Matsya

Matsya is the first of the ten primary avatars of Vishnu — the fish incarnation. In the Matsya Avatar, Vishnu took the form of a fish to save Manu (the progenitor of humanity) and the seven sages from a great cosmic flood that destroyed the previous cosmic cycle. He also recovered the stolen Vedas from the demon Hayagriva who had hidden them in the ocean. The Matsya avatar appears at the start of the current world cycle and symbolises the preservation of sacred knowledge and the seeds of life through cataclysm. The story prefigures the flood myths found across many world cultures.

Half-fish, half-human form — the upper body of Vishnu with four arms holding the conch, chakra, mace, and lotus, and the lower body of a great fish. Sometimes depicted in full fish form towing Manu's boat through the flood waters with a horn.