Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana — 12 chapters, 120 questions. The Matsya Purana — the English translation by a Taluqdar of Oudh, Sacred Books of the Hindus, vol. 17 (1916–17).
The Matsya Purana is one of the eighteen great Puranas. It is named for the fish Vishnu became to save Manu, and the whole Purana is told in the fish's voice. Besides creation, dynasties, pilgrimage places and vows, it holds many stories: Yayati and Devayani, Harikesha the Yaksha, the burning of Tripura, Sanjna and Chhaya. Only the stories are taken here, not the chapters on vows, building and the duties of kings. The tales are retold in our own words from a direct reading of the translation.
- Manu and the Fish — A tiny fish that fell into a king's hand and grew until it filled the sea — and told him a flood was coming
- Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu — The one who asked that he die neither by day nor by night, nor by any weapon — and a lion that walked into his court
- Kacha and Devayani — The pupil who learned the art of raising the dead from inside his teacher's belly — and the teacher's daughter who begged him not to go
- Devayani: From the Well to the Palace — Pushed into a well by a princess — and the one who made that same princess her maid
- Puru Gives His Youth — When four sons refused to give their father their youth — and the fifth said, take mine
- Yayati's Fall and Ashtaka — A king falling from heaven, and the gift of four kings that he refused to take
- Harikesha the Yaksha — The Yaksha whose father drove him from home — and who became, in Kashi, a skeleton of bones and then king of Shiva's hosts
- Tripura: Three Cities and One Arrow — Three cities floating in the sky that only one arrow could bring down — and Shiva wept after he loosed it
- Surya, Sanjna and Chhaya — She could not bear the Sun's heat, so she left her shadow to be his wife — and a son answered his mother's kick
- Vamana and Bali — The dwarf who asked for three paces of ground — and the king who would not refuse, though his teacher warned him
- The Churning of the Ocean — A mountain for a churning-stick, a serpent for the rope — and when poison came out first, Shiva held it in his throat
- Fate and Effort — Manu asked the Fish whether fate is greater or one's own effort — and the Fish's answer turned out to be the heart of the whole Purana
Questions about Matsya Purana
How is Matsya Purana divided here?
This retelling of Matsya Purana has 12 chapters: Manu and the Fish, Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu, Kacha and Devayani, Devayani: From the Well to the Palace, Puru Gives His Youth, Yayati's Fall and Ashtaka, Harikesha the Yaksha, Tripura: Three Cities and One Arrow, Surya, Sanjna and Chhaya, Vamana and Bali, The Churning of the Ocean, Fate and Effort.
What is Matsya Purana about?
A Purana that begins with one small fish — with a flood boat in it, an old king's borrowed youth, a Yaksha's penance, and three cities turned to ash.
What is the source of this retelling?
The Matsya Purana — the English translation by a Taluqdar of Oudh, Sacred Books of the Hindus, vol. 17 (1916–17).
Is there a quiz on Matsya Purana?
Yes. Each chapter ends with 10 questions, and behind every right answer there is a short story that explains it. In all, 120 questions.