10 - Maharshi Agastya Jee

Maharshi Agastya Jee is a great Maharshi. He has done a lot for the world. Many events  are famous related to him.

(1) When Agastya Jee bent Vindhyaachal Parvat
Soorya used to go round Meru Parvat everyday. One day Vindhyaachal Parvat said to Soorya - "As you go round the Meru Parvat, you go round me also." Soorya explained - "I do not do this with my own wish; whoever has created this Universe, he has decided this path for me." Hearing this Vindhyaachal got angry. He started growing and hindered the path of Soorya and Chandra. The whole system got disturbed. Devtaa tried their best, but could not do anything.

Then they went to Agastya Muni. Agastya Muni went to Vindhyaachal Parvat and said to him - "I am going to South, give me the way. I cannot climb so high." Vindhyaachal regarded him a lot, so he just came to ground level and Muni crossed him. After crossing him he told him to lie down in the same way till he returned and went away. Vindhyaachal is still waiting for him to return, but he has never returned since then. Thus he solved Devtaa's problem.

(2) When Agastya Jee cursed King Nahush to save Devtaa
Once Indra killed a Braahman, so he was in hiding to escape from Brahm Hatyaa curse. As there was no Indra, all Devtaa were worried. Then Brihaspati Jee suggested them to bring a human being from Prithvi as Indra till their own Indra becomes free from curse. Now who was such a man who could be appointed as Indra? Brihaspati Jee suggested that the King Nahush (Yayaati's son) was such a human being who was worthy to be Indra. So he was brought to Swarg and was appointed as Indra.

As Nahush became Indra, he became proud and thought that if he was Indra then why Indraanee didn't come to him? He sent a message to her - "Since I am Indra now, you should come to me." Indraanee got worried to hear this, she sought her Guru Brihaspati Jee's help. Brihaspati Jee pondered over a little and said to her - "Ask him to come to you in the palanquin carried by Rishi." Indraanee sent the same message to Nahush. Nahush was blind in his pride, so he asked to bring a palanquin which would be drawn by Rishi.

He sat on the palanquin and set off to Indraanee's palace. He was very happy that he was going to Indraanee's palace. Rishi did not have the habit to carry palanquins, so they were walking slowly, and Nahush was in hurry. Seeing them walking slowly, he said to them, "Sarp, Sarp (means walk fast, walk fast)." Still Rishi were not able to walk fast. When in spite of saying several times Rishi could not walk fast, he hit one Rishi with a whip saying again, "Sarp, Sarp." Now that Rishi was Maharshi Agastya. Hearing this Maharshi Agastya cursed him - "You are saying us "Sarp, Sarp", you yourself become Sarp (snake) and fall on Prithvi." Immediately Nahush became a snake and fell on Prithvi. He asked Rishi's forgiveness and that when he will be free from this curse. Agastya Jee said, "When Yudhishthir will tell you about Dharm, then you will be free from this curse."

So when Yudhishthir told him about Dharm, he got freed from this curse.

(3) When Agastya Jee drank the ocean
Once there was a great Asur named Vritraasur. He had lots of other Daityas, named Kaalakeya, to protect him. He was very mighty. When Devtaa could not kill him, they asked Mahrshi Dadheechi to give them his bones. Maharshi Dadheechi readily gave his bones to them to kill Vraitraasur. Indra made Vajra out of those bones and fought with Vritraasur. With that Vajra, he killed Vritraasur. As soon as he was killed, his protectors Kaalakeya ran away and hid in the sea. Now Devtaa again had a problem to find them. The sea was vast, they could not find them. So they went to Vishnu and asked the way to kill them. Vishnu said - "I know they are very powerful, and until the sea is dried, you cannot find them." So they came to Maharshi Agastya.

They said - "In earlier times also you have helped Devtaa, we are again in trouble, please help us again. Agastya Jee said - "OK, What I will do that I will drink the sea, so whatever you want to do, do soon." Agastya Jee sat on the shore of the sea and drank the whole sea in front of everybody. Devtaa found the Kaalakeya Daitya and killed most of them. Whatever survived went to Paataal Lok. Then Devtaa prayed him to return the water to the sea. Agastya Jee said - "I have already digested that water, so you make another arrangement to fill it." Hearing this Devtaa went to Brahmaa Jee, Brahmaa Jee assured them - "Don't worry, when Bhageerath will bring Gangaa on Prithvi, she will fill the sea with her water."

(4) When Agastya Jee saved Braahman by digesting Vaataapi Raakshas
There were two Raakshas brothers - Ilval and Vaataapi. Ilval used to cook human flesh to feed Braahman, and Vaataapi used to extend invitation for food. When the Braahman came to eat food they served him with human flesh and Ilval used to enter his stomach with that food. Later he used to come out of his stomach by tearing it and thus killing him. This continued for some time, that once Ilval invited Agastya Muni to have food. Agastya Muni came and when human flesh was served to him, Ilaval himself entered his stomach also as usual. But when the time came for Ilval to come out of Muni's stomach, he did not come out. When Vaataapi didn't see his brother coming out, he called him loudly, "Where are you, Ilval?" Agastya Muni said - "I have already digested him, now he will never come out." Hearing this Vaataapi ran away and after that he did not invite any Braahman for food. Later Agastya Muni ate Vaataapi also.

[Agastya Jee helped Devtaa so many times.]