Agastya and the Birth of Svarṇamukhī

This is the account of how the sacred river Svarṇamukhī came to flow in the south. It came through the tapas (austerity) of the ṛshi Agastya and through Brahmā’s gift of a part of the divine Gaṅgā. Bharadvāja tells it to Arjuna on the bank of the Svarṇamukhī. It is part of the longer Svarṇamukhī Māhātmya, which runs through the Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa.

At the wedding of Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī, everyone in the three worlds gathered in the north, and the earth tilted. Bhagavān Śiva sent Agastya south to set it right. Agastya settled on a mountain, and a voice from the sky told him to bring a river to that waterless land. His tapas brought Brahmā to him. Brahmā gave the vara (boon) and told Gaṅgā to send a part of herself to earth. Agastya led the new river south to the ocean, and Vāyu proclaimed her name as Svarṇamukhī.

The wedding of Śiva and the tilt of the earth

In the thirty-first adhyāya (chapter) of the Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Bharadvāja tells Arjuna the whole account of how the Svarṇamukhī began.

The occasion was the divine wedding of Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī. Pārvatī was Satī born again, now the daughter of Himavān. The wedding was at Oshadhīprastha, the Himālaya seat of Himavān. The saptarshis (the seven ṛshis) had come to Himavān to arrange the wedding, and Parameśvara himself arrived.

In answer, all the moving and unmoving beings of the three worlds gathered in the north to see the divine marriage. The weight of this great gathering pushed the northern half of the earth down toward pātāla (the lower world). The south, now empty, rose high. This imbalance filled all creation with fear.

Maheśvara looked toward Agastya and said: “O Mahāprājña, come here. Only you can set this right. Come to this side. I will show you the form of Pārvatī and myself completing the wedding wherever you settle. By your very nature and your tapas you were born to protect the worlds. At my command, go and restore the earth.”

Agastya bowed to Parameśvara and went south. As he crossed the Vindhyas and moved into the south, the earth slowly came back into balance. The deva-gaṇas, gandharvas and kinnaras cheered with joy.

Agastya settles on Agastya-śaila

Agastya went on through the south and found a magnificent mountain. Its peaks touched the sky and its roots went deep into the earth. It shone with healing herbs and gems, as if all the treasures of Brahmā had been stored there in one place. He climbed it and found a beautiful lake on the peak. Many trees stood around it. The water was sweet and pure, and herons and cranes rested on silver sandbars. It was the perfect place.

Agastya settled on this mountain. He performed all the vāstu rites (the rites for a new dwelling). He honoured the devas, the ṛshis, the pitṛs and the directions. He set up his āśrama on the north side of the lake, and many ṛshis joined him there. Because he lived there, the mountain became known in all the worlds as Agastya-śaila.

The command from the sky

One morning Agastya had finished his daily rites (āhnika) and was going into the temple of the devas to perform the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva. Then an ākāśavāṇī, a voice from the sky with no body, spoke to him:

“O Munīndra! This place is famous for its good qualities, but without a river it does not shine. It is like a brāhmaṇa without learning, a dīkshā without dakshiṇā, a night without moonlight. A land without a river does not shine. So, for the good of the worlds, bring a great river here. Let it be a river that purifies even the deepest pāpa (sin) and helps the devas, the ṛshis and all people.”

Agastya told this command (ādeśa) to the ṛshis who had gathered. They all encouraged him. They said it was strange that they had lived so long on this beautiful mountain without noticing that it had no river. They urged him: “Only you can bring a river here. This is the right moment. Bring one who will make even the the tīrthas of svarga (heaven) bow to her.” Agastya accepted the task.

Agastya’s tapas

Agastya asked the ṛshis for their leave and performed pūjā of the devas. He then took up a hard vrata (vow) for this purpose, and began tapas of great severity.

• Grīshma (summer): He sat among five blazing fires, with his eyes fixed on the sun above, and bore the heat without flinching.
• Varshā (rains): He stood outside in the heavy downpour and howling wind, with no shelter.
• Śīta (winter): He stood in the cold water of the mountain lake up to his neck, and did japa (silent repetition of a mantra) without moving.

This long effort did not at once bring the result he wanted, so Agastya made it harder still. He became completely still and ate nothing, “like a rock.” Then fire began to pour from every pore of his body. It rose into the sky as a terrible blaze and spread in every direction. It filled the universe with panic, and all the great worlds were thrown into confusion. The devas gathered and went together to Brahmā to tell him what was happening.

Brahmā comes down and gives the boon

Brahmā came down to Agastya’s āśrama, with siddhas and gandharvas around him. He appeared before the ṛshi, who was blazing with tapas. Agastya rose with great joy. He welcomed Brahmā with many stutis (hymns of praise) and then stood with respect.

Brahmā said: “I am pleased with your great tapas. Ask for all that you wish, and it will be given.”

Agastya answered: “By your grace all my wishes are already fulfilled. I have only this one request. This place has no river, and without a river it is like Veda recitation with no meaning. Bring a great river here, one that can purify the earth and protect the people. This is my only wish.”

Brahmā said “Tathāstu” (so be it). He called the divine Gaṅgā to his mind, and she appeared before him with her hands joined in namaskāra. Brahmā told her: “For the good of the worlds, send a part of yourself to earth, to flow at this ṛshi’s āśrama. You too, like me, exist for the good of all beings. Follow the path that Agastya shows you.”

Gaṅgā agreed. She said to Agastya: “I will send a form born from a part of myself.” Then Brahmā went away.

The birth of Svarṇamukhī

The part of Gaṅgā appeared before Agastya as a divine form full of radiance. Gaṅgā told her: “You are born from a part of me. Go and become a river on earth, and fulfil this ṛshi’s wish.”

The river-form asked Agastya: “Which path shall I take?” Agastya answered: “I will walk ahead. You follow me.” He came down from Agastya-śaila leading the divine river-form. She followed him in her flowing nature, came down the mountain and entered the plains. As she flowed on, Agastya walked ahead as her guide and her father.

Vāyu had been sent by Brahmā. He called out before all the devas and ṛshis who had gathered: “This river, brought by Agastya like a great golden treasure, shall be called Svarṇamukhī, the golden-faced one, the one who grants moksha (liberation).” So Vāyu gave the name openly, for all the three worlds to hear.

The river flowed south through mountains, forests, plains and many countries, and blessed the land. At last she reached the southern ocean. The ocean welcomed her with great celebration. He accepted her as his beloved wife, with his waves as his arms.

Agastya’s later return to Veṅkaṭādri

In Chapters 37 and 38, Agastya performed tapas at Veṅkaṭādri for a thousand years, as Brahmā had directed. In the end he received the darśana of Bhagavān Vishṇu, together with King Śaṅkhabhūpati. At that darśana Agastya asked Bhagavān Vishṇu to bless the Svarṇamukhī, which flows near the sacred mountain. He asked that bathing in her and then visiting Veṅkaṭādri should together give moksha. Bhagavān Vishṇu granted this. So the sacred round was complete: bathing in the Svarṇamukhī (snāna) followed by the darśana of Veṅkaṭādri became the best way to reach moksha.

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapters 31–33
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapters 37–38