"माझा नातू अगस्त्य - भाग ९"

"माझा नातू अगस्त्य - भाग ९"

ब्रिटनमधे जन्माला आलेल्या माझ्या नातवाचे नाव ब्रिटनचे भारतीय मूळाचे पंतप्रधान "ऋषी सुनक" यांच्या प्रमाणेच भारतीय संस्कृतीशी बांधिलकी असणारे असावे या विचाराने शोधून शोधून "अगस्त्य" असे ठेवले.आज माझा नातू एक महिन्याचा झाला.त्या निमित्ताने "अगस्त्य" मुनी यांची रामायणकालीन माहिती सांगतो.

1.Sage Agastya is mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana in several chapters with his hermitage described to be on the banks of river Godavari.

2.In the Ramayana, Agastya and Lopamudra are described as living in Dandaka forest, on the southern slopes of Vindhya mountains.

3.Rama praises Agastya as the one who can do what gods find impossible.

4.He is described by Rama as the sage who asked Vindhya mountains to lower themselves so that Sun, Moon and living beings could easily pass over it.

5.He is also described as the sage who used his Dharma powers to kill demons "Vatapi" and "Ilwala" after they had jointly misled and destroyed 9,000 men.

6.Agastya, according to the  Ramayana, is a unique sage, who is short and heavy in build, but by living in the south he balances the powers of Shiva and the weight of Kailasha and Mount Meru.

7.Agastya and his wife meet Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. He gives them a divine bow and arrow, describes the evil nature of Ravana and, according to William Buck, B. A. van Nooten and Shirley Triest, bids them goodbye with the advice, "Rama, demons do not love men, therefore men must love each other"