Agasthya Gurudeva, Lopamudra Devi and Agasthyar Koodam

[Guest guest]

life. In the Puranas (stories of mythology) there

are many stories about him; every one of them shows his daring and his

compassion. In the Puranas he is described as the 'Dwarf Sage'. Even though

short in stature he performed mighty deeds and helped mankind.

The mantra is very simple and you have to do along with your husband or alone

the mantra 28 rounds in the night keeping an image of Agastya Gurudeva before

you. The person whom i mentioned that I gave the mantra is my close friend.

He studied in IIT and in the same school as mine. Now he is desperately trying

to seek out his twinflame. I have a past life connection with the person too.

But he does arduous sadhanas.I know you too will( and do right now).But you

must do the japa for 28 rounds daily and when you are not able to do it. Your

Ardhanga(husband) must sit in the same place and do it.(Iam referring to those

3-4 days when nature is at work). One should not play with yogis, fire and

kings they say...hence my hesitation... The story of Sage Agasthya's birth

itself is very interesting.The gods and the rakshasas have been enemies from

time immemorial. They have always been at war with each other. Once the Lord of

the Gods, Indra, gave an order to Agni and Vayu (the Gods of Fire and the

Winds): "Pursue the rakshasas

and destroy them."Both of them followed the rakshasas. Many rakshasas were

killed in battle. In order to escape from the gods a few of the rakshasas hid

themselves in the ocean."They are hiding in the ocean. No harm will come from

these cowards"--- so thinking Agni and Vayu returned.Indra was very angry

because Agni and Vayu had spared the lives of some rakshasas. He called them

immediately and said, "Why did you not complete the task given to you? Even now

go and churn the ocean, if necessary, and destroy the rakshasas hiding in it. Do

not leave a single trace of them. I do not mind even if the ocean dries up." So

ordered Indra.Agni and Vayu were in a difficult position. They said, "0 Indra,

there are many creatures in the ocean, they have harmed no one. If we churn the

ocean, they will die. Will that not be unjust?"Destruction of the wicked is good

for the world. Every one should strive to destroy the wicked. Suppose a man

gives shelter to a

wicked person, knowing that he is wicked - does he not deserve punishment? In

such a situation, can there be any question of right or wrong? The enraged

Indra cursed them both saying, "You have forgotten your duty and have come to

teach me the meaning of Dharma (right conduct). For such a discussion the earth

is the right place. So, be born on the earth!" Turning to Agni he added, "You

shall drink the ocean."Thus Agni and Vayu were born as Agasthya and Vasishta on

the earth. Indira's curse became a boon to the earth.Agasthya's father was

Mithravaruna Rishi, his mother was the divine damsel Urvashi. Agasthya was also

called Kumbhasambhava' (the one born in a pot) and 'Mythravaruni' (the son of

Mithravaruna). He grew up to be a great seer and a man of extraordinary

spiritual power. Lord Ishwara's marriage! And the marriage was

to be celebrated on the Himalayas, the home of the bride Parvathi. Agasthya,

too, was invited. All the gods, rakshasas and other superhuman beings assembled

there. All the monarchs and emperors of the earth and the great rishis were

there, too.All of a sudden the earth began to wobble. The world moved from side

to side like a swing. The mountains began sinking, the oceans were in a turmoil.

Everybody thought that the end of the world had come. The gods sought refuge in

Ishwara, "0 Lord of Lords, save us from this peril." Lord Ishwara calmly said,

"You have come to see the marriage of Parvathi. All of you are in one place. So

the weight of the entire world rests on the Himalayas in the north. There must

be something at the southern end to balance I this weight. Then the earth will

regain stability and calm will return. Agasthya alone can do this, none else."

He called the great sage Agasthya, and said, "You have to go to the south at

once. By the power of your tapas

(meditation and prayer) bring back the world to its normal state."Agasthya was

very sad. He had come with great devotion to witness the pomp and splendor of

the marriage of Uma and Maheshwara. But alas, he could not be there for that

auspicious occasion.Maheshwara understood the sadness of Agasthya. He said, "0

Sage, duty comes first. Be the means of doing well to the world. You want to

see our marriage, do you not? Whenever you think of us Parvathi and I will

appear before you. Do not be troubled, go." Agasthya was supremely happy at the

gracious words of Maheshwara; he bowed to Parvathi and Parameshwara and left the

place.So Agasthya went to the south. He sat on the top of a mountain to perform

tapas. By his holy power he made the earth stable again. The marriage of

Parvathi and Parameshwara was celebrated with great pomp and splendor. The

whole world rejoiced and praised Agasthya. There are some other stories you

must know of this pot-bellied seer. Long ago, King Indradyumna ruled over the

Pandya kingdom. He was a great devotee of God Vishnu. He used to begin the day's

work only after worshipping the god. One day, while the king was at his worship,

sage Agasthya came to the palace. Agasthya told the servant at the door, "Tell

Indradyumna that I have come to see him." But the king could not leave in the

middle of his worship. Therefore he said to the doorkeeper, "Receive the sage

with the utmost respect, conduct him to my chamber and beg him to be seated. I

will come soon."The sage expected that the king would himself come to welcome

him. When he saw the servant who came back, he was angry. He thought that the

king did not appear because of

arrogance. So he cursed him, saying, "0 King, since you did not honor me out of

pride, may you be born as an elephant!" He was about to leave the palace.By

then the king completed the worship. He came running and begged Agasthya to

forgive him and explained the reason for the delay. The sage realized that the

king was not to blame; he felt sorry for him. But a curse is like an arrow,

which has left the bow-, it cannot be recalled. But still Agasthya said,

"Indradyumna, when the sacred wheel of Lord Vishnu touches you, the curse will

end." So he indicated the remedy, too. The king became an elephant. The

elephant moved with other elephants in the forest. Later on, he became

'Gajendra', the king of the elephants. One day, the elephants were thirsty.

They went to a lake to drink water. The elephants entered the water and drank

water to their hearts' content.Suddenly a big crocodile in the water caught

the leg of Gajendra. It started pulling Gajendra into the water. The elephant

fought back. But the crocodile would not let go. The other elephants too came

to the rescue of their king. They tried to pull him out of the water. But the

crocodile was a big and strong one. It pulled harder than all the elephants.

The elephants said in despair, "God alone can help you," and left the place.

Step by step Gajendra was pulled into the water. When all the elephants left

him, he did not know what to do. He began to pray to-God; he cried out, "You

are the hope of those who have no other hope," and prayed to Lord Hari in many

ways.Mahavishnu who was in heaven heard his devotee's cry of despair. How can

the Lord bear it if his devotees suffer even a little? At once he mounted

Garuda, who carries the Lord everywhere; he came to the lake where Gajendra

was, and hurled the Chakra, the sacred wheel, at the crocodile.Blazing like a

thousand suns and revolving round and round, the

Sudarshana Chakra shot forward and cut off the head of the crocodile. The

compassionate Lord brought the elephant out of the lake. He accepted with all

affection the lotus flower devoutly offered by Gajendra. Thus Indradyumna was

liberated from the curse. 'Sarpa, Sarpa' - 'May You Become A Serpent!'Nahusha

was a pious emperor of theLunar Dynasty. He had performed a hundred Ashwamedha

Yagas (Sacrifices) and attained the position of Indra, the King of the Gods. He

was filled with pride because he was the lord of all the gods. He wanted that

the old Indra and his wife Shachidevi should serve him along with the other

gods.The old Indra and Shachidevi were not prepared to serve the new Indra. But

as Nahusha was the new Indra no one could disobey

him.What was to be done?At last they thought of a plan. Shachidevi informed

Nahusha that she would gladly serve him if he came in a palanquin carried by

the rishis, the great sages. The great sages to carry the palanquin! What a

shame! But the new Indra, Nahusha, blinded by arrogance, did not consider

whether what he was doing was right or wrong. Without reflecting that the

rishis are great tapasvis, men dedicated to prayer and meditation, he sent for

them. "I want to go to the palace of Shachidevi. You shall carry my palanquin,"

ordered Nahusha.After all he was the lord of the gods, wasn't he? The sages

agreed. Nahusha entered the palanquin. The sages carried it on their shoulders.

Among them was Agasthya.As Agasthya was very short the palanquin dipped a little

on one side. Nahusha was enraged by this and kicked in impatience saying,

"Sarpa.... Sarpa" (faster and faster). His foot touched Agasthya's shoulder.

The insulted sage grew angry and

cursed: "Nahusha, you have become arrogant. May you become a sarpa" (a serpent)!

(In Sanskrit, the word 'sarpa' means both faster and a serpent.)Nahusha's eyes

were now opened. He was cured of his arrogance. He jumped out of the palanquin

and, falling at Agasthya's feet, begged, "0 Sire, forgive my sin." Then the

compassionate Agasthya said, "Your own descendents will bring you salvation."

(The top diagram is Nahusa's clan-tree)Nahusha was transformed into an

'ajagara' (a python). He fell down from the high heavens to the earth. The huge

python used to move about in the forest. Many years passed. When the Pandavas

were in

the forest Draupadi wanted the flower Sougandhika. The mighty Bheema went to

find the flower. The python encircled him. Dharmaraja had to come to rescue

Bheema. Dharmaraja gave properanswers to the questions of the python. Bheema

was released and Nahusha, too, got salvation.Thus Agasthya could punish the

arrogant and pardon and save those who felt sorry for their misdeeds.

Agastya's ancestors and Lopamudra's Desire for Ornaments Agastya was a

venerable and powerful sage. Once, when he was in heaven, he saw his deceased

ancestors suspended with their head downwards. Agastya was surprised because

this was a sign that they were preparing to go to hell. Agastya asked them

what wrong had they committed. They told him that it was Agastya’s fault that

they would go to hell. Agastya did not have a son; in fact he was not even

married. Hence the lineage would end with him. Then there would be no one to

offer prayers on their behalf and they, Agastya included, would go to hell. He

assured his ancestors that he would do the needful. But the task was easier

said than done because there was no woman on earth worthy of his qualities and

stature. Hence he created a woman by taking those parts that were regarded as

highly beautiful, from creatures possessing them and joining them with his

ascetic powers. At that time the king of Vidarbh was undergoing austerities in

order to obtain an offspring. With the greatness of spirit that he was known

for, Agastya decided to gift this child to the king. Accordingly he reduced her

to a seed and had it implanted in the queen’s womb. In due time, a girl was born

to the

queen. She was given the name Lopamudra. Lopamudra grew up to be not

only a very beautiful maiden but extremely well-mannered as well. At the

appropriate time, Agastya asked for her hand in marriage. The king was in a

quandary. If he agreed he was sending his daughter to the harsh life of an

ascetic and if he refused he could suffer the consequences of the sage’s wrath.

Lopamudra played the role of a dutiful daughter and convinced her father to give

her away to Agastya. After the marriage she cast away her royal garments and

shared her husband’s life style completely and without complaining. Once when

Agastya saw Lopamudra coming out of her bath he realized that he had yet to

consummate their marriage.

After all, the whole train of events had begun with his requirement of a son.

When he summoned Lopamudra for this purpose she put forth a condition. She

said, “In all your work as a hermit I am participating as a hermit’s wife. But

in matters of love I will need to be treated as a princess. I will accept you

only on a bed like I had at the palace and clad only with the ornaments

befitting my former royal status.” Agastya argued that he was in no position to

afford the luxuries she spoke off. Then Lopamudra advised him to exchange the

wealth of his knowledge and powers for some material wealth. Agastya

approached king Srutarvan for assistance. The king was more than willing to

help, but Agastya in his greatness had put an unusual

condition. He had insisted that the king should not give him wealth by depriving

any other person of assistance. When the king demonstrated the equality of his

income and expenditure (which included substantial charity) Agastya refused to

take any assistance. Srutarvan then took Agastya to a greater king, Vradhnaswa,

but the same story was repeated there. Then the three of them went to king

Trasadasyu, but with the same outcome. Trasadasyu explained that only a Demon

king would be able to meet Agastya’s requirement because he gave no wealth in

charity but accumulated it. Accordingly they went to the Demon king Ilwala.

Kutty Ma, I have narrated the Vatapi Jeernam story below. Lopamudra agreed

to marry Agasthya finally. Her marriage was celebrated. Then she followed

Agasthya to the hermitage. She proved an excellent wife. She obeyed every wish

of his and never said a word in disagreement. Agasthya was very happy to get

such a dutiful wife.Once Lopamudra remembered the ornaments and silk sarees

that she wore in the palace of her father. The desire for fine clothes and

ornaments grew strong in her. So she said very hesitantly to Agasthya, "I want

to wear ornaments?" Lopamudra answered, "you are not an ordinary ascetic. If

you only make up your mind you can create whatever you want." Agasthya was

amused at the innocence of Lopamudra in a soft voice he said, "Lopamudra, what

you say is true. But performing tapas is not for our benefit or for personal

pleasures. My tapas to help others and to do well to the world. If it is used

for our

own pleasure and happiness the power and influence of tapas will decrease. But

do not be unhappy. I shall try to get you the ornaments in a different way." So

saying he left the place.Agasthya could sympathise with Lopamudra. Lopamudra had

not asked for anything so far. She was the daughter of a king. Hence it was

natural that she should ask for such things. And he felt that it was his duty

to fulfil her desires. Now the question was, how could he get the ornaments and

dresses? So he went to emperors and monarchs and asked them for ornaments. Many

kings, feeling happy and thinking that it was their good fortune to fulfil the

wishes of such a great sage, gave him jewels. Thus Agasthya went to three

kings. Shrutharva, Bradhnashwa and Thrasadasyu. They too gave ornaments and

dresses happily. Then they said, "The rakshasa kings of Badami, llvala and

Vatapi, are very rich. You can ask them, too," Sage Agasthya came to Badami. It

is said that the place where Vatapi and llvala

lived is the present Badami of Karnataka, in South India. "Vatapi, Be

Digested"-- Now kutty ma I owe much to this story because as a small kid my

mother told me this story and then told if I had vomitting sensation or pain

the stomach just keep your hands on your belly and tell in a rotating

motion-Jeernam Jeernam Vataapi jeernam. And I as a kid believed that and did

it and lo behold because of my innocence and faith in my mother's words the

sensation used to stop. Even to this day if I have a feeling like that or

some digestive problem I say "Jeernam Jeernam Vatapi jeernam!". And since it

was imbedded in my child psyche that the miracle can happen IT HAPPENS!!! The

story of llvala and Vatapi itself is an interesting one. They hated sages They

had destroyed all the sages and ascetics who lived near by. Agasthya knew all

this. But he was not afraid. "What will they do? Let me see. If they behave in

a bad way let me destroy them. The world will be benefited." So thinking he

came to Badami.Llvala and Vatapi had a clever trick to kill the sages. Both

were masters of magic. They could do what seemed impossible to others. They

would go to the sages in mock humility and invite them, saying and "please do

come to our house. If you accept the food we offer, we shall feel we have not

lived in vain." The sages used to accept

the invitation. Llvala with his magic would convert Vatapi into a goat. He would

kill the goat and cook the meat. It was fed to the guest. The innocent sages

used to eat it. Then after the meal llvala would shout, "Vatapi, come out."

Then Vatapi who was in the stomach of the guest would tear it open and come

out. The ascetic who came as a guest would in a minute become the guest of the

god of Death.llvala and Vatapi were very happy to see that a sage had come to

them on his own, without being invited. They received Agasthya with all honour.

Then they begged him to tell them the reason for his visit.Agasthya said, "O

Kings, I am pleased with your courtesy. You are very rich. I want some gold

ornaments and fine clothes. Please give me some. I have come to ask for them as

a gift."The two rakshasas said with false humility, "Please do accept our

hospitality first. It is indeed our good fortune that a great sage like you

should have come to our very doors. We

will give all you want."The food was ready. llvala called replied, "He has gone

on an urgent errand. You are a Maharshi, why should you wait? Please have food.

He will come soon." Agasthya laughed and said, ""Yes, yes; of course, he will

come soon." Llvala meant that Vatapi would burst forth from Agasthya’s body.

Agasthya understood the irony in llvala’s words but llvala did not understand

the meaning of Agasthya’s comment.Agasthya happily finished his meal. Later

addressing llvala, he said, "I had never eaten such a sumptuous meal. I have

never seen such a dutiful host as you." So saying he drew his hand on his

stomach and said, "I am satisfied, really satisfied. Vatapi, be digested" and

belched.Seeing all this llvala was afraid. As usual he called out, "Vatapi,

come out." But no one came. He called again and yet again. But it was of no

use. Vatapi had been digested by Agasthya long before. How could he come

out?Llvala was beside himself with

grief; he attacked Agasthya. By his yogic power Agasthya destroyed the angry

llvala. He then gathered all the fine clothes and jewels he wanted from the

tresury of the evil brothers and went back to his hermitage. Agasthya’s fame

spread all over the world. Even today ‘Vatapi, be digested’ has become a

proverb reminding people of Agasthya’s might. Moral of The Tale: Ilwala,

the very word means "absence of good qualities—of restless mind." Vaataapi

means "one who drinks of all life” meaning "death." Travellers crossing through

the jungle of life when invited by "restless mind" to have a free feast of the

"spirit of death" it is better that as spiritual seekers,

we avoid it. Else we may meet with our end of the spiritual career then and

there..... But Agasthya, a Man-of-wisdom (Gyani) cannot be destroyed by the

tricks of the "restless mind," Ilwala. He can "digest" away Vaataapi and warn

the Ilwala to behave well for the rest of his life time! With the wealth

obtained from Ilwala, Agastya was able to satisfy all of Lopamudra’s

conditions. As they came together on the special bed Lopamudra asked for a son

endowed with great energy. Agastya put some options before her. He asked,

“Would you like a thousand sons; or a hundred who are ten times as powerful as

the first; or ten who are hundred times as powerful as the first; or one son

who is a thousand times as powerful as the first?” Lopamudra opted for the last

option. After Lopamudra conceived the sage went to the forest. Lopamudra bore

the embryo for seven years

and all this time the sage meditated. At the end of seven years a resplendent

son was born. They named him Dridhasyu. Now the ancestors of Agastya no longer

had to hang upside down but obtained the regions of heaven they desired The

Mountain BowsOnce there was a conflict between the mountains, the Vindhya and

the Meru. The Sun used to go around Mount Meru every day. ‘Why should the Sun

go round Mount Meru? Why should he not go around me, too? So thought Vindhya.

He was angry at the Sun and jealous of Meru. He approached the Sun and said,

"Please do go around me also." Without even looking at Vindhya, the Sun said

with scorn, "Impossible." was very angry at the Sun’s attitude. "Yes, IVindhya

will break your pride," so saying he began to grow. As everyone watched with

wonder theVindhya grew and grew. His crest touched the sky. So he stood as an

obstacle in the path of the Sun. The Sun told Vindhya that it was not right on

his part to behave in that way. But Vindhya would not listen. Even the gods

tried to reason with Vindhya, but it was all in Vain. Everybody was tired of

the obstinacy of Vindhya.Because the Sun’s movement stopped, the world was

plunged in darkness.No one knew what to do. All the gods went to Brahma, the

Creator. Brahma said, "Agasthya alone can help." The gods went to Agasthya and

prayed to him to save the world. Agasthya said, "Don’t be troubled. I will take

care of Vindhya." After giving this assurance to the gods he went towards

Vindhya.Vindhya knew full well about the powers of sage Agasthya. He knew that

before him his own prowess was insignificant. So he thought, 'I must cleverly

solve this, problem. Somehow I must

pacify Agasthya. If I get his sympathy my ambition will be fulfilled easily.' So

he made ready to receive Agasthya. Agasthya was walking fast towards him in

anger. Vindhya welcomed the sage with humility. He requested him to accept his

hospitality. Vindhya also bowed his head to the sage and asked for his

blessings.When he saw Vindhya with bowed head before him, Agasthya felt a touch

of pity. But the well being of the world was more important. So he said, "Look,

Vindhya, I am going on urgent work to the south. I will be your guest on my way

back. Be like this until then." So saying, without even waiting for an answer,

he moved on.Mount Vindhya now realized his mistake. But he could not disobey

the orders of the sage. So with bowed head he sat waiting for Agasthya's

return. But Agasthya who went to the south, had much to do. So he could not

return at all. So Vindhya had to stand with bowed head forever! The calamity,

which threatened the world, was easily averted. The Ocean in A Single GulpIn

the south Agasthya could not stay in one place. The south was full or forests.

Everywhere there was trouble from the rakshasas. All the sages and sanyasis

living in the forests were suffering at the hands of the rakshasas. The

rakshasas used to slay like wild animals all whom they met. Even the gods had

to suffer just like the sages of the south. Knowing that gods could not fight

at night, the rakshasas by name 'Kalakeyas' used to wield their powers at

night. During the day they hid themselves in the ocean. So the destruction of

these rakshasas became a baffling problem to the gods. Again the gods sought a

solution from Lord Vishnu. "Agasthya alone knows the remedy," replied Shri

Vishnu. All the gods went to Agasthya. They narrated the story of their

sufferings at the hands of the Kalakeyas. After hearing their tale of woe

Agasthya said, "Anyway, you have come prepared to fight therakshasas. I will

drink the ocean dry. They cannot hide in the dried up ocean. They will be

forced to face you. Then fight and destroy them." The gods liked Agasthya's

plan and said, "So be it."Agasthya went to the ocean and drank all the water of

the ocean at one gulp. The gods could easily see the rakshasas who were hiding.

Like dry leaves caught up in a fierce storm, the rakshasas were tossed about

and wiped

out. Everybody praised Agasthya for saving the world from the rakshasas.

Agasthya filled the ocean again with water, using the power he had acquired by

his tapas! Kaveri the Great MotherThe people of Karnataka rejoice at the very

mention of Kaveri. (The name is spelt differently also as Cauvery.) The river

Kaveri flows through three states and bestows food on human beings and animals;

she gives them water to drink, too. It is Kaveri who gives electricity, so that

towns and villages of Karnataka have light and industries have power.Food for

the body, light to the eyes, wealth to the state, and joy to the mind - Mother

Kaveri grants all these. Kaveri was the wife of Agasthya. She flowed in the

form of a river, so that the people may be happy. And Agasthya

consented because it was for the good of the people. This, too, is an

interesting story.There are different versions of the story of Agasthya and

Kaveri. But the most important thing is that the daughter of the sage Kavera

became Kaveri. She married Agasthya and, in order that the people may prosper,

she became a river.Who was Kavera?Brahmagiri is a part of the Sahyadri mountain

ranges. There lived a king called Kavera. He performed tapas and became a rishi.

He had built a hermitage where he could perform tapas. His great ambition was to

help mankind in some way or the other and acquire 'punya' (merit in the eyes of

God). Lord Shiva was pleased with his long tapas and appeared before Kavera. He

listened to his prayer and blessed him with a daughter by name Kaveri. He said,

"Your ambition will be fulfilled through Kaveri." Kaveri grew up and became a

lovely maiden. The rishi, Kavera, told his daughter Kaveri how he yearned to

help mankind. As she listened to

his words, Kaveri also thought, 'how wonderful would it be if through me the

whole land is benefited! Then my life will become meaningful.' At this time

sage Agasthya came to Brahmagiri. All the sages of the place welcomed and

honored him. Kavera, too, invited Agasthya to his hermitage. On seeing

Agasthya, Kavera had an idea. "After all Kaveri is of marriageable age. If she

is married to Agasthya then she will be his partner in the service of mankind."

He spoke his mind to Kaveri, too. She also knew the greatness of the sage. She

was very happy at the thought of becoming the wife of Agasthya.Sage Kavera

married her to Agasthya and felt that his life's mission had been fulfilled.

Kaveri lived happily serving her husband. Agasthya too built his hermitage in

the Brahmagiri itself and was immersed in tapas. But one thought always

troubled Kaveri; she

yearned to serve the world. She spoke about her desire to Agasthya too, and

asked for his guidance. He used to console her saying 'There will come a time

for everything.'At this period in the south there was a powerful rakshasa by

name Shoorapadma. He hated Indra, the king of the gods. He was angry at human

beings too, because they worshipped trie gods. In order to destroy the human

beings he used his magical powers and prevented the iains from reaching the

earth. There were no rains and so people suffered intensely. The lands became

parched and cracks appeared. Animals and birds could not get food or water.

Their suffering was beyond words. All over the land there was sheer misery.

Lack of food and water made life unbearable. Kaveri had always been yearning to

help the people; now she saw an opportunity. She was very eager to help the

people and the animals in their distress. She prayed to all the gods with

folded hands: "At least now grant my

wish." At last the hour of the fulfillment of Kaveri's prayer dawned!It was

early morning, Agasthya was getting ready to go to the lake for his bath.

Kaveri had to be alone in the hermitage. She could not accompany him as usual,

as she was not well. How could Agasthya leave her alone in the hermitage? *Then

Agasthya thought of a plan. He transformed Kaveri into water; he filled up

his'Kaman6la' (water pot) with the water and thus took Kaveri along with him to

the lake. He put the water pot on a rock near by and entered the lake for his

bath.The gods had decided that Kaveri should be instrumental in ending the

famine and that the people should be

saved. So they were waiting for Agasthya to leave the water pot and

go.Immediately the Lord of the Gods, Indra prayed to Vinayaka, (the God of

Knowledge and of Obstacles): "0 Vinayaka, this is the time. Release Kaveri from

the pot. Are you not the powerful god who overcomes obstacles?Yes, I shall

set Kaveri free," said Vinayaka. Then Vinayaka assumed the form of a crow and

upset the water pot. The water gurgled forth. The earth, which was parched, was

thrilled and rejoiced at the touch of water.Agasthya knew nothing of what had

happened. He returned after his bath. What did he see? Released from the pot

Kaveri was racing forth gladly. Wave followed wave and the foam danced on the

gurgling water. She turned this way and that, formed a little circle here and a

little circle there, and laughing ran away. She was moving quite happily.

Agasthya was thunder-struck. He was very unhappy and cried

out, "Kaveri, 0 Kaveri, why did you leave me?" Calling out her name he tried to

catch her. But Kaveri was now beyond his reach. Vinayaka appeared before

Agasthya along with the gods and said, "Revered Agasthya, do not be troubled.

By your grace Kaveri has gone forth as a river to help the people. She and her

father had been waiting for such a fulfillment for a long time. Her wish was

fulfilled as soon as you transformed her into water. May Kaveri give wealth and

food to the people of the South as 'long as the world lasts! May she sustain

millions and millions of lives! May she be the river of grace that

washes away sins and makes sinners pure! " Agasthya felt as though Kaveri, too,

was praying, with bowed head saying, "Lord, I changed into a river and left you

without your permission. Please forgive me."'True,'said Agasthya to himself,

'how any lives do Kaveri sustain now! She is the mother of mankind. Well, I

have served the world in my way; let the world now receive help from her!'

These thoughts comforted the sage. He blessed Kaveri and took leave of the

gods. And Kaveri became far-famed as the Ganga of the South! Iam reminded of

KamalHassan's song in Mahanadi 'Gangayil Melaana Cauvery theertham!' Shri

Ramachandra's GuideAgasthya was living in the midst of the sages in the forest

of Dandakaranya. He was running a Gurukula (a residential institution to which

students who sought education joined) and was the teacher of a large number of

students.Shri Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya, had to spend fourteen years in the

forest. (The story of Shri Rama is narrated in the great epic, the Ramayana.)He

came to Dandakaranya with his wife Seetha and his brother Lakshmana. The sages

welcomed them with greataffection. Shri Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana came to the

hermitage of Agasthya. Because of his spiritual powers, Agasthya had known for

a long time that Shri Rama would visit him. Agasthya looked after the guests

well. He gave Rama a mighty bow known as the Vaishnava Dhanus and a quiver

known as Akshaya Thuneera. This was a quiver known as Akshaya Thuneera.

This was a quiver, which would always be full of arrows. He also bestowed on him

a number of weapons of rare power. According to his advice Rama and Lakshmana

built a ‘Parnakuti’ (a hut) on the banks of the river Godavari and went to live

there.Later, in the war between Rama and Ravana, Agasthya was among the many

sages who assembled to watch the mightly battle. Ravana, too, was a great

warrior. Shri Ramachndra was worried. He did not know how to kill Ravana. Then

Agasthya came forward and taught him the most sacred mantra known as the

‘Adithya Hridaya’. It was addressed to the Sun God. By chanting it three times

Rama got the strength to kill Ravana. Then peace and happiness reigned on

earth.After returning to Ayodhya Shri Rama chandra became the king. He had

killed Ravana and brought relief to a troubled world; but his mind was not at

peace. He was worried. At this time with Agasthya as the leader, a group of

sages came to see Shri Rama. Agasthya understood the

cause of Rama's unhappiness. Rama had killed Ravana, the great grandson of

Brahma, the Creator, and so his mind was clouded. As a remedy, Agasthya advised

Rama to perform the Ashvamedha Sacrifice.Such acts of Agasthya won him reverence

everywhere. He was a devotee of Ishwara, and Shanmukha; it is said that,

carrying our instructions, he popularized the Tamil language. The people of

Tamil Nadu honour him even today as the Father of the Tamil Language. The

Shivalingas installed by Agasthya are famous to this day as 'Agasthyeshwara'.

There is also a pool by name Agasthyateertha in the south. Since he was the

first among the sages to come to the south, the south is named after him. There

is also a story about his mastery over music. It is said that Agasthya defeated

even the great Ravana in a contest of playing on the veena. He gave many

disciples to the world; he formulated many Vedic mantras; he wrote a learned

work called 'The Grihyasuthra'; and the credit of

popularizing the famous' Lalithasahasranama' (the Thousand Names of the Goddess

Lalitha ) goes to Agasthya and Lopamudra.In all the stories about Agasthya we

find magnificent will power. A mountain or the ocean, what does it matter? I

shall conquer all - such was the undaunted attitude of this great sage.

Mountain, river or ocean - everything should be of service to the world. Human

beings or rakshasas - the evil doer must be punished. That was his principle.

Because of his tapas he equaled in weight all the gods; the very mountain bowed

before him; all the water of the ocean just filled his palm. Thus in every story

about him we see the heroic soul of man.It is no wonder that people devoutly

believe that God, pleased with the magnificent deeds of Agasthya, trans- formed

him into a star so that he might look down from the sky on that world which he

saved, guided and enriched. One last story on the seer regarding Narayanaadri

hills. Salutations to Lord VenkatEsa , who has taken the form of a hill

revered as NaarAyaNaadhri ! When Agastya and other Rishis were searching for

the Lord ( as narrated elsewhere),they came across a radiant mahaa purusha

seated on a rock, whose brilliance and beauty were beyond description. When

Agastya performed obeisance to this maha purusha and sought his identity, the

distinguished entity just disappeared without a word. Sri Vamadeva tells Janaka

that this purusha is none other than the Narayana Parvatam, which had assumed

the

splendorous manly form. Since Agastya describes this wonderful form as akin to

that of the Lord's, another interpretation puts this mahapurusha as none other

than Srinivasa HImself, adopting the etymological formula, "naarayaNa iti

nagesa: tasmai nama:". May the blessings of this Brahma Rishi be on us and be

our shield in life! You must do some simple Agsthya Ashtottaram and then do

the japa in the night or 3am(indian time). Also place a naivedya daily. The

rishi likes Ganapathy type of food-like Modaka or sweet Jaggery Anna.(Madhura

or kadi madhura payasam or Innippu Aappam or Kuzhi paniyaaram,etal). Light a

ghee lamp before the seer's image and the lamp must be akhanda deepam(it should

not be put off). Also place the photo of Hayagreeva and lord shiva nearby with

Rajarajeshwari Ambal's photo in the gruha-puja sannidhi. If you can do all of

the above then I can give you the mantra in my next e-mail which you must

conscientiously do even if it sounds like a simple mantra. Use this for

connecting with the Rishi and then seek his favour. You must also daily write

your desire 15 times like

roman" color="#800000"> I, LALETHAA GANESH AM GETTING A SPIRITUAL MALE ISSUE OF

THE AMSA OF SHIVA SOON. And place this before the image of the seer just

before you start his Japa. Apart from this you must make atleast one

piligrimage to Agasthyar Koodam where Agasthyar still resides. Abode of

Agasthya Agasthyakoodam is a trekker's delight. It offers a rendezvous

with Nature, and the self. FROM THE Sahyas rises the Agasthyakoodam, a

haven for Nature buffs and pilgrims. Entry into this protected zone is

restricted to two months every year. The entry passes are issued at the Forest

Department office in P.T.P. Nagar in the second week of January.

The trek takes you through some beautiful landscapes. It is an experience Nature

lovers would cherish forever. But most visitors to Agasthyakoodam are

pilgrims who come to offer Pongal and prayers to Agasthya, the Brahma rishi

and Tamil siddha-acharya of Ayurveda. Every dewdrop and every inch of land in

this magical place resonates with his presence. Agasthya is believed to have

come here in the search of medicinal herbs, which grow in abundance here. He

was attracted by the serenity of the place and decided to stay on. At the

summit, his shrine survives, attracting pilgrims from far and near. The

remote township of Bonakkad, 55 km from the city, can be reached by bus. The

summit is 30 km away from here. The hike to the summit and back can be

completed in two days, though the physically diffident choose to finish in

three days. The services of a forest guide can be employed at additional

expense. The first few hours of the hike gives a glimpse of tropical forest

life, in its fullness.A few hours into the heart of the forest takes one to the

edge of a velvet grassland folded into the hummocks. From the dark, primordial

entanglement of the jungle circus to the cool freshness of a shining meadow -

the suddenness in the change of landscape will leave one astounded. The base

camp is a run down dormitory.

Those who expect some kind of luxury would be disappointed, the accommodation

being as basic as it gets. But the stay at the base camp gives a taste of

primal existence. The trek from the base camp to the summit next morning

is the most breathtaking part of the journey. The surreal landscapes with

bizarre rock formations and eerie vegetation make one wonder if we have stepped

into a whole new realm of reality. The ascent becomes

increasingly demanding, but it is more a test of character than of physical

endurance. At the top, with the sky seemingly at a hand's distance, it is not a

sense of conquest that fills you, but a deep feeling of humility inspired by the

sheer size and formidability of the mountain. You can make enquries with

Kerala tourism to book a trip to Agasthyar koodam and sit there in a nice spot

and do the mantra on Agasthya. One can do an anusthan of 7 weeks. by

completing 125000 times the mantra.(you can resume after the 3-4 days of break

during which time your Ardhanga sits). Try to procure Mahapanchagavyaadi

ghritam from Kottakal or kerala ayurveda shop(online or otherwise) and consume

it during the periods time to keep saucha.Some seers do not like the fowl

etheric smell which emnates during that time. So why take a risk? MAY

AGASTHYA BRAHMA RISHI GRANT YOU YOUR DESIRE TO MOTHER A SPIRITUAL

SON/DAUGHTER.LET IT BE FOR LOKA KALYANAM IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES. Iam with

you my chellima! I will help you out do not worry.First think it over. There

are other methods by which you can get a spiritual son/daughter too. Your

brother, Shreeram Balijepalli

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

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[chetanshenoy r]

Nice thread sir. Please accept my humble salutations. since a few days i have been surfing the internet for sage agastya mantra but i am not able to find one.

My humble request to you sir is that in case you know please do post to my email id. waiting for a favourable reply from your end .