When after ten years had thus passed, the end of their forest life was
approaching, Raama wished to have darshan of the sage Agastya who lived in the south. The
sage was, like Vishwamitra, famous 'through the three worlds'. It used to be said that if
all the wisdom and spiritual merit between the Himaalayas and the Vindhyas were put on one
scale and Agastya sat on the other, the southern scale would go down by his weight.
There is also the story of Agastya's
service during the wedding of Siva and Paarvati. All the rishis had gone to Mount Kailas
for the great event; Agastya alone, staying in the south, maintained the balance of the
earth. Once the Vindhya Mountain steadily grew towards the heavens and threatened to
obstruct the sun's passage between the northern and southern hemispheres. |
