Lives of Ancient Indian Saints

Agastya - The Ideal Couple

In course of time, the queen was blessed with a daughter. Her name was " Lopa Mudra " the spotless and the most virtuous. She is said to have been formed by the sage himself from the most beautiful parts of different animals so as to havve a wife after his own heart and then secretly introduced into the palace of the King of Vidarbha where she grew up as his daughter. She became the centre of all affection of her parents. She grew up like the lotus in the lake and the Goddess of fortune in a man of virtue. With superhuman beauty and virtue she adorned the house of her father. As her playmates, hundreds of girls of such beauty and virtue that she possessed were employed. She grew up to marriageable age. Virtue and wisdom went hand in hand with her.

One day Agastya the Kind of Saints came to Vidarbha to see Lopa Mudra. He asked her father to give her in marriage to him. The King was stunned at this request. How to give such a beautiful only daughter the virtuous lilly of lake of Vidarbha, full of youth and beauty to a poor hermit of nasty appearance and a long beard and hair ? How to reject the request of so great a man as Agastya by whose blessings, she was born ? He was much disturbed in mind. Lopa Mudra came forward and told her father that she was born for him and she was his. She requested her father to perform the marriage as early as possible much to the benefit of the whole world.

The King was very much pleased with the prophetic words of his daughter for the marriage immediately. It was performed on a grand scale ; the Gods and Godesses were present to bless the couple. The place of the marriage became holy. It was called " Siddha Tirtha " and became a centre for the piligrims ever since. Lopa Mudra on her own accord wore the dress of hermits after her husband. He took her to his hermitage near the holy Ganges. Their household life began there. They showed to the world how ideal household life should be. Attached to each other in their noble ideals and at the same time detached from lust and the ephemeral pleasures of the flesh, they set an example to the whole world as ideal house holders.

According to Agastya's promise to his forefathers, he wanted to bless his lady with a son. Then she asked him to present her with gold ornaments and Royal dress befitting the dignity of the only daughter of a great king, and then bless her with a son. He accepted her request. By the enormous powers of his great penance he could give what all she wanted at once but he did not like to waste the treasure of his penance. On this pretext, he wanted to know for himself how the kings were in relation to their subjects. So, he went to King Srutarva and asked him if he could spare any money that he possessed as surplus after spending the revenues for the welfare of the people. The King revealed the truth that all revenues and his personal moneis were spent on the people for their welfare. Hence there was no surplus; but if the sage wanted, he could give any amount from the revenues. The sage did not like to take people's money. So he went to another king followed by Srutarva. The sage put the same request to him. The King gave the same reply as Srutarva. Followed by the two kings, the sage went to another King and still another. The sage's request wa the same; their replies were the same. When great saints like Agastya lived, how could kings emass huge wealths by unjust means ? How could money be amassed by fair means ? That was the glory of India whose Kings spent always every thing for the welfare of the people. They had no self. So they were ideal kings.

Then Agastya followed by all the kings went to the king of Manimatipura. He was a demon called Ilavala. He had a brother Vatapi who could transform himself into any shape he liked. As an unjust King, he amassed huge amounts of money. One day a pious Brahmin came to his court. The King asked the Brahmin to reveal to him the mantram or magic spell by which he could get what he wanted. The Brahmin refused to do so. For fear of being cursed by him Ilvala wanted to put an end to the Brahmin by fowl means. So, he requested the Brahmin to be his guest for dinner before he could go away. The Brahmin accepted the invitation. At the time of dinner, Ilvala asked his brother Vatapi to take the shape of curries which were served to the Brahmin. After the Brahmin ate the curries, which were served to him, Ilvala called his brother Vatapi. Tearing out the stomach of the Brahmin Vatapi came out. The Brahmin lay down dead at once. In this way, Ilvala used to kill a number of holy Brahmins. Knowing this full well Agastya went to Ilvala followed by the Kings. Ilvala invited them as usual for dinner. The kings refused to mess there and fore-warned Agastya who accepted his invitation. Ilvala made Vatapi the curries which were served to Agastya, who chanting the hymn "Digest Vatapi, digest in my stomach " ate the curries belliful. Ilvala called out his brother who never returned again to the earth. Terrified at the act of the sage, Ilvala tried to kill him, but by the fire of his eyes, Agastya burnt him to ashes as he never liked wicked and fraudulent kings to exist on the sacred soil of India.

Agastya distributed the monies, gold, cows, horses and gems among the kings and took for himself what he wanted and rached his hermitage bidding good-bye to the noble kings. (to be continued)