मत्स्य पुराण

The Matsya Purana is spoken by Vishnu as the fish who rescued Manu from the great flood. Many scholars regard it as belonging to the earlier layers of the Puranic tradition, and it is traditionally counted at about fourteen thousand verses. Tradition places it among the tamasic group with a mixed set of deities.

The flood narrative is its signature story: Matsya tows Manu's boat, carrying the seven sages and the seeds of life through the dissolution of the world. Beyond that, the text has long technical sections on the building of temples and houses, the making of images, gems, music and dance, and the duties of rulers. These have made it a standard source for scholars of Vastu and temple architecture.

It is read mostly by students of Puranic literature, historians of art and architecture, and those interested in the tradition of the deluge. It is often compared with the Agni Purana, which also has encyclopedic technical content, and with the Bhagavata Purana, which retells the Matsya episode.