Manu and
the Fish is a very short myth about Manu, who finds and takes care of a fish.
The fish warns him of some terrible things that the fish will help him avoid in
exchange for this treatment. Manu feeds the fish, which grows and grows and
grows. Manu has to transfer it to successively larger jars until fully grown
and returned to the ocean. When the floods come, the fish pulls Manu to safety
in a boat.
Now, this
story is only a few sentences longer than my summary, but there’s a lot going
on. This is actually a very moral story, as are many flood myths. Whereas
creation stories set the stage for all the players, flood myths demonstrate the
morality of the culture. The Hindu culture is about karma, which is clearly
demonstrated by Manu and the Fish. Manu’s treatment of the fish is reciprocated
later on.
Good deeds are returned to the
doer, which is a cornerstone in many belief systems and cultures. It is the
most basic set of laws in culture, which defines future laws. The reasons for
not murdering and not stealing are to prevent them from happening to you. Society
must build itself upon this basic social contract. Without the understanding
that people will treat each other well, that there is some sort of reciprocity
for breaking the contract, civilization can never emerge. Manu and the Fish,
though a very short flood myth, demonstrates a fundamental aspect of culture.