Agastya (अगस्त्यः)

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वंशावली ॥ Ancestry

The Puranic encyclopaedia traces the ancestry of Rshi Agastya right up to Lord Brahma.

Ancestry of Agastya

इल्वलः वातापिः च । Ilvala and Vatapi

Rshi Agastya's encounter with the daityas Ilvala and Vatapi is described in the Chapters 96-99 of the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata.

The daitya (son of Diti) Ilvala lived in Manimati. Vatapi was his younger brother. Once Ilvala approached a tapasvi brahmana and requested that he be granted with a son as powerful as Indra. However, the brahmana refused the same. This enraged Ilvala and since then, filled with anger, Ilvala began to destroy brahmanas. The elder brother converted the younger one (Vatapi) into a goat and served him as the meal everytime a brahmana visited his house. Ilvala had the power to bring back anyone from the yamaloka by merely calling them out by their name.It is said that,

स चाह्वयति यं वाचा गतं वैवस्वतक्षयम्। स पुनर्देहमास्थाय जीवन्स्म प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥९६.९॥ (Maha. Vana Parv. )

sa cāhvayati yaṁ vācā gataṁ vaivasvatakṣayam। sa punardehamāsthāya jīvansma pratyadr̥śyata ॥96.9॥

Therefore, when the brahmana finished eating, Ilvala would call aloud. “Vatapi, come out”. And breaking the stomach of the guest open, Vatapi would come out. In this way Ilvala had killed a good number of brahmanas. It was to this Ilvala that Rshi Agastya, in order to fulfil his duty as a husband towards his wife Lopamudra, once came to ask for money along with the Rajas Shrutarva, Bradhnashva and Trasadasyu. Ilvala welcomed the guests with due hospitality and as usual killed the goat to offer it to the guests. This disturbed the Rajarshis and they became stunned.However, Rshi Agastya Said,

विषादो वो न कर्तव्यो ह्यहं भोक्ष्ये महासुरम् ॥९९.४॥ (Maha. Vana Parv. )

viṣādo vo na kartavyo hyahaṁ bhokṣye mahāsuram ॥99.4॥

Meaning: Do not yield to grief, I will eat up the great Asura. Saying thus, the mighty Rshi sat himself down and the prince of Asuras, Ilvala, served the food smilingly. When Agastya had finished eating, Ilvala called Vatapi loudly. He kept repeating,

वातापे निष्क्रमस्व ॥९९.८॥ vātāpe niṣkramasva ॥99.8॥ (Maha. Vana Parv. )

Meaning: Come out, O Vatapi ! Then that best of Munis, Agastya, bursting out in laughter, said,

कुतो निष्क्रमितुं शक्तो मया जीर्णस्तु सोऽसुरः ॥९९.९॥ (Maha. Vana Parv. )

kuto niṣkramituṁ śakto mayā jīrṇastu so'suraḥ ॥99.9॥

Meaning: How can he come out ? I have already digested that great Asura. Beholding his brother already digested, Ilvala though sad, joined his hands and asked the guests about the purpose of their visit. At this, Agastya said,

यथाशक्त्यविहिंस्यान्यान्संविभागं प्रयच्छ नः ॥९९.१२॥ (Maha. Vana Parv.)

yathāśaktyavihiṁsyānyānsaṁvibhāgaṁ prayaccha naḥ ॥99.12॥

Meaning: Give us what you can, without injuring others. To this Ilvala said,

दित्सितं यदि वेत्सि त्वंततो दास्यामि ते वसु ॥९९.१३॥ (Maha. Vana Parv.)

ditsitaṁ yadi vetsi tvaṁtato dāsyāmi te vasu ॥99.13॥

Meaning: 'If you say (guess) what it is that I mean to give, then will I give you wealth.' To this the sage replied,

गवां दशसहस्राणि राज्ञामेकैकशोऽसुर। तावदेव सुवर्णस्य दित्सितं ते महासुर ॥९९.१४॥

मह्यं ततो वै द्विगुणं रथश्चैव हिरण्मयः। मनोजवौ वाजिनौ च दित्सितं ते महासुर ॥९९.१५॥ (Maha. Vana Parv.)

gavāṁ daśasahasrāṇi rājñāmekaikaśo'sura। tāvadeva suvarṇasya ditsitaṁ te mahāsura ॥99.14॥

mahyaṁ tato vai dviguṇaṁ rathaścaiva hiraṇmayaḥ। manojavau vājinau ca ditsitaṁ te mahāsura ॥99.15॥

Meaning: O great Asura, you wish to give each of these Rajas ten thousand cows and as many gold coins. And to me you have thought to give twice as much, as also a chariot of gold with two horses with speed as fast thought attached to it. To this, Ilvala agreed that all that Rshi Agastya had said was true but for the chariot which, according to him, was not made of gold. Rshi Agastya then said,

न मे वागनृता काचिदुक्तपूर्वा महाऽसुर। विज्ञायतां रथः साधु व्यक्तमस्ति हिरण्मयः ॥ (Maha. Vana Parv.)

na me vāganr̥tā kāciduktapūrvā mahā'sura। vijñāyatāṁ rathaḥ sādhu vyaktamasti hiraṇmayaḥ ।।

Meaning: O great Asura ! Never has a false statement ever been uttered by me before. Therefore, enquire now, you will soon learn that your chariot is made of gold. And indeed on enquiry, the chariot turned out to be made of gold. The awe-stricken asura Ilvala thus gave each Raja ten thousand cows and as much gold and to Agastya, he doubled the quantity and also presented him with a chariot hitched with two fine horses called Viravan and suravan.In fact, as the horses took flight towards Agastya Rshi’s hermitage along with the wealth and other Rajas, the Asura Ilvala followed the Rshi with the desire to kill him. However, the great Rshi is said to have burnt the Asura with a mere ‘hunkara’

इल्वलस्त्वनुगम्यैनमगस्त्यं हन्तुमैच्छत। भस्म चक्रे महातेजा हुङ्कारेण महाऽसुरम्' ।। (Maha. Vana Parv.)

ilvalastvanugamyainamagastyaṁ hantumaicchata। bhasma cakre mahātejā huṅkāreṇa mahā'suram' ।।

And thus, Agastya Rshi returned to his hermitage and fulfilled the wishes of his wife Lopamudra.

अगस्त्यपुत्रः ॥ Agastya's Son

The birth of Rshi Agastya's son is described in the chapter 99 of the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata. When Rshi Agastya's wife Lopamudra expressed her desire for a powerful son, Rshi Agastya who was pleased with her virtuous behaviour asked her,

सहस्रं तेऽस्तु पुत्राणां शतं वा दशसम्मितम् । दश वा शततुल्याः स्युरेको वाऽपि सहस्रजित् ॥९९.२१॥ (Maha. Vana Parv.)

sahasraṁ te'stu putrāṇāṁ śataṁ vā daśasammitam । daśa vā śatatulyāḥ syureko vā'pi sahasrajit ॥99.21॥

Meaning: A thousand ordinary sons, or hundred sons each having the strength of ten ordinary sons, or ten sons each having the strength of hundred ordinary sons, or one son greater and nobler than one thousand sons - which of these do you prefer? Lopamudra preferred one son. She said,

सहस्रसम्मितः पुत्र एकोऽप्यस्तु तपोधन । एको हि बहुभिः श्रेयान् विद्वान् साधुरसाधुभिः ॥९९.२२॥

sahasrasammitaḥ putra eko'pyastu tapodhana । eko hi bahubhiḥ śreyān vidvān sādhurasādhubhiḥ ॥99.22॥

Meaning: Oh sage, may I have just one great son equal to a thousand. For, in comparison to many wicked sons, one scholarly and great son is always considered best.

Rshi Agastya granted her wish and as she was carrying, he went to the forest to do penance. This lustrous child of Rshi Agastya and Lopamudra, born after spending 7 years in his mother's womb was the great hermit Drdhasyu. Right from the time of his birth, this child is said to have studied the Vedas along with its Shad angas and the Upanishads. Since he used to gather samidha, also known as idhma, (twigs for kindling the ritual fire) for his father, he was also known by the name Idhmavaha (one who carries idhma).

Agastya and the Vindhyas

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. Narada said,

ममागमनमिन्द्रारे जातं स्वर्णगिरेरथ ॥ २.१८ ॥

तत्र दृष्टा मया लोकाः शक्राग्नियमपाशिनाम् । सर्वेषां लोकपालानां भवनानि समन्ततः ॥ २.१९ ॥

मया दृष्टानि विन्ध्याग नानाभोगप्रदानि च । २.२० ।

गौरीगुरुस्तु हिमवाञ्छिवस्य श्वशुरः किल । सम्बन्धित्वात्पशुपतेः पूज्य आसीत्क्षमाभृताम् ॥ २.२३ ॥

एवमेव च कैलासः शिवस्यावसथः प्रभुः । पूज्यः पृथ्वीभृतां जातो लोके पापौघदारणः ॥ २.२४ ॥

निषधः पर्वतो नीलो गन्धमादन एव च । पूज्याः स्वस्थानमासाद्य सर्व एव क्षमाभृतः ॥ २.२५ ॥

यं पर्येति च विश्वात्मा सहस्रकिरणः स्वराट् । सग्रहर्क्षगणोपेतः सोऽयं कनकपर्वतः ॥ २.२६ ॥

आत्मानं मनुते श्रेष्ठं वरिष्ठं च धराभृताम् । २.२७ ।

mamāgamanamindrāre jātaṁ svarṇagireratha ॥ 2.18 ॥

tatra dr̥ṣṭā mayā lokāḥ śakrāgniyamapāśinām । sarveṣāṁ lokapālānāṁ bhavanāni samantataḥ ॥ 2.19 ॥

mayā dr̥ṣṭāni vindhyāga nānābhogapradāni ca । 2.20 ।

gaurīgurustu himavāñchivasya śvaśuraḥ kila । sambandhitvātpaśupateḥ pūjya āsītkṣamābhr̥tām ॥ 2.23 ॥

evameva ca kailāsaḥ śivasyāvasathaḥ prabhuḥ । pūjyaḥ pr̥thvībhr̥tāṁ jāto loke pāpaughadāraṇaḥ ॥ 2.24 ॥

niṣadhaḥ parvato nīlo gandhamādana eva ca । pūjyāḥ svasthānamāsādya sarva eva kṣamābhr̥taḥ ॥ 2.25 ॥

yaṁ paryeti ca viśvātmā sahasrakiraṇaḥ svarāṭ । sagraharkṣagaṇopetaḥ so'yaṁ kanakaparvataḥ ॥ 2.26 ॥

ātmānaṁ manute śreṣṭhaṁ variṣṭhaṁ ca dharābhr̥tām । 2.27 ।

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 ? 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.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,

वत्सैवं तिष्ठ तावत्त्वं यावदागम्यते मया ॥ ७.१८ ॥

अशक्तोऽहं गण्डशैलारोहणे तव पुत्रक । ७.१९ ।

vatsaivaṁ tiṣṭha tāvattvaṁ yāvadāgamyate mayā ॥ 7.18 ॥

aśakto'haṁ gaṇḍaśailārohaṇe tava putraka । 7.19 ।

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.

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.

शापकथाः ॥ Curses by Rshi Agastya

राजानहुषः ॥ Curse to Raja Nahusha

The story of Rshi Agastya's curse to Raja Nahusha finds mention in the Anushasana Parva, Udyoga Parva and Vana Parva of the Mahabharata as well as in the Devi Bhagavata Purana.

The Story:

अनुशासनपर्व ॥ Anushasana Parva

According to the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata (Chapter 99-100), Raja Nahusha attained the position of Indra as a result of his tapasya and punya. However, in due course of time, the thought that 'I am Indra' made him fall prey to 'ahankara'. Deluded by the boon he had received, he made rshis pull his chariot. One day, it was Rshi Agastya's turn to pull Raja Nahusha's chariot. At that time, Rshi Bhrugu approached Rshi Agastya and discussed how it is necessary to bring an end to the tyranny of Nahusha. Since anyone coming within the sight of Nahusha became subjugated to him, Rshi Bhrgu decided to take shelter amongst the tresses of Rshi Agastya and it was he who cursed Nahusha to become a serpent when he kicked Rshi Agastya on his head with his foot.

Devendra killed Vṛttrāsura, an enemy of the gods. As Devendra had resorted to treachery for killing the enemy (see the word Vṛttrāsura) he incurred the sin of ‘Brahmahatyā’. Once indra went to the Mānasasaras, without the knowledge of anybody and hid himself in the petal of a lotus flower. The gods and especially Śacīdevī were much alarmed at the disappearance of Devendra. Heaven was without a King. Bad omens began to appear. indra, who had hidden in the lotus stalk in the shape of a water-snake, was not at all visible as the petals had closed over him. It was at this critical moment that King nahuṣa had completed hundred horse-sacrifices and became eligible for the throne of Devendra. At a great gathering of the Gods nahuṣa was elected as Devendra. Though nahuṣa got all the celestial maids at his disposal in the Nandanodyāna (nandana Garden) his passion for women was not satiated. So he began to have an eye on indrāṇī. She was in sorrow and misery at the disappearance of her husband indra, and did not at all look with favour on this new move on the part of the new indra. She sought the help of bṛhaspati, who agreed to protect her from nahuṣa. The newly-elected indra could not tolerate this disloyalty on the part of indrāṇī. He became furious and threatened bṛhaspati with death, if indrāṇī was not sent to him forthwith. All hermits gathered round nahuṣa and tried with their advice to dissuade him from this attempt, but he would not be dissuaded. nahuṣa belittled bṛhaspati and all the hermits and was rude to them. Finally the hermits, being afraid of nahuṣa, went to bṛhaspati to persuade him to send indrāṇī to nahuṣa. bṛhaspati suggested to indrāṇī a way of safety. Accordingly she came to nahuṣa and said to him “Lord, to become your wife, is a matter of great pleasure to me. But before that I must make sure if my husband is living anywhere. So allow me to make a search”. nahuṣa agreed to this and by the blessings of devī, indrāṇī found out her husband. But indra would not return to the court, with indrāṇī, who then complained about Nahuṣa's outrageous behaviour. indra advised her a new way to protect herself from Nahuṣa's onslaught.

indrāṇī returned to nahuṣa and told him “Lord, women generally love pomp and glory. I have a mania for vehicles. You should make a palanquin. Let the palanquin bearers be hermits. You must come to my house in that palanquin with hermits as your palanquin bearers and then I will accept you as my husband.” nahuṣa agreed. He employed agastya and such other hermits to bear his palanquin. He got into his palanquin and started for Indrāṇī's house. His desire to reach indrāṇī was such that he thought the hermits to be very slow. To make them quick enough he ordered “Sarpa, Sarpa” (walk quick, walk quick). The hermits began to run. Still nahuṣa was not satisfied. He kicked at the heads of the hermits and whipped the dwarfish agastya.

agastya got angry and cursed nahuṣa thus: “Since you have whipped me saying ‘Sarpa Sarpa’, may you be transformed into a mahāsarpa (huge serpent) and fall into the great forest.”

The horror-stricken nahuṣa pleased agastya by praise. agastya said that nahuṣa would be freed from the curse and attain heaven when he happened to meet dharmaputra. nahuṣa instantly changed into a serpent of immense size and slided into a great forest in the Himālayās. (devībhāgavata, 8th sarga).

During their sojourn in the forest, the pāṇḍavas visited many holy places and reached the yāmuna mountain in the Himālayās. When bhīma was passing by the mouth of a cave he was attacked by a huge serpent. In spite of his immense strength bhīma could not extricate himself from the hold of the snake, who eventually informed bhīma of its previous history. When bhīma understood that the serpent was none other than nahuṣa, a King of the sūrya dynasty (Solar), he felt sorry for him. dharmaputra, who came there in search of bhīma, talked with nahuṣa, who immediately regained his original form and went to heaven. (mahābhārata, Chapter 17 of Udyoga Parva; Chapter 179 of Vana Parva; Chapter 342 of śānti Parva).

अगस्त्यकर्तृकं विन्ध्यगिरिवृद्धिनिवारणं देवैः सह सागरतटगमनं च (3.104)

पञ्चाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः

तीर्थयात्रापर्व

अगस्त्येन समुद्रसलिले पीते सति देवैर्दैत्यसंहारः पुनः समुद्रपूरणविषये देवानां ब्रह्माणं प्रति प्रश्नः

षडधिकशततमोऽध्यायः

तीर्थयात्रापर्व

राज्ञः सागरस्य सन्तानार्थं तपः शिवकर्तृकं वरप्रदानं च