Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

Author(s): T G Manikar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 49

LECTURE III
THE HYMN OF AGASTYA AND LOPĀMUDRĀ (I. 179)
This very interesting hymn from Agastya Māna is a baffling one. Different scholars have tried their hands at it and various interpretations have been offered. I therefore turn my attention on it.
Agastya Māna is a Vedic celebrity and a colourful personality like Vasistba of the Seventh Mandala. Like Vasiştha he is also a Maitrāvaruni and his birth is described as from the same pitcher, "kumbha' and from the same seed and on the same occasion at a sacrifice. The sage Vasistha was to appear after Agastya Māna. All this interesting information is given to us in the Family Hymn of the Vasişthas, (VII.33.13) wbich runs as follows:
'satre ha jatūvisitā namobhih kumbhe retah sisicatuḥ samānam / tato ha muna udiyāya madhyāt tato jātamțşimuhurvasiştham // (VII. 33.13)
In the face of the different interpretations offered of this hymn what can safely be asserted in this context is that both Agastya Māna and Vasistha were regarded as divine in origin and it was as a matter of fact Agastya who introduced Vasistha to his people. It is common knowledge that Vasiştha was connected with the Tștsus while Agastya was connected with King Khela. In the hymns to Asvinau we are informed that the Aśvinau gave a leg of iron to Vispala, a relative of Khela as a result of the prayer of Agastya :
sūnoh manena aśvina grnāna vājam vi praya bhurana radanta agastye brahmaņā vāvşdhänā sam vispalam nasatyarinitam // (1.117.11) This feat is also referred to at other places (1.116.15; 112.10).
Agastya bas about twentyfive hymns to his credit. (I.165-91). These hymns throw an interesting light on his life. Since he is a Māna, his descendants are the Manyās, the forms in this context used are 'mānebhyah (1.169.8) 'manāsaḥ' (1.171.5). Agastya and his sons appear to have been con. nected with Trnaskanda, a chief about whom we do not hear much elsewhere but to whom the Mānas refer in their own description as 'Irnaskandasya višah'. (1.172. 3), while invoking protection. We find a son of Agastya having his name 'Māndārya' as mentioned in siyam gih mändaryasya manyasya karoh ([ 165.15). Similarly the sons of the sisters of Agastya, 'Bandhu' and others are also referred to as having been favoured by Indra as in 'agastasya nad bhyah sapti yunakşi rohita'. (X.60.6),