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The Hymn of Agastya and Lopamudra (I. 179)
of semen, 'avaksi panti retaḥ' and 'antam apuḥ' is taken to mean 'brahmacaryadeḥ antam prapnuvan.' This verse is spoken by Lopamudra according to Sayaṇa, hence it is an argument made by her in her attempt to persuade Agastya who is careful to guard his chastity as perfectly as he can. The former sages, Lopamudra argues to win over Agastya, did not lose their chastity and so Agastya could very well follow them. Theime reads in this verse the futility of the holy life brought home to Agastya by Lopamudra. Lopamudrā observes here that the poets of former generations who had realised truth and who had even conversed with the gods about truth and had proclaimed truth in the manner of gods, observed a life of chastity but even they did cease because they did not come to the end of truth. It is quite possible to dedicate one's life to the service of truth but this striving for perfect spirituality rarely succeeds. Hence Agastya did better concede to her request. I am not inclined to agree to this way of reading this verse, though it must be conceded that once Lopamudra is accepted as the speaker here, there appears to be no other way to interpret. But as the things stand, they are perfectly vague. Who are these "rtasapaḥ purve'? of what did not they reach the end, na antam apuḥ'?
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I regard Agastya as the speaker, and the verse gives the background of the proposal by Agastya after all these days of his struggles for a life of chastity. These 'purve ṛtasapaḥ' are the ancestors, 'pitarah' of Agastya (Mbh. III. 96.14) who were hanging with heads downwards in a ditch and whom he saw. We are told :
agastyaḥ capi bhagavan etasmin kala eva tu |
pitṛn dadarsa garte vai lambamānāṇadhomukhan || (96.14)
They were 'brahmavādinaḥ' (96.15), ṛtasapaḥ as the hymn puts it and told Agastya that they were so hanging because he had not raised any issue :
kimartham ceha lambadhvam garte yuyam adhomukhaḥ | santanahetoriti te pratyachuḥ brahmavadinah II (96.15)
On hearing this from his ancestors Agastya observed :
sa tan uvaca tejasvi satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ |
karişye pitaraḥ kamam vyeto vo manaso jvaraḥ if (96.18)
In 'ṛtasupaḥ' and 'sakam devebhiḥ avadan ṛtani' Agastya describes the spiritual greatness and distinction of his ancestors which the Epic brings out in a single phrase, 'brahmavadinah. But in spite of this their religious and spiritual merit they did not obtain, reach, 'na hi antam apuḥ', 'the end of existence' even when they were departed separated, 'ava asuḥ'. In the Mahabharata the 'pitaras' tell Agastya
yadi no janayethaḥ Ivam agastya apatyam uttamam 1.
syat na asmat nirayāt mokṣaḥ tvam ca putra āṛnuyā gatin: | (96.1).
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