Shloka 26
Adhyāya 188: Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account of Yuga-Decline and the Restoration Motif
Kali-yuga to Kalki
यदा समुद्रे प्रक्षिप्त: स मत्स्यो मनुना तदा । तत एनमिदं वाक््यं स्मयमान इवाब्रवीत्,जब मनुने उस मत्स्यको समुद्रमें डाल दिया, तब इसने उनसे मुसकराते हुए-से कहा --
yadā samudre prakṣiptaḥ sa matsyo manunā tadā | tata enam idaṃ vākyaṃ smayamāna ivābravīt ||
മനു ആ മത്സ്യത്തെ സമുദ്രത്തിൽ വിട്ടപ്പോൾ, അത് പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ എന്നപോലെ അവനോട് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു—
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma through compassionate action: Manu’s act of placing the fish in the ocean reflects protection and responsibility toward a vulnerable being, hinting that ethical care can invite a greater, even divine, unfolding of events.
Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that Manu casts the fish into the ocean; immediately afterward, the fish—seemingly smiling—begins to speak to Manu, signaling a turning point where the rescued creature reveals knowledge or intention beyond the ordinary.