Agastya, who brightened India

Agastya, who brightened India

Agastya, the sage not born in a Brahmana family but became Brahmana with his karmas of spreading knowledge. He was the first test tube baby of his time born out of the earthen pot (kumbha). Varuna (mind) and Mitra (karmendriyas) saw Urvashi (lust-desire) and ejaculated semen that fell into a mud pitcher from where the fetus of Agastya grew. 

He had traveled from North India to South India and upto Java in Indonesia and made the Indian Union of Ubhay Varnas (multi colours) of one culture of unity in diversity. He and his wife Lopamudra had composed 21 hymns of Rigveda. Interestingly, his character is present in Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other ancient literature; might be an indicator of his school of knowledge was present through Ashrama/Gurukul. 

He was founder of acupressure (treatment through vital points) and may be of marshal art. He was the union jack to join Sanskrit and Tamil and might had attended the second sangam. When it was difficult to cross the Ocean, he had traveled upto Java and had been referred in the literature of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia. 

Northwest in Indian history was always a pressure corner from where the invaders were entering and pushing the ethnic population down. The Dev-Danav wars (a war between the Persian Aryans- Ahuras and Indian Aryans-Suras) might had divided the culture into two major streams. 

It is interesting to note that ancient Indian religion didn’t  propagate idol worship. It was mainly the worship of the energy of the God spread in different forms in the universe. Therefore, the area between Afghanistan and Pakistan moved from Vedic religion to Buddhism and then to Islam easily. But the Indian continent, covered with forest might had had many streams of rituals of worshiping idols in many forms and with the mixture of Vedic and Ethnic culture the new religion of Hinduism was born. 

How interesting it is to note the contribution of two great sages of India, one Agastya Muni traveling from North to South and another Shankaracharya traveling from South to North to make India the continent of knowledge, harmony and spirituality.

Punamchand

12 April 2018