rÅ«paá¹ sa jagá¹›he mÄtsyaá¹
cÄká¹£uá¹£odadhi-samplave
nÄvy Äropya mahÄ«-mayyÄm
apÄd vaivasvataá¹ manum
When there was an inundation after the period of the CÄká¹£uá¹£a Manu the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, placing him on a boat formed from the earth.
During Caksusa manvantara there was a flood of water. Another version has caksusantara-samplave. The earth acted as a boat (navi mahi-mayyam). Matsya protected (apad) the person who would be Vaivasvata-manu. Sridhara Svami says though there is not a flood at the end of this manvantara, an illusory flood was shown to Satyavrata for fun. However in Visnu-dharmottara, Vajra asks Markandeya, “What happens at the end of the manvantara?†Markandeya says:
urmi-mali maha-vegah sarvam avrtya tisthati |
bhurlokam asritam sarvam tada nasyati yadava ||
na vinasyanti rajendra visrutah kula-parvatah |
naur bhutva tu maha-devi yadu-kulodvaha |
dharayaty atha bijani sarvany evavisesatah ||
[1.75.5-6, 9 |
O Vajra, the great Lord, in the form of water, greatly agitated with countless waves, covers the earth and the lower planets with water. O Yadava! All things on the earth planet are destroyed at that time. Only the famous mountains are not destroyed, O best of kings! At that time, the earth personified, taking the form of a boat, protects all the seeds without discrimination, O offspring of the Yadu family!
This explains that there is destruction at the end of the manvantara. In Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Rupa Gosvami also states that there is a devastation by water after every manvantara. In his comments on some verses of Hari-vamsa as well he says the same. The verse mentions the Caksusa-manvantara. Because Satyavrata was a great devotee of Matsya, and Matsya was attracted to his devotee, Matsya appeared at this time. The following verse illustrates how the Lord is controlled by his devotee.
svacchandopatta-dehaya visuddha-jnana-murtaye
sarvasmai sarva-bijaya sarva-bhutatmane namah
Unto Him who assumes transcendental bodies according to the desires of His devotees, unto Him whose form is itself pure consciousness, unto Him who is everything, who is the seed of everything and who is the Soul of all creatures, I offer my obeisances. SB 10.27.11
Therefore this particular narration is representative of events that take place after every manvantara.
