SAGEAGASTYA PART 2 Continuedfrom part 1
Knowing DiverseLanguages In the Indiantradition, Sage Agastya is a notedrecluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indiansubcontinent. He isregarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wifeLopamudra are the celebrated authors of hymns 1.165 to 1.191 in the Sanskrittext Rigveda and other Vedic literature. Agastya appears in numerous itihasams and Puranas includingthe major Ramayana and Mahabharata. He is one of the seven most revered rishis(the Saptarishi) in the Vedic texts. Sage Agastya invented an early grammar of the Old Tamillanguage, Agattiyam. He is also revered in the Puranic literature of Shaktismand Vaishnavism. He is one of the Indian sages found in ancient sculpture andreliefs in Hindu temples of South Asia, and Southeast Asia such as in the earlymedieval era Shaiva temples on Java Indonesia. He is the principal figure andGuru in the ancient Javanese language text Agastyaparva, whose 11th-centuryversion survives. Agastya is traditionally attributed to be the author of manySanskrit texts such as the Agastya Gita found in Varaha Purana, Agastya Samhitafound embedded in Skanda Purana, and the Dvaidha-Nirnaya Tantra text. Siddha Medicine Agastya is considered to be the father of Siddha medicine. He is revered as one of the Tamil Siddharin the Shaivism tradition. The origins of Agastya Pulastya, one of the Rig Vedic Saptarishis is his father. Hismiraculous rebirth follows a yajna being done by gods Varuna and Mitra, wherethe celestial apsara Urvashi appears. They are overwhelmed by her extraordinarysexuality and ejaculate. Their semen falls into a mud pitcher, which is thewomb in which the foetus of Agastya grows. He is born from this jar, along with his twin sage Vasisthain some mythologies. This mythology giveshim the name kumbhayoni, which literally means "he whose womb was a mudpot". Idamvaha- son of sageAgastya with Lopa Mudra Agastya and Lopamudra had a son named Drdhasyu, sometimescalled Idhmavaha. He is described in the Mahabharata as a boy who learns theVedas by listening to his parents while he is in the womb, and is born into theworld reciting the hymns. He was given in adoptionto sage Kratu. I made a google searchwhy being only son, Agastya gave him to sage Kratu in adoption. According to Puranic traditions, Idhmavaha (also known asDrdhasyu), the son of Sage Agastya and Lopamudra, was given in adoption to SageKratu because Kratu waschildless in the current era. Reason for theAdoption Kratu's Childlessness: In the current Vaivasvata Manvantara(the seventh and current age), Sage Kratu was born without a family or childrenof his own. Although he is famous for having 60,000 pygmy sons known as theValakhilyas in a previous era, he remained childless in this cycle. Lineage Preservation: To continue his lineage, Kratuadopted Agastya's son, Idhmavaha. This act unified the lineages (vamshas) of Agastya andKratu. Idhmavaha’s Merit: Idhmavaha was highly learned in the Vedasand Upanishads, and he had already fulfilled his primary duty to his own fatherby performing the necessary rites to liberate Agastya’s ancestors from a stateof suspension. Key Details about Idhmavaha Name Meaning: His name "Idhmavaha" means "one who carriessacrificial wood" (idhma refers to faggots for the sacrificialfire), a title he earned because he was physically strong enough to carry loadsof wood that usually required a thousand men. Miraculous Birth: He was born after Lopamudra carried him in her womb for seven years.He is said to have learned the Vedas while still in the womb and was bornreciting Vedic hymns. Had Lopa Mudra or Sage Agastya no feeling to bringIdamvaha by themselves? What compelled them to give Idamvaha in adoption- ThisQuestion came to my mind and searched Google In the Puranic tradition, the adoption of Idhmavaha (alsoknown as Drdhasyu) by Sage Kratu was not due to a lack of parental feeling fromLopamudra or Agastya. Instead, it was a decision driven by Dharma (duty), lineage preservation, and aunique karmic alignment between the two sages. 1. Fulfilling the Purpose of Birth The primary reason Agastya married Lopamudra was to fulfil adebt to his ancestors (Pitris). In a vision, hesaw them hanging upside down in a ravine, a state caused by his lack of progenyto perform their funeral rites. Mission Accomplished: Once Idhmavaha was born and performed the necessaryoblations, Agastya’s ancestors were liberated and reached heaven. No Further Debt: Since Idhmavaha had already fulfilled the"cosmic contract" of his birth for Agastya, he was spiritually"free" to assist another lineage. . Sage Kratu’s ExistentialNeed While Agastya had successfully secured his lineage, SageKratu faced a dire spiritual crisis in the current Vaivasvata Manvantara (era). Childless in this Era: Although Kratu had 60,000 sons (theValakhilyas) in a previous age, he was born without a family or progeny in thecurrent cycle. Unified Lineage: To prevent Kratu's lineage from ending, Agastya gave his son in adoption.This act "unified" the Vamshas (lineages) of Agastya and Kratu,ensuring that the spiritual merit of both families would continue. 3. The Perspective of "Feeling" vs."Duty" In the context of the Sages (Rishis), parental affection wasviewed through the lens of a child's ultimate spiritual destiny rather thanmere domestic attachment. Higher Calling: For Lopamudra and Agastya, seeing their son become the savior of anothergreat Rishi’s lineage was a matter of great pride and merit, not loss. Asceticism over Domesticity: Both Agastya and Lopamudra werehigh-level ascetics. Once the duty of procreation was met to satisfy theancestors, they often returned to their primary focus of tapas (penance) andspiritual teaching. 4. Idhmavaha's Own Nature Idhmavaha was born with immense Vedic knowledge—recitinghymns even in the womb. He was considered a "son equal to athousand". His adoption by Kratu allowed him to serve as a bridge betweentwo of the most powerful spiritual dynasties in Hindu legends. Was Lopa mudra agreedto give Idamvaha in adoption because of her desire to become a river? In the Puranic and local legends, there is nodirect scriptural evidence linking Lopamudra’s agreement to give her son,Idhmavaha, in adoption specifically to a desire to become a river. Thetwo events are generally treated as separate chapters in her mythological life. 1. The Context of the Adoption Lopamudra and Agastya’s primary goal in having a son wasto fulfil a dharmic duty to Agastya's ancestors. Mission of Birth: Idhmavaha was born specifically to performthe rites that would liberate Agastya’s ancestors from a state of suspension. Agreement to Adopt: Once this cosmic debt was paid, thedecision to give Idhmavaha to Sage Kratu was seen as a way to unify andpreserve two great lineages, as Kratu was childless in that era. The Legend of Lopa Mudra Becoming a River (Kaveri) Lopamudra’s transformation into the River Kaveri is adistinct legend often found in South Indian traditions and the Skanda Purana. The Vow: In many versions, she agrees to marry Agastya on thecondition that if he ever leaves her for too long, she will be freeto leave him. The Transformation: When Agastya became absorbedin a long philosophical discussion or left her to meditate, Lopamudratransformed herself into a river to serve the parched lands of the South. Alternative Versions: Some stories state Agastya carriedher in his Kamandala (water pot) as a form of sacred water, and she gushed out as a river when thepot was accidentally tipped by Ganesha (in the form of a crow). Separation of the TwoRoles While Lopamudra is revered both as a sage-wife (Rishika) andas a sacred river, the adoption of her son is usually portrayed as an act ofselfless lineage-sharing between sages. Her later transformation into a river is seen as herindividual divine mission to bring prosperity to the southern lands, occurringwell after her duties as a mother were fulfilled. Specific conditionsLopamudra set before agreeing to marry Agastya in the first place Lopamudra set several significant conditions throughout herrelationship with Agastya, reflecting her transition from a pampered princessto a devoted sage-wife who still commanded respect and comfort. 1. Conditions forConsummation While she initially followed Agastya into the forest andadopted an ascetic lifestyle, she eventually refused to procreate with himuntil he fulfilled a specific request. Princely Comforts: She insisted that they should onlycohabit if she were provided with the same riches and comforts she enjoyed inher father’s palace. This included a beautiful house, jewellery, and finecosmetics. Worthy Appearance: She required Agastya to approach hernot as an unkempt ascetic, but as a man of wealth and status worthy of her. Preservation of Virtue: She challenged him to acquire this wealth using his asceticpowers without compromising his spiritual merit or causing harm toothers. This led to Agastya’s famous journey to various kings and his eventualencounter with the demon Ilvala. Choice of Progeny After Agastya successfully acquired the wealth, he offeredher a choice regarding their future children: Quality over Quantity: He asked if she wanted a thousandsons, a hundred sons with the strength of ten, ten sons with the strength of ahundred, or one single son equal to a thousand. The "One Son"Condition: Lopamudra chose the one son,famously stating that one "good and learned son is preferable to many evilones". This son became Idhmavaha. Condition regarding Abandonment(River Legend) In the South Indiantraditionsexplaining her transformation into the River Kaveri, she set a specific maritalboundary: No Long Absences: She agreed to the marriage on thecondition that if Agastya ever left her for too long, she would be free toforsake him. The Consequence: When Agastya became engrossedin a long philosophical discussion and forgot his wife, she fulfilled thiscondition by transforming into a river to serve the world independently I will continue innext posting Compiled from websites andGoogle search and posted by R. Gopalakrishnan 27-03-2026 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1439000533.360359.1774595643751%40mail.yahoo.com.
