Agastya, Lopāmudrā and Ilvala

This is an upākhyāna (a told episode) from the Mahābhārata. Lomaśa told it to Yudhishṭhira at the site of Agastya’s ancient āśrama (hermitage) during the Pāṇḍavas’ tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage). It tells of Agastya Maharshi’s marriage to Lopāmudrā, his defeat of the rākshasa brothers Ilvala and Vātāpi, and the events that led to the birth of his son Dṛḍhāsyu.

Ilvala killed brāhmaṇas by a cruel trick. He turned his brother Vātāpi into a ram, cooked him as food, and then called him back to life from inside the brāhmaṇa guest. Agastya alone digested Vātāpi completely and broke the plan.

Ilvala and Vātāpi, the brāhmaṇa-killers

Ilvala was a powerful rākshasa king. He ruled the city of Mānimati, which is also called Durjaya. He held a burning grudge against brāhmaṇas, born of an old slight. He had once asked a learned brāhmaṇa to perform a rite that would give him a son equal to Indra, and the brāhmaṇa had refused. Full of resentment, Ilvala made a cunning plan.

His brother Vātāpi could take any form he wished. Ilvala would turn Vātāpi into a ram or some other animal, kill and cook him, and serve the flesh as a feast to visiting brāhmaṇas. After the meal Ilvala would call out loudly: “Vātāpi, come out!” Vātāpi would then burst out alive from the brāhmaṇa’s belly, tearing through the guest’s body and killing him. In this way the brothers had killed an uncountable number of brāhmaṇas over many years. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 96)

Agastya sees his pitṛs

Agastya Maharshi was one day at his tapas (austerity) when he saw a sight of deep grief. He saw his pitṛs (ancestors) hanging upside down in a pit, heads below and feet above, in terrible suffering. He called out: “Who are you? Why do you hang here in such torment?”

They answered: “We are your ancestors. We hang here because you have no son to perform our śrāddha (the rite for the departed) and carry on the line. Until you bring forth a son of worth, we cannot be freed from this suffering. So, for our sake and for your own, take a wife and have a son.”

The sight shook Agastya. He decided to find a wife worthy of his spiritual standing. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 96)

The making of Lopāmudrā

By his great tapas and divine knowledge, Agastya Maharshi shaped a daughter from the most refined and beautiful qualities of all creatures. From the deer he took the grace of the eyes. From other creatures he took their finest qualities. He put these together into a form of unmatched beauty and goodness. He then gave this child to the king of Vidarbha to be raised as the king’s own daughter.

The king of Vidarbha named her Lopāmudrā. He raised her as a beloved princess with every comfort and the best education. When she grew into a young woman of rare beauty and character, many kings sought her hand. But the king did not know who was worthy of such a daughter.

Then Agastya came to Vidarbha and said that he wished to marry Lopāmudrā. The king was troubled. The ṛshi was a forest ascetic of hard austerities, and his daughter had grown up in great comfort. Yet the king could not refuse so great a ṛshi.

Lopāmudrā herself agreed, with full understanding. She knew the honour of being married to such a mahāmuni (great muni). She gladly gave up her royal ornaments and clothes and put on the bark cloth and plain dress of a ṛshi-patnī (a ṛshi’s wife). (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 96)

Lopāmudrā’s request

For years Lopāmudrā lived in the forest as Agastya’s devoted wife. One day she came to her husband with a formal request. She reminded him that she was born in a royal house and had willingly set aside every comfort out of devotion to him. She now asked him to come to her with wealth, comfort and the ornaments that suit her station. She did not ask this out of vanity. She asked it so that she might be honoured as a wife ought to be honoured. She was asking Agastya to gain wealth so that he could carry out a husband’s dharmic duty to his wife with full dignity.

Her request also showed that the time had come for them to have a son, for the sake of the pitṛs as much as for her own.

Agastya heard her with great respect and love. He honoured her giving-up and saw the rightness of her wish. He said: “It is indeed proper. I shall go and seek the wealth you desire.” (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 96)

The bhikshā journey to three kings

Agastya set out on a journey of bhikshā (asking for alms). He went to kings who were both rich and virtuous, hoping that one of them might meet his need without harming their people.

Śrutarvān. Agastya went first to King Śrutarvān, a king who followed dharma. He asked the king plainly about his treasury and income. The king laid everything open. His income and spending were exactly equal. If Agastya took any extra, it would come out of something the kingdom needed. When Agastya understood this, he did not press his request. He did not want to cause even the least harm to the people. He asked Śrutarvān to come with him instead.

Bradhnāśva. The second king they visited was Bradhnāśva, also a just ruler with a well-balanced kingdom. Again his income exactly equalled his spending, and taking from him would harm someone in his realm. Agastya again declined, and he invited Bradhnāśva to join the growing company.

Trasadasyu. The third king, Trasadasyu, was in the same position. His kingdom was in perfect balance, and he had no true surplus that could be given without cost to another. All three kings now went with Agastya. Each was willing to help, but none could give what was needed without making his people poor. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 97)

Agastya at Ilvala’s feast: Vātāpi is digested

With the three kings and their followers, Agastya turned toward Mānimati to visit Ilvala. The rākshasa saw the great ṛshi coming with such a company, and he put on a show of welcome. He turned Vātāpi into a ram in the usual way, cooked him, and served the meal to Agastya.

Agastya ate calmly. While he ate, he meditated within, and with the fire of his tapas he digested Vātāpi completely. When the meal was over, Ilvala called his brother’s name: “Vātāpi, come out!” There was only silence. Agastya smiled gently and said: “I have already digested your brother. He cannot come out.” He stroked his belly like one who has eaten well.

Ilvala was stunned. This was the first time his plan had failed completely. Vātāpi had lived on inside the bodies of countless brāhmaṇas and burst out to kill them. Now the digestive fire of Agastya’s tapas had consumed him entirely. The time of Ilvala and Vātāpi killing brāhmaṇas was over. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 97)

Ilvala’s wealth is given to Agastya

Ilvala faced the end of his brother and the power of Agastya’s presence, and he had no choice but to bow. Agastya said plainly what was needed. Ilvala could not refuse the ṛshi who had just destroyed Vātāpi, and he handed over very large amounts of gold, silver and other wealth.

Agastya shared this wealth fairly. He gave Śrutarvān, Bradhnāśva and Trasadasyu what each needed to balance his kingdom’s income. He kept for himself what was needed to fulfil Lopāmudrā’s wish. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 97)

Lopāmudrā’s wish is met: the birth of Dṛḍhāsyu

Agastya returned to Lopāmudrā with the wealth. He honoured her as she had wished, with full dignity and the splendour that suits the wife of a ṛshi who was born to a royal house.

From this union a son was born after an unusually long time in the womb, seven years. He came with great strength and tapas. The child was named Dṛḍhāsyu. He is also known as Idhmavāha, which means “carrier of the sacred fuel”. The name points to his strength and to his holy role. He would carry on the line of the yajña, free the pitṛs from their suffering, and uphold the Agastya gotra (family line). (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 97–98)

Lomaśa’s telling at Agastya’s āśrama

Lomaśa told this upākhyāna to Yudhishṭhira and the Pāṇḍavas as they stood at the very site of Agastya’s ancient āśrama in the Daṇḍaka forest. He pointed out the places where Agastya had done tapas, where Lopāmudrā had faithfully served, and the spot linked with Vātāpi’s end. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 96)

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 96–99