Agastya

Agastya is one of the most revered sages in Hindu tradition, mentioned as early as the Rigveda (Rigveda 1.165–191) where he is credited with several hymns. He is considered a mind-born son of the gods Mitra and Varuna, born from a jar (kumbha), hence also called Kumbhaja. The Puranas, especially the Skanda Purana and the Ramayana (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda), narrate his pivotal role in the story of the Vindhya mountains, which he commanded to stop growing, and his drinking of the ocean to expose demons hiding within, as recounted in the Mahabharata (Mahabharata, Vana Parva).

Agastya is also the sage who taught the Tamil language and is revered as the father of Tamil literature; tradition holds that he composed the first Tamil grammar, Agattiyam. He is associated with the Kaveri river, which he is said to have brought down to earth in a pot (kamandalu) to alleviate drought, as described in the Skanda Purana. Iconographically, Agastya is depicted as a bearded sage with a staff and kamandalu, often seated in meditation.

He is the husband of Lopamudra, a princess who became his ascetic wife, and their dialogue on dharma is recorded in the Rigveda. In South India, Agastya is worshipped as a guardian of the southern direction and as the founder of Siddha medicine. His Jayanti is celebrated widely.

In Hindu cosmology, Agastya represents the star Canopus, and his role as a civilizing force who brought Vedic culture to the South underscores his importance as a bridge between northern and southern traditions.

Depicted as a sage with a beard, often with a pot (kamandalu).