Prologue

My fondest memories while growing up are of watching the iconic TV series Mahabharat by B.R. Chopra. Strangely though, the Ramayana never held the same fascination for me. Other than the popular stories that have captured the imagination of most children during my growing up years, I knew of few stories from across the scriptures and mythology.

It may or may not have been some strange stroke of luck that thanks to another Readomania book—Mallar Chatterjee’s Yudhisthira—The Unfallen Pandava—my fascination for the Mahabharata had already been rekindled, and it further spilled over to other mythological stories as well.

When I first set out to write the stories of Vishnu, I little knew what a gigantic cauldron of wealth I was diving into. The profound learnings and knowledge that is held in these stories are contemporary and relevant even today, thousands of years after they were supposedly written.

From among the longer list of twenty-four avatars, there are ten most common avatars of Vishnu, namely, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parshurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. Each of these have their own set of legends that extoll their characteristics and deeds. Just as varied are the theories about the many avatars of Vishnu.

There are, of course, based on certain beliefs and religious followings, variations in the many avatars and their corresponding stories that are generally accepted, as is in the specific texts that tell these stories. The veracity of these varying accounts is impossible for they emerge not just region-wise (the South-East Asian accounts are vastly different from the stories within India, which, in itself, have no conformity when we go from North to South India), but also sect-wise, country-wise, and sometimes, even within the scriptures themselves.

Some older theories include Balarama is the eighth avatar of Vishnu (while the more modern lists consider him not an avatar of Vishnu but of Adi Shesha Nag), putting Krishna at the ninth position, and Kalki as the final avatar. These versions do not consider Buddha as an avatar at all. Some believe that there were actually two Buddhas—one, who was the Vishnu avatar, and the other, Gautam Buddha, who belonged to the royal family of Nepal. Since, the philosophies of both were similar, popular opinion mistakenly believes them to be one. Those who ascribe to this theory also explain the detailed differences between the two Buddhas, lending credibility to this version. There are striking similarities between the postures of Vishnu and Gautam Buddha in various pieces of art and sculpture. It is, however, true that in the earlier scriptures, Buddha does not find a mention in the list of Vishnu avatars.

There are yet other schools of thought that believe that the avatar Buddha isn’t an individual, as is commonly believed to be, but a concept—an idea of a learned man who has a higher conscience and moral compass than previous avatars, particularly, Krishna. Yet other sects believe that Krishna is not just an avatar but Lord Vishnu himself. This is why he is said to be a poorna-avatar, meaning a complete avatar unlike others who are partial avatars. For this reason, some versions do not include Krishna in their lists of the ten avatars. Instead, they include both Balarama and Buddha.

Mythology is replete with stories that span several lifetimes. It is remarkable to note how these stories are all interconnected to one another. The various consequences—favourable or unfavourable—that unfold as a result of interactions of various characters based on their decisions and actions from previous births are a glaring example of such multi-layered incidents. Parshurama, for example, makes an appearance in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, despite both being set in entirely different time periods. Similarly, quite a few characters take rebirth as someone else to atone their past sins.

Additionally, it isn’t just Vishnu who was reincarnated or took on the various forms but also Adi Shesha and Lakshmi. The whole length of the text is replete with the same characters taking birth again to live through the consequences of their past lives. Characters like Vasudeva and Devaki (Krishna’s parents) who were a reincarnation of Rishi Kashyap and Aditi respectively, make their appearance time and again as different characters to take the story forward.

The different avatars of Vishnu depict the evolution of mankind (and closely relate to the Charles Darwin theory) from the first water-borne species to the intelligent human being that you and I exist as today. With each consecutive avatar, the abilities of Man became more elaborate and complex, and the range of his capabilities increased to the point of attaining a higher spiritual understanding and existence, with the last avatar to have existed being Buddha, showing us the path of enlightenment.

The chronological order of these avatars come full circle—from the Matsya avatar who arrives to save Manu from evil and corruption resulting of man’s own actions, to Buddha who encourages his preachers to not resort to such acts at all—in their purpose of protecting and preserving, initially man himself, and later, the virtues that make up the concept of ‘humanity’.

While the stories follow the same chronological order, one need not necessarily read them sequentially. That is why, each story has been written with the intention of being a stand-alone story by itself, and all necessary details required to complete the mythological picture have been provided. This may have caused some repetition among the stories but that is conscious and deliberate to keep the entertainment value of each story independent of others.

Some stories have various layers and intricacies that are so strongly woven into the stories that to present them in isolation would have been impossible had I not chosen to keep those outside the purview of this book. The reincarnations of various characters other than Vishnu are a case-in-point. The many different versions of the stories and their conflicting theories would have made this a life-long research project had I allowed myself to get drawn into it.

An interesting angle which I had to leave out for the sake of relevance was the actual timeline of these avatars. These avatars, though commonly arranged in a chronological sequence, occurred during different yugas and it is believed that some of the earlier avatars occurred later in time. This would probably also explain how Bali, the king of the asuras, was present during the Kurma avatar and also during the Vamana avatar, which as per the list are quite far apart from each other but occurred in successive yugas.

Similarly, the several different stories of the many avatars of Vishnu, especially where they make multiple appearances was outside of the scope of this book. Hayagriva, who makes an appearance in the Matsya avatar, and Mohini, who makes an appearance during the Kurma avatar, are also considered to be the avatars of Vishnu. Their names are included in the longer list of twenty-four avatars.

An important distinction, or rather, point of observation that needs to be made here is that these avatars are not all sword-wielding, violent manifestations of a God whose sole purpose is to protect and preserve. It also encompasses protecting mankind from evils that are less physical and tangible. Negative attitudes, social and behavioural aspects like greed, desire, jealousy, and interpersonal conflicts can also be evils that human beings need protection from.

As society evolved and the world became more advanced, it was inevitable that the evils plaguing us too underwent a metamorphosis. From demons like Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakshipu, who indulged in gory acts of violence, and the corrupt and vile Kshatriyas who were consumed by greed for power, to vices like corruption, animal violence, materialistic greed, and so on that exist today, the evils too have evolved with time. One needs the knowledge and understanding of how to eradicate these evils from our lives. Each avatar came with and fulfilled a certain purpose—to teach mankind how to deal with the challenges they brought along with them.

Additionally, divine powers need not necessarily mean performing wonderous marvels like Krishna did in many instances but, in fact, doing anything out of the ordinary. While Krishna, and the previous avatars performed miracles, Rama and Buddha are revered for their extraordinary values and leading a life that can only be described as one with ‘divine’ qualities.

Now, it is obviously impossible for the common man to imitate Buddha and completely forsake all human relationships and renounce the luxuries and comforts that one is used to or has worked to achieve all their lives, but we can at least take away some learnings from these stories and imbibe them in our day-to-day lives to eke a better existence for ourselves.

Therefore, it is interesting to see how each subsequent avatar contributes to a higher step in the evolution of man, or rather a gradual progression of the spiritual transformation of man, where the being has begun to think for himself and react to situations that influence and impact him directly. From Vamana avatar, a dwarf-man, the evolution progressed to Parashurama, who is considered to be the earliest forms of Man, and therefore more aggressive and animal-like in his reactions. From Rama avatar onwards, we have the more advanced versions of the thinking man—one who is more aware, social, and responsible. Krishna represents one who is even more advanced in his personal and social interactions, while Buddha is one who strives for a higher sense of spirituality to lead a life free of pain and suffering.

How these stories came about and how they have managed to hold the interest of the public over these ages, withstanding the challenges of obscurity that the passage of time invariably presents, is another marvel in itself.

These may have had literal inference at one point in the past, and perhaps those literal translations hold true in some instances even now. But the deeper meanings are relevant even more so in today’s fast-moving, technology-driven world, where relationships are fragile and people even more so. The relatability factor is just as high as the knowledge meter is.

The aim of these stories is not to provide any answers or alternate perspectives but instead to simply relook at them and analyse how they fit in the contemporary society. The relevance of these stories cannot be disputed but are the learnings today any different, considering how evolved mankind and society is today?

I hope you will enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoyed putting them together.

Matsya Avatar

The Beginning of An End

A new yuga, not just a new dawn, had begun—Satyavrata thought with satisfaction. He had managed to save mankind, as well as the world. He had seen the end and now the beginning had arrived.

He smiled to himself, thinking of the trials and tribulations they had gone through to see this day. It hadn’t been easy, and he had had his share of doubts. But he had done well to believe in his own capabilities and in the power of the universe. Of course, Lord Vishnu had been with him, holding his hand through it all. And now, they’d follow the path of righteousness and achieve the greatness they were meant to.

He looked up at the sky and remembered how it had all started. How, not so long ago, he had been in a state of tranquillity like today. Then too, the night was retreating, like it was now, and the day had begun to make its grand appearance over the horizon.

**********************************************************************************

The sun slowly ascended in the sky, its silvery warmth dissipating the darkness of the cold night. Next to the gurgling waters of a gushing river stood a solitary hut. Its thatched roof and straw walls, although in a spot of clearing in the woods, blended in perfectly with the surrounding thickets.

A religious chant rose up through the trees, lending an unmistakable aura of piety to the air. The chirping of birds in the distance, the cool rustle of breeze through the lush green trees, and the increasingly brightening sky that signalled the arrival of dawn would have been enough to make one pause and revel in the moment.

But not Satyavrata, for he was not just anyone. He was the king who had given it all up. His focus was unwavering during the worship of Lord Vishnu. With his eyes closed, his lips murmuring the divine mantras, the sole inhabitant of the river-side hut—and much-loved, albeit previous, King of Dravida—was already at the end of his daily prayers.

His present abode was admittedly far humbler than the luxurious palace he had forsaken in his desire to please Lord Vishnu. As a king, he had been greeted more times by his subjects than he was by the birds in the present day.

Now, as he served in the tapasya[1] of Lord Vishnu, thoughts of his kingdom or the luxuries he had access to earlier never plagued him. He had always had faith in his son’s abilities as a fair successor to him and after crowning him the rightful ruler, Satyavrata had begun to live an ascetic’s life.

The sharp yellow rays of the sun bounced off his dark form, warming his face, before moving on to cast a shimmery glow on the river. His everyday ritual of standing in the vrikshasana while offering the prayers—a practice followed through what seemed like a thousand years, was almost complete; he chanted the last of the verses and prepared to end the prayer. His chants of the Gayatri Mantra reverberated in the quiet surroundings of his hut. The rushing river, barely a few steps away from where he was standing, provided the background music that added to the serene sanctitude.

Standing in the perfect tree-like pose, he chanted the final verse and breathed out. Slowly he lowered his raised leg to the ground, brought his hands down, and with his eyes still closed, faced the rising sun. He muttered aum in a repeated chant, and as the voice tapered off, he rubbed his palms briskly and cupped them over his face. Opening his eyes, he stepped closer to the river and scooped up water to offer it to Lord Vishnu. As he brought his hands out of the water, he saw a tiny white fish floating in the well of his palms.

At first, Satyavrata was stunned to find a fish that tiny or even that it was in these waters. He soon recovered enough to realise he needed to put the fish back in the water. Just as he was about to throw the fish back, he heard a tiny whimper. On taking a closer look, Satyavrata noticed the fish opening its mouth to speak. He stood frozen, unable to believe the fish was actually looking at him and trying to communicate.

‘Don’t throw me back!’ It cried in a voice so soft it was barely audible.

‘Huh?’ Satyavrata said, his eyes widening in disbelief. The fish was talking! As if that itself wasn’t preposterous enough, the fish—a creature of the water—was urging him not to put it back in the water. Surely, he was seeing things! Had he even woken up from his sleep? Or was he imagining things while still in meditation?

‘I said, don’t put me back in the water.’ The tiny fish repeated.

. ‘A talking fish that doesn’t want to be put back in the water! Am I even awake?’ He muttered to himself.

‘Save me, please.’

Satyavrata blinked twice before gathering his wits to speak. ‘That’s what I was doing! Putting you back in the river is the only option I have in order to save you,’ he said, incredulity writ large across his face.

‘If you put me back the bigger fish will eat me. That’s how the food chain works, doesn’t it? Save me, please. You’re a king known for your magnanimity. Will you let me perish in the river where there are bigger fish just waiting to make a meal out of me?’ It said in a shrill high-pitched voice.

‘What should I do then? How else can I save you?’ He looked around, half talking to himself.

He looked at the fish again, which strangely remained silent now.

‘So, it talks only when it wishes to,’ Satyavrata muttered  again. He thought hard and struggled to come up with an alternate solution to save the fish. ‘What… What am I supposed to do? You’re a creature of the water—an aquatic being, how I can take you out of your natural habitat?’

‘Is it not your duty to protect those in need of your help, King?’ The fish’s question seemed more like a reprimand. ‘What will future generations make of it when they learn that you let an innocent creature die only because you wanted to give it its natural habitat?’

Satyavrata looked around, confounded and desperate. Where could he provide a suitable substitute habitat for the fish? He pondered for a moment, then remembering his kamandalam (a small water jug), he put the fish in and tied the jug around his waist.

‘Thank you, O kind one,’ the fish said, its relief evident in its loud sigh.

‘I can’t believe I am chatting with a fish,’ he muttered in response.

‘Well, yes,’ the fish looked back at him with innocent eyes, ‘stranger things have been known to happen. I can’t believe I am taking help from a human, either.’ It shook its head before swimming around in the small confined well of the kamandalam.

Dumbstruck at the fish’s retort, Satyavrata carried the jug with the fish back with him in silence.

The next day, as he stepped out for his daily prayers, he was stunned to see the sight that greeted him when he went to pick up his kamandalam. The tiny fish had grown to double its size and half its body was protruding out of the water jug.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. ‘How did you grow so big in one night?’

‘What causes you to be so surprised? All creatures grow as per their lifespan, don’t they? Please put me in a bigger vessel—possibly, a tank,’ the fish suggested.

Again, Satyavrata was speechless. He simply followed the fish’s instructions while secretly wondering if he was still asleep and dreaming. But hardly a day had passed that the tank became too small for the fish. When Satyavrata saw the fish was too big for the tank, he was completely astounded.

‘You’re certainly a fast-growing species!’ He exclaimed with wide eyes. Expecting another retort, he looked at the fish. But it simply blinked in response. He took the fish to a nearby well this time and dropped it in. The fish swam happily for only a few minutes before it needed to be transferred again.

Just as Satyavrata had turned his back to walk towards his hut, the fish called out again. ‘Please don’t leave me like this. This well is small for me, surely you can see that.’

Satyavrata only sighed and put it in a pond. This time, he was confident that the fish would be comfortable in the large water body. What did poor Satyavrata know? The next day, the fish was pleading to be transferred to a bigger water body, yet again.

‘How could this be possible?’ he shrieked. ‘You grow to more than double your size every time! And no matter how large the container, you always outgrow it?’

Shocked, he hauled it back to the river. He huffed and puffed and by the time he came to the river bank, he was short of breath and almost falling down from fatigue. Just as he came closer to the edge of the river, the fish squealed. ‘No, no, not this river!’ It turned its head to look at Satyavrata. ‘Would you like it if the bigger fish were to make a meal of me? What will happen to your reputation as a kind king then? No, you must put me in the Ganges river, no less.’

‘What? Ganges? And you tell me this now, when we are already here?’ The fish only looked back at him silently. With a sigh, Satyavrata gathered the fish in his arms again and staggered back the way he had come. He’d look at the fish in wonderment, only to see it blink at him innocently.

They came to the bank of the Ganges river. Shaking his head, Satyavrata followed the fish’s instructions, and put it in the holy river, only to note that it had outgrown the river within minutes. Finally, he took the fish to the ocean. ‘There’s no way the ocean would be small for you.’ He said and confidently dropped the fish into the water. He stepped back; the satisfaction evident in his eyes as the fish swam around in circles. His satisfaction soon turned to astonishment as he watched the fish grow in size right in front of his eyes.

‘Who are you?’ Satyavrata cried, exasperated. ‘Where will I get a bigger water body than the ocean? Never have I seen such wonders. Are you a demon?’

‘I am no demon. But you, you certainly are the king—no other but the chosen one.’

A revelation struck Satyavrata and he fell to his knees. ‘My prayers have been answered, O Lord! You are the all-preserving Lord Vishnu, aren’t you? Forgive me for I couldn’t recognise you earlier. My heart’s desire has been fulfilled. All I wanted was to see you with my own eyes. My tapasya has been successful. I am blessed.’ He gushed with folded hands.

‘Blessed you are indeed, for there is an important task ahead of you. Are you willing to prove your allegiance to me?’

‘You needn’t even ask, my Lord. Tell me, of what service can I be to you?’ He said, bowing his head deferentially.

‘It is time for the world as you know it to come to an end. Seven days from now, the world would be wiped out. A great big flood is coming soon to destroy the world to make way for new. The new world can only be created from the instructions given in the Vedas, which, as of now, are in possession of that asura Hayagriva, the horse-headed one. He stole them from right under Lord Brahma’s nose, taking advantage of the opportunity while the Lord was sleeping. Without the holy text, it would be impossible for Lord Brahma to create a new world. I will retrieve the Vedas from Hayagriva. Meanwhile, you need to prepare for the great big flood. Build a big boat, the biggest you can possibly manage.’

The unassuming sage watched horrified and confused as the fish explained the events that were soon to unfold.

‘In the new world, it will be a fresh beginning for all. The cycle of life will begin afresh all over again. You will be the first man in the new world. Manu—that will be your name and identity.’

‘World’s end! Manu? I don’t understand, my Lord. What for? Why a new beginning? And, more so, why me?’

‘Your discipline and devotion have impressed me. None other can be better than you to usher in the new world.’

‘Why does it have to be so, my Lord? What for, do we need a new world? Why, at all, when all is going on so well?’ He repeated his question, unable to fathom the Lord’s motivations at wreaking such irreversible havoc on the world that he was a part of.

‘Going well, as per whose definition? Because of mankind, the world has reached its limit of deceit and crime. The only way to set it right is by creating it again.’

Unconvinced, Satyavrata queried again. ‘We could make a fresh start by turning over a new leaf, O Great Lord. Why do you need to end the world? I have full faith in your judgement, Master of the Universe, but can we not avoid the Pralaya[2] that you speak about?’

At hearing this, the fish transformed itself to the true form of Lord Vishnu. He stood a few feet above the ground as if floating in the invisible air. Satyavrata looked on with wide eyes. He fell to his knees with folded hands and exclaimed, ‘Glory to the Lord!’

Lord Vishnu smiled with benevolence. ‘You are already the epitome of goodness,’ he began replying to the sage’s question. ‘But can you speak for all others? Can you vouch for all and commit to me that the crime, cruelty, the deception that exists now would not return? Can you give me the assurance on behalf of all, that turning over a new leaf wouldn’t be temporary? Is there a surety that these corrupt and immoral men would not fall back to their old ways?’

Satyavrata pondered for a moment before looking up again. ‘Very well, my Lord. Your word is my command. What would I need to do?’

‘Accommodate two specimens of all the plants, seeds, animals, as well as the seven rishis and their families on the boat. You have seven days to complete this task before the floods come in.’

‘Yes, my Lord.’

‘Bring Vasuki too,’ Lord Vishnu said, referring to the Snake God, and disappeared to battle with Hayagriva.

Sure enough, seven days after Vishnu’s departure, destruction followed. A relentless drought set in, leading to famine. The scorching heat of the sun caused the land to turn to arid flakes. The taste of parched air in people’s mouths became a constant. Thirst and hunger dominated, eventually leading to starvation. Death and disease began to rule the Earth. It was not just Man but animals and plants too, that suffered the brunt. Burnt remains of plants and carcasses of dead animals are all that Satyavrata saw in place of the flourishing flora and fauna that has existed earlier.

Devastated at seeing the world wither away around him, Satyavrata, or rather Manu, as per the new identity bestowed on him by the Lord himself, desperately prayed for some respite. When finally, the rain clouds first appeared on the distant horizon, they brought a shroud of darkness with them and seemed to want to more than compensate for their absence.

Using his time well, Manu managed to complete the construction of the boat as instructed by Lord Vishnu. Finally, as demanded by Lord Vishnu, a gigantic vessel floated on the water, astounding even Manu with its sheer size. A niggling doubt remained whether the boat had been constructed by his efforts alone. And yet, there was no other plausibility that he could not have done it without divine assistance.

Hurriedly, he gathered the plants and herded the animals, and got them on the boat, just as the ominous clouds—so pregnant with the possibility of annihilation that it seemed to be night even during the day—approached closer and unleashed their fury. Thunderstorms and lashing rains continued unabated, even as the darkness reigned endlessly.

After killing Hayagriva, Lord Vishnu safely returned the Vedas in the safe custody of Lord Brahma. Then the fish, or rather Lord Vishnu as Manu now well knew, returned to save his chosen one from the devastation of the floods that had by now enveloped the whole world.

‘Such a deadly fate for mankind! What did we do to deserve this?’ Manu asked as the massive floods and the relentless storm that continued even after several weeks had passed.

‘The Satya Yuga has to come to an end now. It is time for the new yuga, and it has to begin afresh. Without destroying the old, how will there be any place for the new?’ The fish explained. ‘Greed, jealousy, anger are vices that lead to the decline of an otherwise peaceful and happy existence. Righteousness will now be restored; a new cosmic order will reign again, where the principles of religion would be re-established.’

‘But why cause so much death and destruction? There were so many others there who could have benefited from being saved. What immorality had the animals resorted to? Why did they deserve to die?’ Pain flicked through Manu’s eyes. ‘What about those innocents that were above the crime and corruption you speak of?’ he asked, his voice choking as the memory of the sights he had witnessed tormented him.

‘As much as I love all humanity and everything else including all creatures, I will need to step in and take control in order to deliver the good and erase the evil. All of this is necessary from time to time, even if it means intervening and disrupting the natural order of things.’

‘But…like…this…?’ Manu gestured with a spread of his arms and looked around. ‘You are the preserver, Lord. Why did you not preserve the world instead of making it anew? You are the protector, the guiding force. You could have reformed them, set them right, brought them back into the fold of your wisdom and redeemed us from danger.’

‘Every once in a while, you would need to reconstruct everything from scratch. To create new, the old has to go. Wherever there exists evil, I will descend to rectify it. And yet, sometimes the damage and destruction will be beyond salvage. Like it was this time when I had to destroy everything and create again.’

Manu heard the Lord’s explanation in silence. He was in no position to question the Lord and yet, he needed to know the answers in order to carry on.

Lord Vishnu sensed that and continued, ‘You were the only moral man left alive. You will be the first man in the next yuga, and the father of future generations.’ With this, the fish got Manu to tie the ship to its horn, using the snake god, Vasuki, as a rope. Although pensive, the disciple followed all instructions without further questions. After all, it was no other but Lord Vishnu who was guiding him.

After another minute of reflection, Manu was unable to curb his curiosity any longer. ‘Tell me, O Lord, how will you ensure righteousness in the new world? More importantly, how will you create the new world?’

‘Lord Brahma will do that,’ the fish replied as it began swimming through the flood waters. ‘He isn’t the “Creator” for nothing. The Vedas are the texts that emerged from Brahma’s mouth when he first meditated. These sacred tenets are what you will use as your guiding principles to govern mankind in the following ages. Let righteousness be the underlying rule that governs all actions and decisions.’

‘Lord, are we not free to live as we were earlier? Why this set of rules? Why do I have to rule the entire humanity?’ Conflicting emotions flashed across Manu’s face.

‘There has to be some semblance of an order for the society to exist peacefully, and in accordance with the rules of existence. These are not rigid instructions that need to be followed to the letter, but instead guidelines—on life, its social and political structure. In the Vedas, you will find the answers to most questions on religion, spirituality, the existence of God and ways to worship, marriage and childbirth, governance, medicine, and so on. Preserve these scriptures with care, for these would be needed by generations long after you have gone.’

‘Long after I am gone? But how did I come? How did any of us come? No, wait. Tell me more about how the universe originated, instead?’

‘See, you already have questions.’ Lord Vishnu smiled.

A realisation dawned upon Manu. ‘There is no way that Man could exist without the desire for knowledge. Curiosity and ignorance would lead to exploitation, misuse of power, and even anarchy.’

‘Rightly said. That is why, whenever in doubt, you will return to the scriptures—not just to fight ignorance by seeking answers but also to restore normalcy. To answer your question, I shall refer you to the Rig Veda, itself,’ Vishnu said, ‘for it is from there that you will know there is no evidence of life, nor of non-life. Nothing existed and yet it wasn’t as if there was nothingness; no one knows where were the skies and the earth, or what were the depths of the water and how did it come about? There was neither life, nor death, and neither did immortality exist. No day, no night; no light nor darkness. There was the One who existed—the one who needed no life or sustenance, and apart from Him, there was no one else. So, who knows what was there and how it all came about?’

‘Surely, you know how it all came about?’

‘No. For I too came after it all existed already.’

Manu inhaled a deep breath as he absorbed the profound knowledge. He pondered over the words and the wisdom contained in them. Seeing him deep in thought, Lord Vishnu continued, ‘Let me quote one specific verse from this hymn about creation.’

Manu’s eyes shone in anticipation.

‘Who knows, and who can tell,
What was above and what below.
When it all came, and how it so happened.
The gods came later,
so who truly knows?

When Creation had its origin,
And whether it was Him, or not.
He, who sees it all from high above,
Only He knows, or then again, maybe not.’

‘So, there are no answers at all?’ Manu asked, his expression of disappointment and dejection evident.

‘That is the answer, my child.’

‘How can that be the answer?’ Manu snapped; he was already annoyed at the lack of information available to him and now, the Lord himself was talking in riddles. ‘We do not know if He existed. And we cannot even say, with surety, that He did not. This does not satisfy my curiosity at all. This way I will keep seeking answers and my thirst for knowledge will never quench.’

‘Yes.’ Lord Vishnu nodded and smiled again.

Manu’s jaw dropped in realisation, and slowly, the significance of the religious texts dawned on him.

Despite the havoc that the storm and the floods caused, Manu and the inhabitants of the ship remained safe under the miraculous watch of Lord Vishnu. Eventually, when the storm had subsided and the waters had receded, Manu, his boat guided through the waters by the fish, docked at their new location of Mount Himavan.

The new land was quite unfamiliar but they stepped off the boat anyway. Majestic mountains and steep valleys greeted them. Manu looked around at the pristine surroundings as if he had just got a new pair of eyes and was looking at everything for the first time. Lord Shiva, having imparted the knowledge of the during the course of the journey, appointed Manu as the first man of the new generation, and tasked him with the role of beginning the cycle of life anew.

‘What about you, O Lord? Will you not live amongst us?’

‘My child, I would need to return to my abode. My purpose here is served. Go forth and live wisely,’ Lord Vishnu said and turned away.

Manu watched as the fish swam away into oblivion, against the backdrop of the rising sun.

He turned towards the lush land with awe and respect. The world had turned greener and cleaner after the deluge. He looked around at the glistening expanse of green foliage—the new world beckoned him. He would have to choose a location to make his hut again. But first, he had to thank Lord Vishnu and seek his blessings before they stepped into their new world. Shortly after, Manu and the seven rishis assembled to offer prayers to the higher powers that created them (if at all, for as Lord Vishnu had just explained to him, no one really knew how it had all come to be about) and seek their blessings for the new existence. Their religious chants lent new hope and piety to the surroundings.