Contents: Vol. I. Chapters 1 to 150: Introduction. 1. The cause of the lord Visnu assuming the form of fish and other related details. 2. Conversation between Matsya and Manu. 3. The primary creation. 4. The story of Sarasvati. 5. Birth of the daughters of Daksa and Kumara Karttikeya. 6. Description of the Kasyapa dynasty. 7. Birth of Maruts and description of Madana Dvadasi. 8. Presiding deities of each Sarga and the crowning of Prthu as king. 9. Description of Manvantaras and seven Rsis. 10. The story of the king Prthu and the milking of the cow. 11. Genesis of the solar and lunar dynasties and the story of Ila. 12. The story of Ila and description of Iksvaku dynasty. 13. Description of Pitr-vamsa and the hundred and eight names of the Goddess. 14. Fall of Acchoda from the heaven and her redemption at her prayer to the manes. 15. Description of Pitr-vamsa and the method of performing Sraddha. 16. Different kinds of Sraddhas and the qualities of the Brahmanas to be invited in the Sraddhas. 17. Performing of Sraddha for achieving prosperity and emancipation. 18. Method of Ekoddisti and Sapindikarana Sraddha. 19. Distribution of havya and kavya by pitrs in Sraddhas. 20. Story of the sage Kausika and the ants. 21. The story of Brahmadatta and the four Sheldrake birds. 22. The time suitable for the performing of Sraddha and some rules connected with the same. 23. The origin of Moon, his marriage, performing of Rajasuya Yajna, his attraction for Tara, his fight with lord Siva, and ending of war at the instance of Brahma. 24. Birth of Budha from the womb of Tara, the story of Urvasi and Pururava and that of Yayati. 25. Kaca and Devayanis join Sukra for learning of Mrtasanjivani after bearing painful situations. 26. Devayani proposes marriage with Kaca who refused and their mutual showering of curses. 27. Quarrel between Devayani and Sarmistha, Sarmistha pushes Devayani into the well, Yayati saves Devayani, conversation between Devayani and Sukracarya. 28. History of Yayati and dialogue between Devayani and Sukra. 29. Denouncement of Vrsaparva by Sukracarya and Sarmistha becomes the slave girl of Devayani. 30. Forest sports of Devayani and Sarmistha with their handmaids, arrival of the king Yayati- his talk with Devayani and his marriage with her............

Vol. II. Chapters 151 to 291: 151. Collective attack of Danavas over Visnu. 152. Terrific battle of Visnu with Mathana and other Daityas. 153. Dialogue between Visnu and Indra, battle of Gods and Daityas- defeat of Gods. 154. Taraka commands to free Gods captured by, description of marriage of Siva and Parvati. 155. Quarrel between Siva and Parvati. 156. Secret consultations between Kusumamodini and Parvati and other related events. 157. Parvati's curse on Viraka and boon to Ekanamsa. 158. Parvati's prayer by Viraka. 159. Birth of Skanda and his praise by the Siddhas. 160. Battle between Skanda and Taraka and death of the demon. 161. Tapas of Hiranyakasipu, arrival of Narasimha in the court of Hiranyakasipu. 162. Description of the form of Narasimha by Prahlada. 163. War between Narasimha and Hiranyakasipu. 164. Emerging of the universe out of the golden lotus. 165. Arrangement of all the four Yugas. 166. Description of delusion. 167. Visnu sleeps in the ocean. 168. Emerging of the five Mahabhutas and a lotus from the navel of Narayana. 169. Manifestation of Brahma from the lotus of the navel. 170. Birth of Madhu and Kaitabha............

"The Matsya Purana earns its title from the fish incarnation of Visnu, the other nine being Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Bhargava Parasurama, Rama, Krsna, Buddha and Kalki. The Matsya Purana is not all based totally on the life story of Matsya, but it deals with various other subjects, though in some of the chapters Matsya himself is the speaker.

Matsya Purana contains 291 chapters in total. First among all it describes the dialogues between Manu and the Lord, known as Manusamvada and deals with the following subjects in successive order, viz.-- the history of Brahmanda, the Sariraka Samkhya as explained by Brahma, the origin of the Devas and Asuras, as well as Maruts, the observance of Madanadvadasi vrata, the ways of the worship of the Lokapalas, the description of the Manvantaras, the history of king Vena, the birth of the Sun and Vaivasvata and the meeting with Budha.

Then it deals with the families of the manes, the times of performing Sraddha, Pitrtirtha Pravasa, the birth of the moon, the history of Yavati, the glory of Svamikartika, the history of the Vrsni and Yadava houses. Then it describes various ordinances, glory of various tirthas and rivers, the movement of Sun and Moon and their relative positions, the churning of the ocean, worship of the Devas, the characteristics of palaces, pandals and housebuilding, the forms of the temples and pandals, the history of Puru dynasty, the narration of the coming sovereigns, the description of the sixteen gifts such as Tuladana, etc., the names of the Kalpas etc.

The present edition of Matsya Purana is a complete in 2 volumes that includes Sanskrit text, English translation with notes, an exhaustive introduction and complete Index of verses. This book will be very useful not only for the general readers who have interest in ancient Indian literatures, but also for the scholars." (jacket)