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In the Krtayuga, the Dvadashi vrata was told to Raja Bhadrashva by Rshi Agastya just before leaving for the Pushkara tirtha after spending a week with the Raja. The Rshi is then said to have returned to the palace of Raja Bhadrashva in the month of Kartika.

In the Krtayuga, the Dvadashi vrata was told to Raja Bhadrashva by Rshi Agastya just before leaving for the Pushkara tirtha after spending a week with the Raja. The Rshi is then said to have returned to the palace of Raja Bhadrashva in the month of Kartika.

When mother Earth was thus, being reminded by Varaha about the vratas she herself performed, she expressed her curiosity to know what Rshi Agastya did when he returned to the residence of Raja Bhadrashva. It is said that on his return, the Rshi was requested to expound Moksha dharma by Raja Bhadrashva. And this exposition on Moksha dharma by Rshi Agastya is designated as Agastya Gita.<ref>S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer (2003), [https://cloudup.com/cJQYxJ4_QG4 The Vamana Purana (Part 1)], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.</ref>

When mother Earth was thus, being reminded by Varaha about the vratas she herself performed, she expressed her curiosity to know what Rshi Agastya did when he returned to the residence of Raja Bhadrashva. It is said that on his return, the Rshi was requested to expound Moksha dharma by Raja Bhadrashva. And this exposition on Moksha dharma by Rshi Agastya is designated as Agastya Gita.<ref name=":0">S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer (2003), [https://cloudup.com/cJQYxJ4_QG4 The Vamana Purana (Part 1)], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.</ref>

== Subject Matter ==

== Subject Matter ==

=== By what means is the bondage of worldly existence snapped and by what means the sorrows in life can be got over ? ===

It is said that at the time when there was no day, no night, no direction, no heaven, no deities and no Sun, a Raja named Pashupala was looking after numerous creatures. Once as he went to see the eastern ocean he saw there, on the shore of that limitless expanse of water, a forest full of snakes. There were eight trees and a freely flowing river. Five important persons were there moving horizontally and upwards. One of them was holding an effulgent woman. This woman was holding on her chest a person with three colours and three divisons having the splendour of a thousand Suns. They all became silent and still seeing the Raja and as soon as the Raja entered the forest, they became combined into a single being.

9. О king, listen well to this story relating to what is distant and what is near and based on the division into the seen and the unseen.

The Raja was then encircled by the serpents. And as he was thinking about how to kill them and effect his escape, another person having the three colours viz. white, red and yellow, came out of his body who was followed by Mahat who covered the Raja and asked him to be alert in mind. He was then confronted by the woman who was none other than Maya who engulfed him. Then the five other persons came there and hid themselves within the Raja when the serpents came united to attack.  

10. At the time when there was no day, no night, no direction, no heaven, no gods and no sun, a king named Pasupala was looking after numerous beasts.

Raja Pashupala now appeared highly resplendent with all his papas disappeared. He stood there unifying the earth, water, fire, air and ether and all their qualities.<ref name=":0" /> Seeing the Raja thus, the tri-coloured person said, <blockquote>त्वत्पुत्रोऽस्मि महाराज ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते । अस्माभिर्बन्धुमिच्छद्भिर्भवन्तं निश्चयः कृतः ।। ५१.२५ ।।

11. He once went to see the eastern ocean, and there, on the shore of that limitless expanse of water, saw a forest full of snakes.

यदि नाम कृताः सर्वे वयं देव पराजिताः । एवमेव शरीरेषु लीनास्तिष्ठाम पार्थिव ।। ५१.२६ ।।<ref>Varaha Purana, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AB%E0%A5%A7 Adhyaya 51]</ref>

12. There were eight trees and a freely flowing river. Five important persons were there moving horizontally and upwards. One of them was holding an effulgent woman.

tvatputro'smi mahārāja brūhi kiṁ karavāṇi te । asmābhirbandhumicchadbhirbhavantaṁ niścayaḥ kr̥taḥ ।। 51.25 ।।

13. The woman was holding on her chest a person having the splendour of a thousand suns and with three colours and three divisons.

yadi nāma kr̥tāḥ sarve vayaṁ deva parājitāḥ । evameva śarīreṣu līnāstiṣṭhāma pārthiva ।। 51.26 ।।</blockquote>Meaning: O Raja, I am your son. Please command me to do what you wish. We decided to bind you, but we were defeated and bound by you and we now remain hidden in your body. When I have become your son, everything else will arise of its own.

14. Seeing the king, all of them became silent and still, and as soon as the king entered the forest, became combined into a single being.

However, the Raja replied that he doesn't desire to have attachment to any of the pleasures men may have and released the son and others. Thus freed from them, the Raja Pashupla stood there alone.<ref name=":0" />

 

 

 

17. He asked by gesticulation where he should go. Just then there arose Mahat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29. "You (say you) are my son, and as a result, other things arise. But I don't desire to have attachment to any of the pleasures men may have".

 

30. So saying he released the son, and with him others also. And freed from them, he stood alone.

Agastya said:

Agastya said: