Saptarishi AGASTYA Pulastya

gastya Agastya/Agasthiyar.

Agastya depicted in a statue as a Hindu sage.		 Agastya (Telugu:అగస్త్య,Kannada:ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ,Tamil:அகத்தியர்,Sanskrit:अगस्त्य,AGASTYA, Malay: Anggasta, Thai: Akkhot) is one of the Saptarishis (सप्तर्षि saptarṣi a meaning "seven sages") who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and a revered Vedic sage who is also the author of Agastya Samhita [ref: Dharma Bharathi]. Agastya is a name of Shiva too. The word is sometimes written as Agasti and Agathiyar. A-ga means a mountain, and Asti means thrower.[1]Agastya the Muni, son of Urvashi was born of both Gods, Mitra and Varuna.[1][2] Agastya is also the Indian astronomical name of the star of Canopus, is said to be the 'cleanser of waters', since its rising coincides with the calming of the waters of the Indian Ocean. He was son of Pulasthya, son of Brahma. Siddhar[3] were spiritual adepts who possessed the ashta siddhis, or the eight supernatural powers. Sage Agathiyar is considered the guru of all Siddhars, and the Siddha medicine system is believed to have been handed over to him by Lord Muruga, son of the Hindu God Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.Siddhars are the followers of Lord Shiva. Agathiyar is the first Siddhar. His disciples and other siddhars contributed thousands of texts on Siddhar litratures, including medicine and form the propounders of the system in this world.[4] He is considered as the father of Tamil literature and compiled the first Tamil grammar called Agathiyam. It is believed that he has lived in the 6th or 7th century B.C and specialized in language, alchemy, medicine and spirituality (yogam and gnanam). There are 96 books in the name of Agathiyar.[5] However, some Tamil researchers say that Agastya mentioned in Vedas and Agathiyar mentioned in Tamil texts could be two different characters. In Tamil language the term 'Agam' means inside and 'iyar' means belong. One who belong inside (soul) is the Tamil meaning for Agathiyar. Agastya and Lopāmudrā

The left of these two statues represents Agastya as a Hindu sage. It is located in the archaeological museum at Prambanan, Java,Indonesia, and probably dates from the 9th century A.D. Agastya was one of the divinities worshipped at Candi Siva, the main temple at Prambanan.

Agastya and Lopāmudrā Agastya needed 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 undertaking penances and offering prayers to the divinities for the gift of a child. Having come to know the plight of the king, Agastya arranged for the transformation of the child he had created, to be born the daughter of that noble king of Vidarbha. The child thus born was named "Lopamudra" by her parents. Upon her attaining marriageable 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 already exhibited extraordinary standards of mind and character, was insistent that he should accept the proposal. She was utterly intent upon renouncing the royal palace of her father and set out to live in forest at the hermitage of Agastya. Lopamudra and Agastya were duly married and lived a life of extraordinary felicity and happiness. It is believed that they had two sons - Bringi & Achutha. InMahabharata (Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva), there is mention of his penance at Gangadwara(Haridwar),in Uttar Khand State in India, with the help of his wife, Lopamudra (the princess ofVidharba).[6] Lopamudra attained the rank of one of Mahapativrathas in the world by her dedication to worship her husband Agastya, and remained with other Pathivrathas (Noble exalted wives),like Mandodari (Ravana's wife),etc. [edit]Legends about Agastya

Rama at the Hermatige of Sage Agastya

Oath of Agastya One story about Agastya goes that once the Kalakeyas (a clan of Asuras) had taken refuge in the Cosmic Ocean, so that it was difficult for the Devas to vanquish them, due to which they went to Sage Agastya for help. After hearing the Devas, the sage drank the entire ocean water and held it within him, until the demons were destroyed. In his book, he gives description of, and instructions for the creation of medicines for fever (it may be of any type), cancer, treatments for impotence, abdominal problems, brain and eye problems, bone problems, etc. Reputedly, his medicines give quick results without any side effects. Another legend is about how Sage Agastya saved the thenBharatavarsha from imbalance. Mount Vindhyachal continually grew in size due to taunting comments by Sage Narada according to a story in the Shri Rama-Charitra-Manasa. So as to temper the vanity of the mountains, Sage Agastya and his family traveled to South India, via the Mount Vindhyachal. On their way, when the Vindhyas saw Sage Agastya, he bowed with respect and reverence, upon which Sage Agastya played a trick on the Vindhyas, joking if he would stay bowed and subdued with respect till the sage returned. The Vindhyas was truly benevolent and promised to not grow until the seer's return from the South. After passing through the mountain, sage Agastya told his wife, that they would never go back North side of mount Vindhyas ever again. Another reference is in the Mahabharata Book 10 in Sauptikaparva, section-12[7] as the sage who gave Drona, the greatest of weapons, Brahmastra (used by both Arjunaand Ashwatthama at the end of the war). It is also believed by some that the Tamil language was taught to Sage Agastya by Lord Shiva Himself.

Agastya (Sanskrit:अगस्त्य, Tamil:அகத்தியர் Akattiyar, Malay: Anggasta, Thai: Akkhot) was a Vedic Siddhar or sage. Agastya and his clan are also credited[who?] 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 Brahman. Agastya is also the author of Agastya Samhita[ref: Dharma Bharathi]. In some reckonings, Agastya is the greatest of the Seven Sages or Saptarshis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agastya