Matsya Jayanti Celebration in 2024

Matsya Jayanti: Date, Tithi Time, Vishnu Puja For Peace And Prosperity

Matsya Jayanti marks the Fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In Vedic scriptures like Vishnu Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam, it is mentioned that in the Satya Yuga, the Lord assumed the form of a giant fish or Matsya. It was the first incarnation before others. This day occurs during Chaitra Navratri and is considered highly auspicious for Vishnu puja.

Matsya Jayanti Puja Tithi (Date & Day)

Matsya Jayanti on Thursday, April 11, 2024

Matsya Jayanti Muhurat - 01:37 PM to 04:04 PM
Duration - 02 Hours 27 Mins
Tritiya Tithi Begins - 05:32 PM on Apr 10, 2024
Tritiya Tithi Ends - 03:03 PM on Apr 11, 2024

Matsya Jayanti 2024: Story and Significance of Matsya Avatar of Vishnu

All the Vedic scriptures praise and sing the glory of Lord Vishnu, considering Him to be the ultimate beneficiaries of all the sacrifices (prayers) offered. The Lord takes different avatars (Incarnations) and descends to perform superhuman acts and pastimes in order to attract His devotees and other saintly humans. There are two objectives behind the appearance of Lord Vishnu in His different avatars. First, He attracts and protects His devotees and recalls the fallen souls. Second, He destroys the evil forces that threaten the pious and the existence of cosmos.

The Lord reveals His purpose of descending onto Earth in the Bhagavad Gita (4.7-8)
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (4.7)
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge (4.8)

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” (4.7)“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” (4.8)In the above verses, the divine missions are absolutely made clear. Millennium after millennium signifies that it’s a continuous process. Evil forces keep creating the disturbances. Devotees always pray to the Lord to save the innocent from such forces. And the Lord pleased by their prayers incarnate in His divine avatars in order to fulfill His missions.

Vedas inform that the Lord incarnates onto various lokas (planets) time to time. It is said in the scriptures that there are innumerable incarnations of the Lord appearing on the planets in the millions of galaxies. In this material world (our universe), His ten most popular incarnations are celebrated, sung or prayed to by the pious. Following are the ten most popular incarnations called Dashavatara of Vishnu. Dasha means ‘ten’ and avatar means ‘incarnation’. And one of the incarnations is Fish or Matsya avatara.

Matsya Avatara: This is the fish incarnation of Vishnu. He once rescued Manu and the great Seven Sages ‘saptarshi’ (Kaśyapa, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadvāja) from pralaya (The Great Flood or Deluge). In this form, the Lord had a human torso connected to the rear half of a fish. In the Puranas, it is given that Manu along with other Sages was warned about the Great Flood. He was told to board a boat, being accompanied by the Sages along with all the species of life including grains. While they are crossing the flood it was Lord Matsya who protected them. The Flood is a period of no activities (material or spiritual) between two creations.

What to Do on Matsya Jayanti: Fasting Rules and Other Activities

• You may visit a Vishnu/Krishna temple and offer prayers. If a temple is not around, you can worship Him at your home in the early morning. The idols of Lord Vishnu should be worshipped with sandalwood, flowers, fruits and dhoop .
• You can worship Lord Vishnu by using energised Vishnu Yantras , Matsya Yantra and Matsya Stand .
• You can also chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra on the Tulsi bead .
• You can offer flowers and chant Vishnu Sahasranamam (Thousands name of Lord Vishnu). Chanting thousand names of Vishnu or Vishnu Strotram has a purifying effect on the mind and the body. You can also play it in the morning while you engage in daily work. More details here.
• You can also perform a Vishnu Sahasranama Puja under qualified Brahmins. It is a highly recommended activity on this day. The puja includes Vishnu- Lakshmi Abhishek and Pujan, Vishnu mantra Japa- 1100 times, Vishnu Sahasranama Strotra followed by Homa and Aarti.
• You can wear a Ten Mukhi and a Nineteen Mukhi Rudraksha beads for they are ruled by Lord Krishna and Narayana, respectively. Wearing these Rudraksha beads on this day purifies your inner self and strengthens your willpower. They work like a shield on one's body, and the wearer gets immense protection from negative energies, evil eyes and psychic attacks.
• Donate clothes, food grains, umbrellas, hand fans, pitchers filled with water and any other items to Brahmins.