Beginning of Agni Puraan; Matsya Avataar, Saagar Manthan, Koorm, Mohinee, Varaah, Narasinh, Vaaman and Parashuraam Avataar.

Beginning of Agni Puraan

I salute to Lakshmee, Saraswatee, Paarvatee, Ganesh, Kaartikeya, Mahaadev Jee, Brahmaa, Agni, Indra etc Devtaa and Vaasudev.

Once Shaunak etc Rishi were doing Yagya in Naimish Aranya, that Soot Jee came there. Rishi welcomed him and said - "Please tell us the gist of that knowledge by knowing which one can know all things." Soot Jee said - "Hey Rishi, Only Vishnu is the gist of all things. If one knows Him he knows everything. There are two forms of Brahm which should be known - Shabd Brahm and Par Brahm. There are two knowledge also which should be known - A-Paraa Vidyaa and Paraa Vidyaa. Atharv Ved says like this.

Once I went to Badrik Aashram with Shuk Dev Jee and Pail etc Rishi. There Vyaas Jee preached us like this, I tell the same to you. Vyaas Jee said - "Once I asked the same question from Vashishth Muni, I tell you what he told me. Vashishth Jee said - "Vyaas, There are two forms of that omni-present Brahm - Agni Dev says so. Agni Puraan is the best and its each word is Brahm's knowledge. Rig Ved etc all Ved and Shaastra etc are A-Par Brahm form. Agni Dev himself has said this Agni Puraan. Vishnu is the only Par Brahm. People worship only Him by Karm Yog and Gyaan Yog. He said - "Vashishth, Only I am Vishnu and only I am Rudra. I tell you the gist of all knowledge, this is called Agni Puraan. Brahm is not different from it. It contains the description of Sarg, Prati-Sarg, Vansh, Manvantar, biographies and Vishnu who has taken several Avataar.

Vishnu has two kinds of knowledge - Paraa and A-Paraa. All Ved, their six Ang, Meemaansaa, Dharm Shaastra, Puraan, Nyaaya, Aayur Ved, Gaandharv Ved, Dhanur Ved and Arth Shaastra - all are A-Paraa Vidyaa. Paraa Vidyaa is which gives the knowledge of Brahm. So you should consider this Agni Puraan as Paraa Vidyaa. Previously Vishnu told me this and I tell you now the same."

Matsya Avataar

Vashishth Jee said - "Hey Agni Dev, Please tell me about Vishnu's Matsya Avataar and then Agni Puraan." Agni Dev said - "All Avataar occur to destroy evil people and to protect Saadhu people. In the end of the last Kalp "Braahm" named Naimittik Pralaya occurred. At that time Prithvi etc all Lok sank in water. Before Pralaya, Vaivaswat Manu was doing Tapasyaa for pleasure and Moksh. One day when he was doing Tarpan in Kritmaalaa River, a very tiny fish came into his hands. Raajaa thought to throw it in the water that it said - "Hey Raajan, Please do not throw me in the water, I fear for my life from large fish etc. So Manu kept it in his water Kalash.

The fish started growing and said to Manu, "Please keep me in a bigger place, it is very narrow for me." Raajaa kept it in a bigger pot, but the fish grew much bigger than the pot very soon. This time Manu threw it in some large pond, but the fish got bigger soon and became equal to the size of the pond. It again asked him to give him a new place. Now Manu threw it in the sea. There it grew to 100,000 Yojan size. Seeing that fish growing like this, Manu got very surprised, he asked it - "You are not a fish, please tell me, who are you? You must be Vishnu. I salute you. Why are you deluding me with your Maayaa?"

Then the fish said - "I have assumed this form o destroy evil people and to protect the world. On the 7th day from today, this whole Prithvi will sink in the sea. At that time a boat will come to you. You sit in that boat carrying all kinds of seeds etc. Saptarshi will aso be with you. Till Brahmaa's night will continue, you will be wandering in that boat. At that time you tie your boat to my horn by a strong rope." After saying this Bhagavaan disappeared, and Manu started waiting for that hour.

On the 7th day, sea crossed its limits and Prithvi started sinking in it, he saw a boat coming towards him. He embarked on that boat. At the same time the same fish appeared there and Manu tied his boat to its horn. Its body was huge, 1,000,000 Yojan long. While Raajaa was sitting in that boat, he heard Matsya Puraan. At the end of the Pralaya, Bhagavaan killed Hayagreev named Daitya who had stolen Ved from Brahmaa Jee. When Varaah Kalp came, He assumed Kashchap form."

Saagar Manthan, Koorm and Mohinee Avataar

Agni Dev said - "Hey Vashishth, Now I will tell you about Koorm Avataar (see the Complete List of Avataar). Long time ago, Daitya defeated Devtaa in war. Durvaasaa had also given them Shaap so they lost their wealth also. So they went to Vishnu and prayed Him to help them. He said to them - "To churn this Ksheer Saagar, and get Lakshmee and Amrit, you should extend friendship with Daitya. If there is any difficult work, then one should make even his enemies friends. I will give you Amrit. Use Mandaraachal as the churning rod, and Vaasuki Naag as the churning rope and start your work, I will help you."

So all Devtaa came to the shore of the sea. Both started churning the sea, Devtaa from Vaasuki's tail side and Daitya from his mouth side. But since there was no base under the mountain, Mandaraachal Parvat started shaking and sinking. Vishnu assumed Koorm (tortoise) form and balanced the Parvat on His back. After a while Halaahal Vish (poison) came out of the Sea. Shankar kept it in his throat. This caused his throat become blue so he was called Neelkanth. Then came out Vaarunee Devee, Paarijaat Vriksh, Kaustubh Mani, cows, and Divine Apsaraas. And after them came out Lakshmee Devee. Vishnu took her and all worshipped her. Then came out Dhanvantari, who is the Avataar of Vishnu and started Aayur Ved, carrying a pot of Amrit. Immediately Daitya snatched Amrit pot from him and ran away from there. Among them Jambh etc Daitya were main.

Soon Vishnu assumed the form of a beautiful woman, Mohinee, and appeared among them. Daitya got attracted to her and said to her - "You become our wife and give this Amrit to us." Bhagavaan took the pot of Amrit from them and gave it to Devtaa. Raahu Daitya guessed this deceit. He assumed Chandramaa's form and started drinking Amrit. Soorya and Chandramaa revealed this to Vishnu and Vishnu cut his head from His Chakra. His head got separated from his trunk. Vishnu pitied him and made him immortal. He gave him the status of a planet also. Raahu said to Vishnu - "These Soorya and Chandra will be eclipsed by me several times and during that time whatever donation will be made by people will become immortal." Vishnu said - "So be it."

After this incident, once Shiv wished again to see Vishnu's Mohinee form. He showed him that. Shiv got so much attracted to Her that he left Paarvatee Jee and followed Her. He became naked and held Her by Her hair. Bhagavaan freed Herself and ran away from there. Shiv again followed Her. In this process, wherever Shiv's semen fell, those places became Shiv Ling areas and gold mines. Soon Shiv realized that it was only Maayaa and came back. Bhagavaan appeared in His real form and said to Shiv - "You have won my Maayaa. There is nobody else except on Prithvi who can win my Maayaa." Bhagavaan didn't let the Daitya have Amrit, Devtaa won Daitya, they got their Swarg back and Daitya went to Paataal Lok. Who ever reads this story, he goes to Swarg."

Varaah, Narasinh, Vaaman and Parashuraam Avataar

Agni Dev said - "Hey Vashishth, Now I will tell you about Varaah Avataar. In earlier times, there was a Daitya named Hiranyaaksh. He won Devtaa and started living in Swarg. Devtaa went to Vishnu and prayed Him to help them. Vishnu assumed the form of a Varaah (boar), killed him and protected Devtaa from Daitya.

Now Hiranyaaksh had a brother named Hiranyakashyap. He snatched Devtaa's Yagya share an started enjoying them himself. Vishnu assumed the form of Nrasinh Bhagavaan and killed him along with his relatives. Devtaa got their Swarg and prayed Him to help them.

In earlier times, once a war broke between Devtaa and Daitya. Bali defeated Devtaa and expelled them from Swarg. Devtaa again went to Vishnu. Vishnu got very pleased with the prayer of Kashyap and Aditi and appeared from Aditi's womb in the form of Vaaman. At that time Raajaa Bali was doing Yagya in Haridwaar. Vaaman went there and started praying him. As Raajaa Bali heard Ved prayers from Vaaman's mouth, he got ready to give him Var. In spite of stopping by his Guru Shukraachaarya, he said to Vaaman - "Ask whatever you want to ask from me."

Vaaman said - "I want only three feet land for my Guru." Bali said, "Sure." As he took the water in his hands to read the Sankalp, Vaaman increased His size so much so that, He measured Bhoor Lok, Bhuvar Lok, and Swarg Lok by His three feet and sent Bali to Sutal Lok. Indra got his kingdom back and everybody was happy.

Now I will tell you about Parashuraam Avataar. When Hari saw that Kshtriya of Prithvi have been wicked, He appeared from Renukaa's womb as the son of Jamadagni. He was very skilled in weaponry. In those days Kritveerya's son Raajaa Arjun was ruling the Prithvi with his 1,000 arms which he got by the grace of Bhagavaan Dattaatreya. One day he went to a forest for hunting. There he got very tired, so Maharshi Jamadagni invited him on his Aashram and fed them by the grace of Kaamdhenu. Raajaa asked that Kaamdhenu for himself but Muni refused to give her to him. Then he took her forcefully. Hearing this Parashuraam Jee fought with him in Haihaya Puree. and killed him. He came back to his Aashram with Kaamdhenu.

Once when Parashuraam Jee had gone to forest, Arjun's sons killed Jamadagni Jee. Parashuraam Jee got very angry seeing this, he killed all Kshatriya of Prithvi 21 times. He filled five tanks with their blood in Kuru Kshetra and did Tarpan of their Pitar. Later he donated the whole Prithvi to Kashyap Jee and went to Mahendra Parvat."