Was saving of Manu from the Great Flood a spiritual story?

Among the various stories available on Great Deluge in different cultures, the one available in Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (शतपथ-ब्राह्मण), is perhaps, the earliest one. It is a SPIRITUAL message to all human beings, but not a real story.

This spiritual message might have travelled across the world and got included in other cultures in their respective literatures.

The other stories in different cultures, viz., Epic of Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis, Noah's ark, etc, might contain different names and slightly different narrations.

Even the stories available in Matsya Purana, Bhagavatam, etc, in the Indian literature, contain slightly different narrations.

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Actually, in Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (शतपथ-ब्राह्मण) it was narrated with ultimate aim of conveying a deep SPIRITUAL message only, but not to communicate any real life story.

The narration from Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (शतपथ-ब्राह्मण) contains 2 parts, but stories in different cultures, including that are available in Matsya Purana, Bhagavatam, cover the Part-I only. Unless both parts are studied together, the reader will miss the SPIRITUAL message.

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Further, there is no concrete evidence of occurrence of a Great Flood that engulfed the entire World at the same time period.

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Part-I (1 to 6 shlokas from Kanda I, adhyaya 8, brahmana 1)

1. In the morning they brought to Manu water for washing, just as now also they (are wont to) bring (water) for washing the hands. When he was washing himself, a fish came into his hands.

2. It spake to him the word, 'Rear me, I will save thee!' 'Wherefrom wilt thou save me?' 'A flood will carry away all these creatures: from that I will save thee!' 'How am I to rear thee?'

3. It said, 'As long as we are small, there is great destruction for us: fish devours fish. Thou wilt first keep me in a jar. When I outgrow that, thou wilt dig a pit and keep me in it. When I outgrow that, thou wilt take me down to the sea, for then I shall be beyond destruction.'

4. It soon became a jhaṣa (a large fish); for that grows largest (of all fish). Thereupon it said, 'In such and such a year that flood will come. Thou shalt then attend to me (i.e. to my advice) by preparing a ship; and when the flood has risen thou shalt enter into the ship, and I will save thee from it.'

5. After he had reared it in this way, he took it down to the sea. And in the same year which the fish had indicated to him, he attended to (the advice of the fish) by preparing a ship; and when the flood had risen, he entered into the ship. The fish then swam up to him, and to its horn he tied the rope of the ship, and by that means he passed swiftly up to yonder northern mountain.

6. It then said, 'I have saved thee. Fasten the ship to a tree; but let not the water cut thee off, whilst thou art on the mountain. As the water subsides, thou mayest gradually descend!' Accordingly he gradually descended, and hence that (slope) of the northern mountain is called 'Manu's descent.' The flood then swept away all these creatures, and Manu alone remained here.

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The other shlokas from the same chapter from Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (शतपथ-ब्राह्मण) throws light in a different dimension,ie., spiritual dimension. Indeed, we can understand that this allegory, if we understand the remaining part of the same chapter from Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (शतपथ-ब्राह्मण).

Part-II (Other shlokas from Kanda I, adhyaya 8, brahmana 1)

7. Being desirous of offspring, he engaged in worshipping and austerities. During this time he also performed  a  pāka-sacrifice: he offered up in the waters clarified butter, sour milk, whey, and curds. Thence a woman was produced in a year: becoming quite solid she rose; clarified butter gathered in her footprint. Mitra and Varuṇa met her.

8. They said to her, 'Who art thou?' 'Manu's daughter,' she replied. 'Say (thou art) ours,' they said. 'No,' she said, 'I am (the daughter) of him who begat me.' They desired to have a share in her. She either agreed or did not agree, but passed by them. She came to Manu.

10. With her he went on worshipping and performing austerities, wishing for offspring. Through her he generated this race, which is this race of Manu; and whatever blessing he invoked through her, all that was granted to him.

11. Now this (daughter of Manu) is essentially the same as the Iḍā; and whosoever, knowing this, performs with (the) Iḍā, he propagates this race which Manu generated; and whatever blessing he invokes through it (or her), all that is granted to him.

27. And further, 'She who belongs to Mitra and Varuṇa;'--this 'Maitrāvaruṇa nature' (is hers), because she met Mitra and Varuṇa.--'She, the god-fashioned one, is called hither as the Brahman; for she, the god-fashioned one, is indeed called hither as their Brahman.

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The sequence of occurrences of incidents in the above allegory:

• Manu encounters a small fish, which requests him to save him from other fishes
• The fish’s logic is that as long as it is small, it is susceptible to be devoured by other fishes. It should be saved till it outgrows every other fish, when it can be taken down to the sea, by then it shall be beyond destruction
• Manu drops it in Sea finally, when it advises Manu to build a ship and enter it, so it he can be saved from a flood that will occur at a certain time.
• Accordingly, Manu builds a ship and enters it and the big fish takes him to northern mountain, but all other creatures were swept away by the flood, except Manu.
• Being desirous of offspring, Manu was engaged in worshipping and austerities and a daughter had been born to him out of austerities. And, through her, he generated his race
• His daughter is none other than the Brahman (FORMLESS FEMININE ENERGY OF SUPREME POWER/GOD) itself
• Whosoever, knowing this, performs similarly with the help of BRAHMAN, he propagates this race which Manu generated; and whatever blessing he invokes through it (or her), all that is granted to him.

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Now, let us try to understand this allegory.

1. Manu is the first Human to attain highest level of SPIRITUALITY or SELF REALISATION.
2. According to Shri Aurobindo, a Fish indicates INSPIRED/ENLIGHTENED MIND.
3. Small fish indicates the elementary stage of ENLIGHTENED MIND of an individual, but not strong enough to withstand the onslaughts of various obstacles or Maaya in spiritual practices.
4. One should practice spiritual practices in seclusion, till one’s MIND attains strength sufficient enough to withstand the onslaughts of various obstacles or Maaya in spiritual practices or ONE’S mind becomes a BIG FISH. This is what the small fish requested for.
5. Flood or ocean indicates the obstacles one encounter with in spiritual practices
6. When ONE’S mind becomes a BIG FISH, ONE can confidently make a journey, without having a fear of being swallowed up by obstacles.
7. Northern mountain indicates the journey upwards.
8. When the STRONG enlightened Mind performs its SPIRITUAL JOURNEY upwards, through the obstacles called FLOOD, in an enclosure, it reaches the summit of its journey and thus SELF REALISATION is attained.
9. Manu’s race does not indicate his children, grand children, etc, but all elevated humans, who practiced SPIRITUALITY and attained the elevated status that MANU had attained
10. Upon dawing SELF REALISATION, one will attain SUPREME BLISS or the birth of a daughter, and through that BLISS one can attain ANYTHING one wishes for.
11. We have to remember that the daughter of MANU is called Brahman itself

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So it is ONLY a SPIRITUAL journey - narrated in esoteric manner, open to all HUMAN BEINGS.