The legend of Matsya Avatar continues here, as the 2nd out of 3-part synopsis. The mention of verses are ordered differently below according to the flow of interpretations. The interpretation that follows is an accumulation of contemporary scientific references, primarily from Wikipedia, sought to match the scriptures for literal clues.
Disclaimer : Do not believe what I say, unless you contemplate yourself, for the following is a way to extract history out of mythology, following the premise – “if there is smoke, then there is fire and the smoke becomes thinner as it moves further, not to mention the fog at a distant dawn that mixes it into a smog.”
When being casted, by the king, straight onto the sea,
Matsya, with pretence of fear, again made a plea.
My Interpretation :
- “Matsya made a plea” – metaphorically talks, that is actually looks like human – With its entire head looking uncannily like a disgruntled human face, one of the most unique looking fish on the planet, is the ‘unicorn fish’ having a very human feature – an unusually large nose. Do check the photo in reference. Reference.
At first in kamandulu, then bowl and then larger make,
The sheltered Matsya grew overnight to fill even a lake.
My Interpretation :
- “Matsya grew overnight” – the whitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus), being the largest species in the family, may grow quickly in aquaria, so average growth size and suitability should be checked before adding them to any marine aquarium. Reference.
- The whitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus) can reach a length of 100 cm (1 m or 3 ft 3 in), making it one of the largest members of the family Acanthuridae. Reference.
Incarnated Vishnu, as a matsya, teensy-weensy fish,
Landed on the palm, of king for a wish.
My Interpretation :
- “Matsya so teensy-weensy“ – Unicornfish can begin with a size as small as a few inches, for example in acquarium, Naso Vlamingii can start off at 3 inches, which is obviously feasible size to have been held by Manu and his kamandulu. Reference.
“Clearly, no ordinary fauna but divine being !
What’s thy purpose?” prayed the devotee king.
My Interpretation :
- “Matsya no ordinary” – Indeed, decrypting a miracle into a science is task next to impossible, for otherwise it would not have been considered miracle for centuries.
- For example, the growth of some species in family Acanthuridae, although is exceptionally rapid enough to raise concern on size of acquarium, as in with 60–80% of linear growth being accomplished within the first 15% of the life-span, but the measure is, for example, particularly Naso vlamingii (vlamingi tang) starting off at 3 inches and growing as long as 8 inches in 3-4 months instead of overnight, which could thus be a Hyperbole figure of speech, rather than a fabricated fiction. Reference. Reference.
- For example, although a relatively smaller different species bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis) or kala (lit. tough), also with a horn, have so tough skin that they were prized by the ancient Hawaiians and used for drumheads, but having a strength to pull a boat filled with 8 humans and cargo, is still highly questionable. Reference.
- Therefore, the search for Matysa points to a herbivorous foraging ancestor of Naso having extraordinary magnitude of certain characteristics (size and strength) at an older epoch, that being underwater is possibly undetected till date.
- Nonetheless, although not unfolding completely, a clue closer to a realistic outlook than a religious scepticism, is that – the genus Naso is distributed across the Indo-Pacific from Africa to Hawaii, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and the western/central Pacific Ocean. Reference.
Miracle is a science that is known only to God.
It is not a task for the heart of religious, but also the brain of science, to realize Hinduism.
My Conjecture :
- Based on a new analysis of the fossil record, we identify a previously unrecognized extinction event among marine megafauna (mammals, seabirds, turtles and sharks) during this time, with extinction rates three times higher than in the rest of the Cenozoic, and with 36% of Pliocene genera failing to survive into the Pleistocene. Marine megafauna were more vulnerable to global environmental changes in the recent geological past than previously thought. Reference.
- Does this mean, alternatively Pliocene Marine Megafauna Extinction is the reason why Matsya might seem to be a infeasible/myth at present age ?
- Large body size is an adaptation to colder climes, so a warming climate would have provided a stressor for these large animals; however, many fauna simply evolved a smaller body size over time. This caused effectively Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction during the epoch of latest period Quaternary, that came after Pliocene epoch of previous period Neogene. Reference.
- The evolution of zooplanktivory in Naso involved an ecological shift from medium-sized food items to extremely small prey. Reference
- Does this mean, the ancestor of Naso Annulatus was much larger once upon a time, hence considerably stronger enough to pull an ark ?
The Obtuse Objective View 