Matsyagandha and Vyasa

Desiring Matsyagandha, Parasara asked the maiden to lie with him.
The girl said, No one comes near me because of the odour that comes from my body. How will you be able to withstand that smell?

The sage smiled. He said from now onwards, the smell of the fishes will be replaced by the smell of lotus. Even after lying with me, your virginity will remain intact. You will be a queen one day.

The maiden suddenly looked more beautiful and her smell was gone.

Folding her hands, she said There are many people on the banks of the river. I am ashamed to sleep with you while others are watching.

An island appeared in the midst of the river. Away from all, the sage and the girl spent some time. Soon the girl was pregnant and gave birth to a boy who was called Vyasa.

As he was born on an island (Dweep) he was named Dwaipayana. As soon as he was born, the child asked permission from his mother to go into the forests to pray. He said if ever he was needed, all his mother had to do was, to call for him and he would appear.

Matsyagandha born

There was a king once called Parichar. Giving up everything, he went into the forests where he spent his days in meditation. Indra thought the king would take over his throne.
Riding his mount, Airavata, he arrived in the spot where the king was meditating. Addressing the king, he asked him to give up the austere penance. He gave the king many divine clothes and a garland called Vaijayanti. Crowing him as the king of Chedi, Indra left.

He got married to a beautiful woman.

One day he left for a hunt, to kill some deer. Though he was in the forest, hunting, his mind was thinking of his wife. Struck with passion, his seed feel on a leaf. He asked his pet falcon to take the semen to his wife.

When the bird was flying, he was spotted by another falcon. The birds started fighting and the leaf feel into the river Yamuna.

Dirghika, an apsara was living the waters. She had been cursed by a sage to live the life of a fish.  She ended up swallowing the semen that had fallen in the waters and became pregnant.

The fish was caught one day and the moment the fishermen lifted her on the banks, the fish gave birth to a tiny baby boy and a tiny baby girl, and taking the form of the apsara, she left for the heaven.

The people were amazed. They took the children and brought them to king Parichar. The king accepted the boy as his son, and gave the girl to the chief of fishermen, to be raised as his daughter.

The king named his son Matsyaraj and raised him as his son.

The chief of fishermen raised the girl was very beautiful except that she had a very strong fishy odour which would emanate from her body. So strong was the smell that no wanted to go near her.

He asked his daughter to live on the banks of Yamuna and help all who wanted to cross the river.

The sage Parasara one day happened to be there. He spotted the girl sitting on the banks of the river.
Moved by her beauty and driven by passion, the sage desired her. He asked her who she was.

She said was the daughter of a fisherman and because the smell that came from her body, she had been named Matsyagandha.