The Matsya Purāṇa is one of the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas (major Purāṇas) in the Hindu tradition, named after Matsya, the fish incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu. According to its own narrative, this Purāṇa was first taught by Matsya to Manu, the progenitor of mankind, at the time of a great cosmic flood (pralaya). In this myth, Viṣṇu, in the form of a fish, rescues Manu, the seven sages (saptarṣis), seeds of all species, and the sacred scriptures by guiding a boat to safety, thus preserving creation and sacred knowledge. This legend sets the frame for the teachings that unfold in the text, many of which are imparted by Viṣṇu (as Matsya) to Manu in dialogue form.
Traditionally, the Matsya Purāṇa is said to contain around 14,000–15,000 verses, though extant versions range between 250 and 291 chapters, depending on the manuscript tradition. It is composed in classical Sanskrit and integrates a wide variety of themes — making it a quintessential encyclopedic Purāṇa. Its contents span cosmology, mythology, theology, dharma (righteous conduct), ritual procedures, genealogies, and tīrtha-māhātmya (glories of sacred places). It describes the creation of the universe in cycles (kalpas), the appearance and disappearance of various beings, the succession of Manus and Manvantaras (ages), and the duties of different classes of beings including gods, sages, kings, and householders.
