Birth of Macchindranath: Incarnation of Lord Kavi
Narayanas in the state of meditation
Later the nine Narayanas stayed in the state of meditation on the Mandarachal. After a time interval, Lord Kavi originated in the chaste womb of a fish in the Yamuna River. Coincidently, Lord Shankar was giving Goddess Parvati the teachings of self-knowledge on the bank of the river Yamuna. On hearing that, Kavi acknowledged from inside the fish’s womb in the river.

Kavi Narayana
Lord Shankar immediately understood the meaning of it and blessed Kavi. Before leaving he also assured him of teachings from Lord Dattatreya in the future. Some time passed and the fish laid eggs on the river bank. The egrets started breaking the eggs when a human larva fell from a giant egg and started crying. He was the Kavi Narayana. Seeing that the egrets flew away and the child continued crying.

Kamik with his wife Sharadvata There lived a fisherman named Kamik along with his wife Sharadvata. They were an infertile couple. When he came to the river bank he saw this baby and got extremely happy. He thought to himself that this was God’s gift to me and took him home. The couple nurtured him with immense love and named him Macchindra.

Fishermen community

From the age of 4 – 5 years, he started going with his father Kaamik to the river bank. Every day the father caught fish and threw it in the basket kept on the bank and the child protected it from crows. Soon the child got anxious due to the knowledge he had received from Lord Shiva, when in the womb.

Kamik dragged the child home

He couldn’t put up with the squirming of the fish outside the water. Feeling pity for them, Macchindra threw the fish back in the river when his father was busy fishing. The fish got a gift of life. When Kamik came back to the shore he shouted at Macchindra as his efforts had gone to waste. “Child, what’s the point in showing mercy on the fish. You will starve.”

Created from a fish by Lord Shiva

Another popular belief is that Macchindranath was created from a fish by Lord Shiva who wanted to create him from absolute purity. This could be found in the five elements of life – fire, water, sky, earth, and air. Lord Shiva took a certain percentage from each of the five elements and created him.