Rajasthan Darshan Desk, The first incarnation of Lord Vishnu took place at the beginning of Satyayuga, which is considered to be the incarnation of Matsya or fish. During this period, a great king named Satyavrata ruled the Dravidian country. Once while bathing in the river he found a fish. Which he brought to his palace. That fish was none other than Matsya Avatar, the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The fish told King Satyavrat that O king, a demon named Higriva has stolen the Vedas. I have taken this incarnation to kill that demon. On the seventh day from today the earth will be submerged in flood. Till then, you should arrange for a big boat and on the day of doomsday, board the boat along with the seven sages carrying all kinds of creatures and medicinal seeds. I will show you the way on the day of judgement.
After this, Satyavrat made all the preparations told by God and started waiting for the doomsday. The scene before on the seventh day: The sea overflowed and started flowing beyond its limits. Satyavrat boarded the boat with the seven sages.
The boat started floating in the ocean of destruction. Apart from that boat, nothing was visible anywhere in that ocean of destruction. Then Lord Vishnu appeared there in the form of a fish. True to his word, he used the serpent Vasuki as a rope to guide the boat out of the disaster. Also provided enlightenment to Satyavrat. Told – “I alone reside in all the living beings. No one is high or low. All the living beings are equal. The world is mortal. There is nothing in the mortal world except me. The creature who lives his life seeing me in everything, Yes, it is found in me in the end.”
Satyavrat’s life became blessed after attaining enlightenment from God in the form of a fish. He became free from life while he was still alive. When the wrath of the cataclysm subsided, God in the form of a fish killed Hayagriva and snatched the Vedas from him. God again gave the Vedas to Brahmaji. In this way, God not only saved the Vedas by taking the form of a fish, but also did immense welfare to the living beings of the world. Similarly, God incarnates from time to time and does welfare of gentlemen and sages.
There is no animal sacrifice in the Vedas nor can there be. In Chapter 7, Section 8 of Aitareya Brahmana, the prohibition has been applied to the use of animals and humans in Yagya. When the gods first try to sacrifice a human being, Medha (Sayanacharya and others take this as a vapa) rejects the human and mounts him on a horse. And from one horse to another and then to another horse. At last, it went into a ground and rice grew there, Medha remained there when the gods offered it. The Gatha mantra says “Ta et utkrantmedha amedhyah paashvastasmadesha nashaniyat” which means – one should not consume the products of beings disapproved by Medha.
It also ends by saying, “Samedhen Hasami Pashunestabhavati Kevalen Hasami Pashunestabhavati Ya and Vedas”. It means – the person who has the knowledge of substituting animal part in place of animal part (like Purolasha), his Yagya is completed with the entire essence of Yagya. He becomes accomplished with the entire essence of the Yagya.
These verses themselves destroy the story of animal sacrifice described in the Vedas. But unfortunately, the Mimamsakas still practiced animal slaughter in place of this prohibition.
Please read entire 8.7 of Aitareya Brahmana and understand why animals and humans cannot be offered as oblations in Yagya.
Purusha va deva: Pashmalbhant tasmadalabdhanamadh kamatso Gorabdaddduddrdhrvamvishtasamadvarvarvarpathakatamadhayamadhyamadhyamadhtamar Smadesh eteshmapsoonampattamo yadjas वृहिरभावत्तद्यतपशौ पूरोलाशमनुनिर्वापत्ती समेधेन नह पशुनेष्तमसतकेवलेन नह पशुनेष्तमसदिती समेधेन हमादी पशुनेष्ट्मभावती केवलेन हमादी पशुनेष्टमभावती एव य वेदा
The gods sacrificed a man in their yagya. But his special organ (medha), which was necessary for performing the oblation, came out and entered a horse. Therefore the horse became an animal suitable for sacrifice in the yagya. Then the gods sent away the man whose essential part of the yagya had gone out of him; Thus he became Kinpurusha (a species which are all dwarfs). The gods sacrificed a horse (in a yagya); But the organ (medha) that could be sacrificed in the yagya came out of it and entered a bull. Therefore the bull became an animal suitable for sacrifice in the yagya. Then the gods sent away (this horse) when the sacrificial part (horse) belonging to him passed away, after which he transformed into a white deer. The gods sacrificed bulls; But the part that could be sacrificed in the yagya came out of the bull and entered the sheep, hence the sheep became eligible to be sacrificed in the yagya. Then the gods drove away the bull which became Gayal (drunk bull). The gods sacrificed a sheep, but the sacrificial part of the yagya came out of the sheep and entered the goat; Hence the goat became eligible to be sacrificed in the yagya. The gods drove away the sheep, which became a camel. The relevant sacrificial part remained in the goat for the longest time (compared to other animals); Therefore, among all these animals, the goat is the most suitable (to be sacrificed in the yagya). The gods sacrificed the goat, but the part that could be sacrificed in the yagya came out of it and entered the earth. Therefore the earth is worthy of offering. Then the gods drove out the goat, which became Sharabha. All these animals, which have escaped from the Yagya, are unfit for use in the Yagya. Therefore (their products) should not be eaten. After the yagya-bhaga entered the earth, the gods surrounded it (so that no one could escape); Then it turned into rice. When they divide the Purolasha into parts after sacrificing the animal, they perform the Yagya with the wish that “May our Yagya be accomplished, because the part related to the Yagya is contained in the rice of the Purolasha. Our Yagya related part is the entire Yagya should be full of essence.” The Yagya of a person who has the knowledge of replacing the animal part with a non-animal part (like Purolasha) becomes complete with the essence of Yagya. He becomes imbued with the entire essence of the Yagya.
