he born of Manu!--Manu saw the sea-borne fish,
In his form foreshewn, the horned--like a mountain huge and high.
To the fish's head his cable, Manu bound--O king of men!
Strong and firm his cable wound he--round and round on either horn:
And the fish, all conquering raja!--with that twisted cable bound,
With the utmost speed that vessel--dragged along the ocean tide.
In his bark along the ocean--boldly went the king of men:
Dancing with the tumbling billows--dashing through the roaring spray,
Tossed about by winds tumultuous--in the vast and heaving sea,
Like a trembling, drunken woman--reeled that ship, O king of men.
Earth was seen no more, no region--nor the intermediate space;
All around a waste of water--water all, and air and sky.
In the whole world of creation--princely son of Bharata!
None was seen but those seven Sages--Manu only, and the fish.
Years on years, and still unwearied--drew that fish the bark along,
Till at length it came, where lifted--Himavan its loftiest peak.
There at length it came, and smiling--thus the fish addressed the sage:
"To the peak of Himalaya--bind thou now thy stately ship."
At the fish's mandate quickly--to the peak of Himavan
Bound the sage his bark, and ever--to this day that loftiest peak,
Bears the name of Manubandhan--from the binding of the bark.
To the sage, the god of mercy--thus with fixed look bespake:
"I am lord of all creation--Brahma, higher than all height;
I in fishlike form have saved thee--Manu, in the perilous hour;
But from thee new tribes of creatures--gods, asuras, men must spring.
All the worlds must be created--all that moves or moveth not,
By an all-surpassing penance--this great work must be achieved.
Through my mercy, thy creation--to confusion ne'er shall run,"
Spake the fish, and on the instant--to the invisible he passed.
Vivaswata's son, all eager--the creation to begin,
Stood amid his work confounded:--mighty penance wrought he then.
So fulfilled that rigorous penance--instant Manu 'gan create--
Instant every living creature--Raja! he began to form.
Such the old, the famous legend--named the story of the Fish,
Which to thee I have related--this for all our sins atones.
He that hears it, Manu's legend,--in the full possession he,
Of all things complete and perfect--to the heavenly world ascends.

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