The time for the purging
of this world is now ripe. Therefore do I now explain what is good for
thee! The mobile and immobile divisions of the creation, those that have
the power of locomotion, and those that have it not, of all these the
terrible doom hath now approached. Thou shall build a strong massive ark
and have it furnished with a long rope. On that must thou ascend, O
great _Muni_, with the seven _Rishis_ and take with thee all the
different seeds which were enumerated by regenerate Brahmanas in days of
yore, and separately and carefully must thou preserve them therein. And
whilst there, O beloved of the _Munis_, thou shall wait for me, and I
shall appear to thee like a horned animal, and thus, O ascetic, shall
thou recognise me! And I shall now depart, and thou shall act according
to my instructions, for, without my assistance, thou canst not save
thyself from that fearful flood." Then Manu said unto the fish, "I do
not doubt all that thou hast said, O great one! Even so shall I act!"
And giving instructions to each other, they both went away. And Manu
then, O great and powerful king and conqueror of thy enemies, procured
all the different seeds as directed by the fish, and set sail in an
excellent vessel on the surging sea. And then, O lord of the earth, he
bethought himself of that fish. And the fish too, O conqueror of thy
enemies and foremost scion of Bharata's race, knowing his mind, appeared
there with horns on his head.
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