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== Agastya and the Vindhyas ==

== Agastya and the Vindhyas ==

Once the talebearer Narada happened to come to the Vindhya mountain, who gladly welcomed Narada, gave him a seat, showed hospitality and asked for news. Narada said,

Once the talebearer Narada happened to come to the Vindhya mountain, who gladly welcomed Narada, gave him a good seat, showed hospitality and asked the purpose of his visit.<ref name=":0" /> Narada said,<blockquote>ममागमनमिन्द्रारे जातं स्वर्णगिरेरथ ॥ २.१८ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>तत्र दृष्टा मया लोकाः शक्राग्नियमपाशिनाम् । सर्वेषां लोकपालानां भवनानि समन्ततः ॥ २.१९ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मया दृष्टानि विन्ध्याग नानाभोगप्रदानि च । २.२० ।</blockquote><blockquote>गौरीगुरुस्तु हिमवाञ्छिवस्य श्वशुरः किल । सम्बन्धित्वात्पशुपतेः पूज्य आसीत्क्षमाभृताम् ॥ २.२३ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>एवमेव च कैलासः शिवस्यावसथः प्रभुः । पूज्यः पृथ्वीभृतां जातो लोके पापौघदारणः ॥ २.२४ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>निषधः पर्वतो नीलो गन्धमादन एव च । पूज्याः स्वस्थानमासाद्य सर्व एव क्षमाभृतः ॥ २.२५ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>यं पर्येति च विश्वात्मा सहस्रकिरणः स्वराट् । सग्रहर्क्षगणोपेतः सोऽयं कनकपर्वतः ॥ २.२६ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>आत्मानं मनुते श्रेष्ठं वरिष्ठं च धराभृताम् । २.२७ ।<ref>Devi Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 10, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%A8 Adhyaya 2].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''mamāgamanamindrāre jātaṁ svarṇagireratha ॥ 2.18 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''tatra dr̥ṣṭā mayā lokāḥ śakrāgniyamapāśinām । sarveṣāṁ lokapālānāṁ bhavanāni samantataḥ ॥ 2.19 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''mayā dr̥ṣṭāni vindhyāga nānābhogapradāni ca । 2.20 ।''</blockquote><blockquote>''gaurīgurustu himavāñchivasya śvaśuraḥ kila । sambandhitvātpaśupateḥ pūjya āsītkṣamābhr̥tām ॥ 2.23 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''evameva ca kailāsaḥ śivasyāvasathaḥ prabhuḥ । pūjyaḥ pr̥thvībhr̥tāṁ jāto loke pāpaughadāraṇaḥ ॥ 2.24 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''niṣadhaḥ parvato nīlo gandhamādana eva ca । pūjyāḥ svasthānamāsādya sarva eva kṣamābhr̥taḥ ॥ 2.25 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''yaṁ paryeti ca viśvātmā sahasrakiraṇaḥ svarāṭ । sagraharkṣagaṇopetaḥ so'yaṁ kanakaparvataḥ ॥ 2.26 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''ātmānaṁ manute śreṣṭhaṁ variṣṭhaṁ ca dharābhr̥tām । 2.27 ।''</blockquote>Meaning: I am coming from the Sumeru Mountain. There I saw the nice abodes of Indra, Agni, Yama, and Varuna. There I also saw the houses of these Dikpalas (the Regents of the several quarters), which abound in objects of all sorts of enjoyments... See ! The Himalaya Mountain is the father of Gauri and the father-in-law of Mahadeva; therefore he is the most worshipped of all the mountains. The Kailasa Mountain again, is the residence of Mahadeva; hence that is also worshipped and chanted as capable of destroying all the sins. So also is the Nisadha, Nila and Gandhamadana and other mountains worshipped at their own places. What more than this, that the Sumeru Mountain, round whom the thousand-rayed Sun, known as Vishvatma, circumambulates along with the planets and stars, thinks himself the supreme and greatest amongst the mountains ?

ममागमनमिन्द्रारे जातं स्वर्णगिरेरथ ॥ १८ ॥

Having said thus, Devarshi Narada proceeded to Brahmaloka. However, Vindhya lost his peace of mind and wanted to do something to overthrow Meru. He concluded that, the circumambulation of the Sun, starts and planets daily around the Sumeru is the cause of his arrogance. Therefore, if that is resisted, Sumeru's pride can be curbed.<ref name=":2">Swami Vijnananda, [https://archive.org/details/srimaddevibhagav26vijnuoft/page/1024 The Srimad Devi Bhagavtam], The Sacred Books of the Hindus (Volume 26, Part 3), Edited by Major B.D.Basu, Third Edition, Allahabad. </ref>Therefore, Vindhya made his peaks grow higher and higher till they touched the sky. Next day, the Sun found it difficult to pass over the high peaks in his usual journey to the West, and so he stood obstructed. When the journey of the Sun was hindered, everything in the world fell into chaos. Then Indra with other deities took resort, first of Mahadeva and then of Vishnu. And at his behest, they approached sage Agastya and made their petition to him. Rshi Agastya agreed to pacify Vindhya somehow or the other and with this objective, he came to Vindhya from Kashinagara with his wife Lopamudra. When Vindhya saw sage Agastya, he began to shiver with fear. Contracting all his high peaks, he bowed before the sage, who then said to the mountain,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><blockquote>वत्सैवं तिष्ठ तावत्त्वं यावदागम्यते मया ॥ ७.१८ ॥ </blockquote><blockquote>अशक्तोऽहं गण्डशैलारोहणे तव पुत्रक । ७.१९ ।<ref>Devi Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 10, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AD Adhyaya 7].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''vatsaivaṁ tiṣṭha tāvattvaṁ yāvadāgamyate mayā ॥ 7.18 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''aśakto'haṁ gaṇḍaśailārohaṇe tava putraka । 7.19 ।''</blockquote>Meaning: O Child ! Better remain in this state until I come back. For, O child ! I am quite unable to ascend to your lofty heights.<ref name=":2" />

Saying thus, Sage Agastya went on to the South, built a hermitage in the Malayachala and settled there. It is said that, since then, neither has Agastya ever gone to the North nor has the Vindhya ever risen up. In fact, as he had made the mountain (Aga) bow its head, the sage is said to have got the name Agastya. This story is enumerated in the Tenth skandha (Chapters 2-7) of the Devi Bhagavata.<ref name=":0">Vettam Mani (1975), [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/6 Puranic Encyclopaedia], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.</ref>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“May you be blessed. Just now I am coming from the Mahameru. Indra, Agni (fire) and other deities live there. Kailasa, Nishadha, Nila, Gandhamadana etc. are mountains far nobler than this Meru. But they are not so haughty as him. That the Sun and the Moon and such others revolve round him, is the reason for his arrogance”. On hearing these tales, Vindhya thought that Meru should be taught a lesson. Once vindhya made his peaks grow higher and higher till they touched the sky. The Sun, the Moon and others found it very difficult to pass over the high peaks in their usual journeys to the West, and so they had to roam about in the sky. When the journeys of the Sun and the Moon were hindered, everything in the world fell into chaos. The deities approached sage Agastya and made their petition to him. And he agreed to pacify Vindhya somehow or the other. With this objective, sage Agastya and his wife came to Vindhya from Kashinagara. When Vindhya saw sage Agastya, he began to shiver with fear. Contracting all his high peaks, he bowed before the sage, who then said to the mountain thus “Vindhya, I am going to South Bharata. Let your heads be low till I come back” and Vindhya agreed. Sage Agastya then went on to the South, built a hermitage in the Malayachala and lived there. Since then, neither has Agastya ever gone to the North nor has the Vindhya ever risen up. In fact, as he had made the mountain (Aga) bow its head, the sage is said to have got the name Agastya. This story is enumerated in the Tenth skandha (Chapters 2-7) of the Devi Bhagavata.<ref name=":0">Vettam Mani (1975), [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/6 Puranic Encyclopaedia], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.</ref>

अगस्त्यकर्तृकं विन्ध्यगिरिवृद्धिनिवारणं देवैः सह सागरतटगमनं च (3.104)

अगस्त्यकर्तृकं विन्ध्यगिरिवृद्धिनिवारणं देवैः सह सागरतटगमनं च (3.104)