The first of Vishnu's 10 complete avatars or "incarnations" on Earth is the Fish Avatar.
Each avatar emerges when the cosmos is in peril, generally as a result of a demon (asura) whose might has become abnormally great, causing the universe to lose its natural equilibrium.
Vishnu assumes bodily form when the world is out of balance, according to the avatars' theory, in order to remove the root of evil and restore cosmic balance.
The story of the fish avatar starts in the distant past, when virtuous ruler Manu finds a little fish in the water he holds in his cupped hands while performing the tarpana or water-offering ceremony for his ancestors.
The monarch, who is kind, places the little fish in a pot of water, but the fish quickly outgrows it.
Manu transports the fish to bigger and larger boats as it grows, eventually releasing it into the Ganges.
Manu understands that the fish is Vishnu himself when it becomes too huge for the Ganges and must be released into the ocean.
He starts to chant Vishnu's praises.
The fish then warns Manu that the world is about to be destroyed—first by scorching fire, which will sear all life, and then by floods, which will transform the whole globe into a single cosmic sea.
Vishnu tells Manu that the gods have made a boat out of the Vedas and instructs him to gather all of the earth's animals and place them on the boat for safekeeping.
He assures Manu that all of the animals on board will escape the impending catastrophe, and that when the world returns to normal with the arrival of the Krta Age, Manu will be the monarch of the universe.
Manu follows orders, and as the world is about to be destroyed, Vishnu arrives in the guise of a massive horned fish.
Manu attaches the boat to the fish's horn, and all of the creatures on board survive to repopulate the planet thanks to Vishnu's omnipotence.
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