SAGEAGASTHYA-PART 4 Continuedfrom part 3
About the ChengannurTemple Tradition: The temple is famous for celebrating the "Thripoothu"or "Thriputharattu" (periods) of Goddess Parvati, which occurs 3–4 times a year. When abloodstain is found on the garment (Udayada) covering the idol, the goddess ismoved to a separate room for three days, and the main shrine is closed. On thefourth day, the idol is taken to the Pamba River for a ceremonial bath(Aarattu) Lowering Vindhyamountains by sage Agasthia He is described by Rama as the sage who asked Vindhyamountains to lower themselves so that Sun, Moon and living beings could easilypass over it. Details are included in Part 3. Killing Vatapi and Ilwala He is also described as the sage who used his Dharma powersto kill demons Vatapi and Ilwala after they had jointly misled and destroyed9,000 men. By this he could make out inaddition a lot of money which helped him to live like a Prince and family life with Princess Lopamudra and beget a son. Thedetails of Vatapi and Ilwala story is as follows:- The legend of Vatapi and Ilvala, detailed in the Ramayana and Mahabharata,tells of two demon brothers who killed sages by trickery: Vatapi would turninto a goat, be eaten, and then burst out, while Ilvala resurrected him, untilSage Agastya outwitted them by digesting Vatapi. The Nefarious Scheme The Brothers: Ilvala and Vatapi were demons (Asuras) wholived in the forest, often identified with the city of Manimati. The Trick: When sages passed through, Ilvala woulddisguise himself as a host and offer a meal. Vatapi would transform into a ram(goat) and be cooked. The Murder: After the guests ate, Ilvala wouldsummon Vatapi: "Oh Vatapi, come out." Vatapi would then tear throughthe stomach of the guest to emerge, killing them. The Role of Sage Agastya The Confrontation: The brothers targeted the wrong personwhen Sage Agastya passed by. The Digestion: Aware of their tricks, Agastya ate the mealcooked by Ilvala. When Ilvala cried out for his brother, Agastya simply rubbed his stomach and chanted, "Jeernam JeernamVathapi Jeernam" (Vatapi, be digested). The End: Vatapi was gone forever, digested in the sage'sstomach. Aftermath Death of Ilvala: Furious, Ilvala attacked Agastya, but the sage reduced him to asheswith a single fiery glance. Symbolism: The story represents wisdom (Agastya) overcomingdeceit (the demons) and is the origin of the traditional Indian chant,"Jeernam Jeernam Vathapi Jeernam," used to aid digestion after a meal. Cultural and GeographicalSignificance Badami: The ancient city of Badami in Karnataka is believedto be named after Vatapi. Agastya Tirtha: A lake in Badami is named after the sage, andnearby hills are said to represent the transformed forms of the two demons. Villivakkam: Another legend places the event at Villivakkamin Chennai, where Agastya later built a Shiva temple to perform penance. Sage Agastya acquired vastwealth from Ilvala through a combination of divine foresight and the demon'sown fear. Accordingto the Mahabharata's VanaParva, the sage did not originally seek wealth for himself, but tofulfil a request from his wife, Lopamudra, and to ensure his ancestors'salvation. The Quest for Ethical Wealth Agastya initially sought riches from various virtuous kings, the kings suggested he instead take from thedemon Ilvala, who had amassed a massive, ill-gotten hoard. Acquiring the Treasure After Agastya successfully digested Vatapi and rendered Ilvala's murderous trick useless,the terrified demon surrendered his treasure. The wealth Agastyareceived included: Gold and Coins: Ilvala was forced to give each of theaccompanying kings 10,000 cows and 10,000 gold coins. Double Alms: For Agastya himself, Ilvala doubled this amount,providing 20,000 gold coins and 20,000 cows. Divine Chariot: He also presented Agastya with a magnificentgolden chariot pulled by two horses, Viravan and Suravan, which could travel atthe speed of thought. Mind-Reading Feat In some versions, Ilvala tried one last trick by askingAgastya to guess exactly what he intended to give away. Agastya used his yogicpowers to correctly state the exact amounts of gold and cattle Ilvala had inmind, leaving the demon no choice but to hand over the entire sum. With this wealth, Agastyawas able to provide the comforts Lopamudra desired and eventually perform therituals necessary for his ancestors to attain heaven. Natural doubt arise IfDemon Ilava surrendered, why sageAgastya killed him Google search In the traditional legends, Ilvala's "surrender"was either temporary or a strategic move that failed to change hisnature. Dependingon the source, Sage Agastya killed him for one of the following reasons: 1. The Treacherous Ambush(The Mahabharata Version) In the Mahabharata'sVana Parva, Ilvala did surrender his wealth to Agastya, but hisheart was still filled with malice. After Agastya and thethree kings began their journey back on the golden chariot, Ilvala followed them at a distance.Overcome by grief for his brother Vatapi and a desire for revenge, he attacked the sage frombehind. Agastya, perceiving this through his divine powers, uttered asacred sound (Humkara) and reduced the demon to ashes. 2. ImmediateRetaliation (The Ramayana Version) In the Valmiki Ramayana, the sequence is more direct. OnceAgastya declared that Vatapi had been digested, Ilvala did not surrender. Instead, he flew into afurious rage and immediately rushed to attack the sage. Agastya simply cast afiery glance upon him, burningthe demon to death on the spot to protect himself and future travelers. 3. Justice for PastCrimes Even in versions where Ilvala appeared to plead for mercy,the sage recognized that the demon had already murdered thousands of holy men.His surrender was often seen as a reaction to fear rather than a genuine changeof heart. By ending Ilvala's life, Agastya ensured: Safety of the Forest: The dangerous forest path wasfinally made safe for sages and travelers. End of Demonic Trickery: Ilvala possessed the power to bringthe dead back to life (or was part of a cycle of revival); killing him was theonly way to permanently end their murderous game. Summary Table of theIncident Source Ilvala'sAction Agastya's Response Mahabharata Surrenderedwealth, then ambushed Agastya. Killedhim with a Humkara sound. Ramayana Attackedin a rage immediately after Vatapi's death. Reducedhim to ashes with a fiery look. Local Folklore Beggedfor mercy and offered wealth. Sometime spared/enslaved him or turned him into ahill. Sage Agastya- Short insize but heavy in build Agastya, according to the Ramayana, is a unique sage, who isshort and heavy in build, but by living in the south he balances the powers ofShiva and the weight of Kailasha and Mount Meru. Agastya meets Sri Rama,Sita and Lakshmana Agastya and his wife meet Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. He givesthem a divine bow and arrow, describes the evil nature of Ravana and bids them goodbye with theadvice, "Rama, demons do not love men, therefore men must love eachother". Sage Agastya and Mahabharata The story of Agastya is mirrored in the second major Hinduepic Mahabharata. However, instead of Rama, the story is told as a conversation between Yudhishthiraand Lomasa starting with section 96 of Book 3, the Vana Parva (the Book ofForest). He is described in the epic as a sage with enormous powers of ingestion anddigestion. Agastya, once again, stops the Vindhya mountains fromgrowing and lowers them and he kills the demons Vatapi and Ilvala much the samemythical way as in the Ramayana. The Vana Parva also describes the story of Lopamudra andAgastya getting engaged and married. What is the legend of Indraand Vitrasura? What is the part of sage Agastya in it? Maha Bharatha also contains the mythical story of a warbetween Indra and Vritra, where all the demons hide in the sea, and the godsrequest Agastya for help; Agastya then drinks up the ocean, revealing thedemons to the gods. In Hindu epics the legend of Indra and Vritrasura is acentral battle between order and chaos. Sage Agastya plays a crucial supporting role, particularlyin the aftermath of the main battle. The Legend of Vritrasura Vritrasura was apowerful asura (demon) created by the artisan god Tvashtri to avenge the deathof his son at the hands of Indra. Vritra was a formless, massive serpent ordragon who "enclosed the waters," causing a global drought. The Invisible Boon: Vritra could not be killed by anyweapon made of wood, metal, or stone, nor by anything dry or wet. The Sacrifice of Dadhichi: On Lord Vishnu's advice, the godsapproached Sage Dadhichi, who voluntarily gave up his life so hisbones—fortified by severe penance—could be used to forge a divine weapon. The Vajra: From Dadhichi's spine, the divine architectVishvakarma crafted the Vajra(thunderbolt). With this weapon, Indra eventually slew Vritrasura andreleased the trapped waters back to the world. Sage Agastya’s VitalPart Sage Agastya’s involvement begins after Vritra's death, whenhis remaining followers, the Kalakeyas (a group of fierce demons), fled thebattlefield. Hiding in the Ocean: The Kalakeyas retreated into thedepths of the ocean. From there, they emerged only at night to torment sagesand destroy religious sacrifices (Tapas). Drinking the Ocean: The gods were unable to attack thedemons while they were submerged. They approached Sage Agastya for help. Using his immense yogic power,Agastya took the entire ocean into his palm and swallowed it in a single gulp,exposing the Kalakeyas on the dry seabed. The Annihilation: With the water gone, Indra and thedevas were able to easily defeat and destroy the exposed demons. The Digestion: When the gods asked Agastya to return thewater, he revealed that he had already digested the ocean. The oceans remained dry for ages until King Bhagiratha brought the riverGanga down from the heavens to refill them. Key Connections Vengeance of Nahusha: After killing Vritra, Indra went into hiding to atone forthe sin of killing a Brahmin (Brahmahatya). During this time, the mortal king Nahusha was made king ofthe gods but became arrogant and insulted Agastya, leading the sage to cursehim into becoming a serpent. I will continue innext posting Compiled from websitesand Google search-R Gopalakrishnan 29-03-2026 -- 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/1545644972.644645.1774764419102%40mail.yahoo.com.
