Manu's ark

 

Long ago there was a Sage named Satyavrata(Manu). He was once offering water to the manes in a river. When he scooped up a handful of water, a fish came along with it. When he was about to drop the fish back into the river, the fish spoke to him. It asked him to protect it. He put the fish into his kamandalu (pot) and took it to his hermitage. The next day Satyavrata noticed that the fish had grown in size. He placed the fish in a bigger vessel. Again the fish grew in size, so Satyavrata had to drop the fish in a nearby pond. The fish outgrew the pond as well. So, Satyavrata finally decided to drop the fish into the ocean. Then the fish spoke to him saying that it was none other than Lord Vishnu in his fish incarnation (Matsya avatar). The fish told Satyavrata that in seven days the dissolution of the universe would take place and asked him to collect all the species of plants and animals along with the Sapta Rishis and bring them near the ocean. Satyavrata obeyed the fish's command and bought them near the ocean. At that time Vishnu in the form of fish came along with an ark (ship). Everyone boarded the ark and then Vishnu asked Satyavrata to tie Vasuki (snake) to it's horn on one side and to the ark on the other side. Satyavrata obeyed Vishnu's command. Then while they sailed the ocean, Vishnu taught Satyavrata and the Sapta Rishis the divine knowledge to be carried to the next Kalpa.