Agastya
Agastya or Agasti ( Sanskrit : अगस्त्य Agastya m .; Tamil : அகத்தியர் Akattiyan ) was a mythical seer who is already mentioned in the Vedas and is revered as a cultural hero in South India. Many miracles are attributed to him, and he was a helper to the gods and also settled the dispute between Indra and the Maruts who fought over offerings.
Vedas
Agastya is in some hymns of the Rig Veda mentioned, one of the anthems is a conversation between Agastya and his wife Lopamudra , the sister of the seer Pulastya . He and his brother Vasishtha came out of a water jar into which the sperm of the gods Mitra and Varuna poured when they saw Urvashi , the most beautiful of all Apsaras . Agastya is said to have emerged as a radiant fish.
Ramayana
In the Indian epic Ramayana , Agastya is described as a hermit in the Vindhya Mountains . He was the leader of the South Indian sages and watched over the Rakshasas . When Rama visited him, he not only supported him with advice, he also gave him Vishnu's bow. After Rama became king, Agastya followed him to Ayodhya .
Culture bringer
With the Dravida , Agastya is considered to be a bringer of culture. He will of Shiva , the Tamil have learned and then to his disciple Tolkappiyar have passed, the author of the oldest known grammar of Tamil. He is said to have moved from Dvaraka or some other place to the Vindhya Mountains, where Agastya is still particularly worshiped today. From there he moved to South India and settled on Mount Agastya Malai in Kerala .
Worship and iconography
Agastya is depicted as a bearded and stocky man with a big belly, who holds a water jug in his left hand. According to South Indian tradition, the Kaveri River is said to flow out of its water jug. Agastya is worshiped not only in the Vindhya Mountains and southern India, but also outside of India. His cult is attested in medieval Sri Lanka , probably at Adam's Peak .
See also
literature
- Agasti, Agastya . In: John Dowson : A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. Trübner & co., London 1879, pp. 4-6 ( Text Archive - Internet Archive ).
- Hans Wilhelm Haussig (Ed.): Gods and Myths of the Indian Subcontinent (= Dictionary of Mythology . Department 1: The ancient civilized peoples. Volume 5). Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-12-909850-X .
