DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.635#0023
io BENARES, THE SACRED CITY
" Take care of me, and protect me from the big fish
that would eat me, and I will one day save you".
Manu asked, "From what will you save me?" The
fish answered, "A flood will come and destroy all
living creatures. I will save you from that." Manu
kept the fish in a jar, until it grew so big that it begged
to be put into a ditch, at the same time telling Manu
to build a ship to prepare for the coming catastrophe.
Manu built the ship accordingly, and as the fish grew
too big for the ditch, carried it down to the sea. When
the flood came, Manu tied the ship to the horn of the
fish, which dragged him swiftly towards the northern
mountains, the Himalayas. Arrived there, the fish
instructed him to tie his ship to the mountain-top, and
then swam away.
As the flood subsided, the ship gradually descended
the slope of the mountain, and Manu left it to perform
worship and sacrifices. After a year a woman was
produced from the sacrifices. Manu asked, "Who art
thou?" "Thy daughter," she replied. "How, illus-
trious one, art thou my daughter?" he asked. She
answered, " Those offerings of ghee, sour milk, whey
and curds, which thou madest in the waters, with them
thou hast begotten me. I am the blessing; make use
of me at the sacrifice! If thou wilt do so, thou wilt
become rich in offspring and cattle." He accordingly
made use of her as the benediction in the middle of
the sacrifice. "With her he went on worshipping
and toiling in religious rites, wishing for offspring.
Through her he generated this race, which is the
race of Manu."
The Upanishads, like the Brahmanas, are now incor-
porated in the four Vedas. Their first compilation is
" Take care of me, and protect me from the big fish
that would eat me, and I will one day save you".
Manu asked, "From what will you save me?" The
fish answered, "A flood will come and destroy all
living creatures. I will save you from that." Manu
kept the fish in a jar, until it grew so big that it begged
to be put into a ditch, at the same time telling Manu
to build a ship to prepare for the coming catastrophe.
Manu built the ship accordingly, and as the fish grew
too big for the ditch, carried it down to the sea. When
the flood came, Manu tied the ship to the horn of the
fish, which dragged him swiftly towards the northern
mountains, the Himalayas. Arrived there, the fish
instructed him to tie his ship to the mountain-top, and
then swam away.
As the flood subsided, the ship gradually descended
the slope of the mountain, and Manu left it to perform
worship and sacrifices. After a year a woman was
produced from the sacrifices. Manu asked, "Who art
thou?" "Thy daughter," she replied. "How, illus-
trious one, art thou my daughter?" he asked. She
answered, " Those offerings of ghee, sour milk, whey
and curds, which thou madest in the waters, with them
thou hast begotten me. I am the blessing; make use
of me at the sacrifice! If thou wilt do so, thou wilt
become rich in offspring and cattle." He accordingly
made use of her as the benediction in the middle of
the sacrifice. "With her he went on worshipping
and toiling in religious rites, wishing for offspring.
Through her he generated this race, which is the
race of Manu."
The Upanishads, like the Brahmanas, are now incor-
porated in the four Vedas. Their first compilation is