bhi chhota pad gaya. Phir sarovar mein, phir nadi mein — parantu machli nirantar badhti ja rahi thi. Ant mein Manu ne machli ko samudra mein daala, parantu woh samudra mein bhi vishaalkaay ho gayi — uska aakaar kai yojan lamba ho gaya. Uske sir par ek vishaal seeng tha jo swarn ke samaan chamak raha tha.

Manu ko ab samajh aaya ki yeh koi saadharan machli nahi hai. Unhone haath jodkar kaha — "He Prabhu, aap kaun hain? Nishchit hi aap Bhagwan Vishnu hain jinhone machli ka roop dhaaran kiya hai. Kripaya apna parichay dijiye." Matsya roopi Bhagwan Vishnu ne muskurakar kaha — "He Manu, tumne sahi pehchana. Main Narayan hoon. Saat din ke bheetar sampoorn prithvi par mahapralay aane wali hai. Bhayanak varsha hogi, samudra ufankar sab kuch dubo dega."

Bhagwan Matsya ne Manu ko aadesh diya — "Tum ek vishaal nauka ka nirmaan karo. Usmein sabhi prakaar ke beej, aushadhiyan, Saptarishi, sabhi prakaar ke praaniyon ke jode aur Vedon ko surakshit rakho. Jab pralay ka jal badhne lage to nauka par chadh jaana. Main seeng wali vishaal machli ke roop mein aaunga. Vasuki Naag ko rassi banakar nauka ko mere seeng se baandh dena. Main tumhe surakshit sthaan tak le jaunga."

Manu ne Bhagwan ki aagya ka tatparta se paalan kiya. Unhone vishaal nauka banai aur usmein sabhi beej, aushadhiyan, vanaspatiyan, praaniyon ke jode, Saptarishi aur Vedon ko ekatrit kiya. Saatve din aakaash mein kaale baadal chha gaye. Bhayanak varsha hone lagi. Samudra ufanne laga. Nadiyan umad padin. Sampoorn prithvi jal mein doobne lagi. Manu ne sabko nauka par chadhaya.

Pralay ke vishaal jal mein Bhagwan Matsya swarn seeng wali atyant vishaal machli ke roop mein prakat hue. Unka shareer kai sahasra yojan lamba tha. Manu ne Vasuki Naag ki rassi se nauka ko Bhagwan Matsya ke seeng se baandh diya. Bhagwan Matsya ne nauka ko pralay ke jal mein kheenchte hue surakshit sthaan tak pahunchaya. Is yatra ke dauran Bhagwan Matsya ne Manu ko dharm, srishti aur moksha ka divya gyaan pradaan kiya jo "Matsya Purana" ke roop mein jaana jata hai.

Pralay samapt hone ke baad jal utara. Manu ne nayi srishti ki rachna aarambh ki. Unhone beejon se nayi vanaspatiyan ugayin, praaniyon ko punah basaya, aur Saptarishiyon ne Vedon ka punah prachaar kiya. Is prakar Matsya Avatar ne pralay se srishti ki raksha ki aur jeevan ki nirantarta sunishchit ki. Manu se hi "Maanav" shabd bana — sampoorn maanav jaati Manu ki santaan maani jati hai.

Matsya Avatar Bhagwan Vishnu ke Dashavataaron mein pratham avatar hai. Yeh katha batati hai ki Ishwar kisi bhi roop mein — chahe woh ek chhoti machli hi kyon na ho — apne bhakton aur dharm ki raksha ke liye prakat hote hain. Daya, karuna aur gyaan ki raksha hi srishti ki raksha hai. Yeh katha Noah ki naav ki katha se samaanta rakhti hai jo darshaati hai ki pralay aur punah-srijan ki avdharna vishwa ki anek sanskritiyon mein vidyamaan hai.