Matsya Avatar

The first of the Dashavatars of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Being saves the world from the deluge. Growing from a tiny fish in Manu's hands into something bigger and bigger, from a pot, tank and finally to the ocean, the fish saves Manu and the rest from the parlaya (deluge) that it forewarns before the lord presents himself in this avatar -- half-man, half-fish, cradling four infants, presumably representing the four Vedas. Varma's representation of the lord shows the shankh (conch) and chakra (discus) as well as the Kireetam (crown).