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14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
starting from the creation of Adam or Swayambhuva Manu ended with the coming of the flood and a new dispensation started with the righteous one Vaivaswata Manu. This then reflects the Noah story as well known in the early Christian era in India in all details. The deluge story and the story of Noah form one part of the myth.
Gen 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I
seen righteous before me in this generation.
III - MATSYAVATARA KATHA (BRAHMANICAL VERSION)
Shatapatha-Brahmana, I, 8, 1-6.
1. In the morning they brought to Manu water for washing, just as now also they (are wont to bring (water) for washing the hands. When he was washing himself, a fish came into his hands. 2. It spake to him the word, 'Rear me, I will save thee!' 'Wherefrom wilt thou save me?' 'A flood will carry away all these creatures: from that I will save thee!' 'How am I to rear thee?' 3. It said, 'As long as we are small, there is great destruction for us: fish devours fish. Thou wilt first keep me in a jar. When I outgrow that, thou wilt dig a pit and keep me in it. When I outgrow that, thou wilt take me down to the sea, for then I shall be beyond destruction.' 4. It soon became a ghasha (a great fish); for that grows largest of all fish). Thereupon it said, 'In such and such a year that flood will come. Thou shalt then attend to me (i.e. to my advice) by preparing a ship; and when the flood has risen thou shalt enter into the ship, and I will save thee from it.' 5. After he had reared it in this way, he took it down to the sea. And in the same year which the fish had indicated to him, he attended to (the advice of the fish) by preparing a ship, and when the flood had risen, he entered into the ship. The fish then swam up to him, and to its horn he tied the rope of the ship, and by that means he passed swiftly up to yonder northern mountain. 6. It then said, 'I have saved thee. Fasten the ship to a tree; but let not the water cut thee off whilst thou art on the mountain. As the water subsides, thou mayest gradually descend!' Accordingly he gradually descended and hence that (slope) of the northern mountain is called 'Manu's descent.' The flood then swept away all these creatures and Manu alone remained here. http://www.galileolibrary.com/history/history_page_9.htm Translation by Julius Eggeling, in Sacred Books of the East, XII (Oxford, 1882), pp. 216-18.
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