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In Hinduism, Agastya (अगस्त्य in devanagari, pronounced as /ə gəs tyə/; also transliterated as Agathiar அகத்தியர் in Tamil, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ in Kannada, Agasthiar, Agastyar and in other ways) is a legendary Vedic sage or rishi. Some say that it was the sage Agastya who first brought and popularized the Vedic religion to south India. Agastya and his clan are also credited to have "authored" many mantras of the Rig Veda, the earliest and most revered Hindu scripture, in the sense of first having the mantras revealed in his mind by the Supreme Spirit Brahman. In some reckonings, Agastya is also said to be one of the greatest Seven Sages or Saptarshis. The word is also written as Agasti. Image File history File links Example. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria, and to an extent, Korea. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit: , , also known as , ) is a set of religious traditions that originated mainly in the Indian subcontinent. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) DevanāgarÄ« (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is an abugida alphabet used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. ... In Hinduism, a Rishi ( ऋषि) is a sage and/or seer who heard (cf. ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ... Brahm (ब्रह्म in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) forms of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. ... SaptaÅ—iÅŸhi or SaptarÅŸi (सप्तर्षि, pronounced as sÉ™ptÉ™rÅžhi) in Sanskrit means the Seven Sages or rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and other Hindu literature. ...

Humbling the Vindhya mountains

Legend says that the Vindhya mountains that separate north and south India from each other once showed a tendency to grow so high as to obstruct the usual trajectory of the sun. This was accompanied by increasing vanity on the part of that mountain range, which demanded that Surya, the sun-God, should circum-ambulate the Vindhyas in the same way as he does Mount Meru (identified by some as being the north pole). The need arose to subdue, by guile, the Vindhyas, and Agastya was chosen to do that. The Vindhya Range is a range of hills in central India, which geographically separates The Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India. ... The Vindhya Range is a range of hills in central India, which geographically separates The Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... The Vindhya Range is a range of hills in central India, which geographically separates The Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India. ...

Agastya journeyed from north to south, and on the way encountered the now impassible Vindhya mountains. He asked the mountain range to facilitate his passage across to the south. In reverence for so eminent a sage as Agastya, the Vindhya mountains bent low enough to enable the sage and his family to cross over and enter south India. The Vindhya range also promised not to increase in height until Agastya and his family returned to the north. Agastya settled permanently in the south, and the Vindhya range, true to its word, never grew further. Thus, Agastya accomplished by guile something that would have been impossible to accomplish by force. South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...

Agastya and the Tamil language

Agastya was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. After Agastya reached the south, in answer to his prayer for revelation on the classical language of South India, Lord Shiva himself taught the classical Tamil language to Agastya. Agastya is said to have attended Tamil Sangam (convention) and staged his work the Agattiyam or Agastyam, reputedly one of the earliest treatise on Tamil grammar. In the 2500-year old Tamil Sangam, Agastyakoodam has a history of being home to Siddha medicine and it is said to be the home of Agastya.^{[citation needed]} It talks about the mountain as "Potalaka," home to deity Avalokiteshvara. Potala in Tibet, the seat of the Dalai Lama is thought to be a replica of this place. Many Buddhists used to visit Agastyakoodam in the olden days. Furthermore, the very Sage Agastya is considered by Buddhists to be a Buddhist Siddha.^{[citation needed]} Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव; Malayalam ശിവന്‍ (when used to distinguish lordly status), also known as Siva and written Åšiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव; Malayalam ശിവന്‍ (when used to distinguish lordly status), also known as Siva and written Åšiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... now. ... Tamil (தமிழ் ) is a classical language and one of the major languages of the Dravidian language family. ... A view of the Agasthyarkoodam from the base A view of the Agasthyamalai range from the Tirunelveli rainshadow region Agastya Malai (Agastyarkoodam), a peak of 1868 m in the Western Ghats. ... In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokitesvara or Avalokiteshvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. ... The Potala Palace, located in Lhasa, Tibet, was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala after a failed uprising in 1959. ... This article is becoming very long. ... This article describes the Dalai Lama lineage. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... A Siddha in Sanskrit means One who is accomplished and refers to perfected masters who have transcended the Ahamkara (Ego or I-maker), have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies composed of dense Rajo-tama Gunas into pure Satvic light. ...

Agastya and Lopāmudrā

As with all other Hindus, it was necessary for Agastya to marry and sire a son, in order to fulfill his duties to the Manus. Once he resolved upon doing this, Agastya pursued an unusual course of action: by his yogic powers, he created a female infant who possessed all the special qualities of character and personality that would be appropriate in the wife of a renunciate. At this time, the noble and virtuous king of Vidarbha (an area in south-central India, just south of the Vindhya mountains), was childless and was undergoing penances and prayers for the gift of a child. Agastya arranged for the child he had created to be born the daughter of that noble king of Vidarbha. The child was named "Lopamudra" by her parents. Upon her coming of age, Agastya approached the king and sought the hand of his daughter. The king was initially chagrined to hear such a suggestion from a renunciate, but found that his daughter, who had early exhibited extraordinary standards of mind and character, was insistent that he should accept the proposal. She was utterly intent upon exchanging the palace of her father the king for the forest-hermitage of Agastya. Lopamudra and Agastya were duly married and lived a life of extraordinary felicity. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vidarbha is the north-eastern region of Maharashtra state, now forming two divisions (Nagpur and Amravati). ...

Legends about Agastya

One story about Agastya goes that once the demons had taken refuge in the ocean and it was difficult for the gods to vanquish them, so they went to Sage Agastya for help. Then, after hearing the gods, the sage drank the entire ocean water and held it within him until the demons were destroyed.

Agastya is said to have "dedicated" all the forest animals to the deity Rudra (later called as Shiva), hence making them fit for eating if killed while hunting. Rudra (Howler) is a Rigvedic god of the storm, the hunt, death, Nature and the Wind. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव; Malayalam ശിവന്‍ (when used to distinguish lordly status), also known as Siva and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ...

Another story has it that two demon brothers, Ilvala and Vatapi, decided to kill Agastya. One of them was good at changing form and the other knew the Sanjivani mantra which, when invoked can bring back a dead person to life. They hatched a plan that the one who could change form would turn into a goat and be killed and fed to Agastya. After Agastya had eaten the goat, the other would invoke the Sanjivani mantra to bring back his brother to life, who in turn would rend Agastya's stomach and come out thereby killing him. By the plan, one changed into a goat and the other disguised himself as a Brahmachari who invited Agastya to a meal. Agastya knew beforehand about the plan due to his immense Vedic powers, but he resolved to teach both a lesson. After the meal, Agastya simply rubbed his stomach saying Jeernam jeernam vathaapi jeernam (meaning "The food that is eaten will be digested well") to digest the meal, while the other demon tried to bring his brother to life in vain. Agastya plainly informed the demon that his brother has been digested. Agastya, realising that his liking for meat had nearly gotten him killed (had it not been for his vedic powers), forbade the consumption of meat for all people. Brahmachari is a sacred word in India. ... The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. ...

Other facets of Agastya

He is considered as the first and foremost person of Siddha. He is considered the guru of many other Siddhars. He is also called Kurumuni, meaning short (kuru) saint (muni). His contributions were to the field of Medicine (Siddha) and Astrology - especially Nadi Jodhidam(Jos(i)yam or Jothisyam). He is said to have lived for over 5000 years, and that one of his medicinal preparations, Boopathi Kuligai, is so powerful that it can even bring the dead back to life. Two of his students and disciples were Therayar and Tholkappiar. A Siddha in Sanskrit means One who is accomplished and refers to perfected masters who have transcended the Ahamkara (Ego or I-maker), have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies composed of dense Rajo-tama Gunas into pure Satvic light. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Siddha in Sanskrit means One who is accomplished and refers to perfected masters who have transcended the Ahamkara (Ego or I-maker), have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies composed of dense Rajo-tama Gunas into pure Satvic light. ... Colourized version of the Flammarion woodcut, an enigmatic work by an unknown artist. ... Tholkappiar was the author of the book Tholkappiyam, a book which contains the grammer usage for tamil. ...

Unity of Vishnu and Shiva

At a Saivite temple named Kutralam, formerly a Vishnu temple, in Tamil Nadu, Agastya, in one legend, was refused entry. He then appeared as a Vaishnavite devotee and is said to have miraculously converted the image to a Shiva linga. A symbolic meaning of this conversion, in one interpretation, is to show that Vishnu and Shiva are different aspects of the one and same God. Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ...

Certain important Stotrams

• The Lalitha sahasranama, which describes the 1000 names of the mother Goddess (Known commonly as Gowri, Parvati or Durga), was first revealed to the world when Hayagriva, a manifestation of Vishnu, taught the same to Agastya.
• Agastya is said to have composed the Aditya Hridayam, a hymn to Surya, and taught the same to Rama just before the war between Rama and Ravana.

A Sahasranama is a litany of one thousand names of God or Goddess. ... This 14th century statue depicts Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right}. It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In Hinduism, Gowri or Dakshayani is the Goddess of marital felicity and longevity, who is worshipped particularly by ladies to seek the long life of... Parvati (Sanskrit: पार्वती Pārvatī), sometimes spelled Parvathi or Parvathy, is a Hindu goddess. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess, also identified with Parvati. ... In Hinduism, Hayagriva is a minor avatar of Vishnu. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari , with honorific Shri Vishnu; , ), is a form of god or idol, in Hinduism and its mythology. ... The Aditya Hridayam, is a hymn associated with the Sun or Surya and was recited by the great sage Agastya to Rama on the battlefield before fighting with Ravana. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... A dipiction of Ravana, Hindu Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana (Devanagari: रावण, IAST Rāvaṇa; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ...

See also

• Siddhars
• Thirumoolar
• Bogar
• Kumba Muni
• Avaiyar
• Abithana Chintamani - Encyclopedia of Tamil Literature

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Thirumoolar also spelt Tirumular or Thirumular is one of the 18 Siddhars. ... Bogar was a legendary South Indian siddhar (herbal healer). ... Avaiyar is a female icon of Tamil literature. ... Abithana Chitamani is an encyclopedia on Tamil Literature written by A. Singaravelu Mudaliar. ...

Reference

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola

External links

• Project Madurai Home Page
• Tamil Siddhars

• http://www.agasthiar.org/

• http://www.agnisiksha.org/