Sage Agsthya's marriage to Lobamudra

Sage Agasthya

Sage Agasthya was a very powerful saint and had performed so many remarkable feats. He was very short and highly talented. Once Saint Agsthya while going through a forest saw many of his forefathers hanging head down from trees and went and asked them why they were hanging upside down?

They told him “son we are your fore fathers and are doing this as you have not married and produced a heir who would have given us food and performed our last rites. If you marry  and produce a heir then we could escape this condition.”

Agasthya then decided to marry. He went to the kingdom of ‘Vidarba’ whose king was his friend. The ‘Vidarba ‘king was not having any children and did so many penances to get some children but none has helped him and was in deep sorrow.

Agasthya came to him and agreed to help him to have  a daughter to him by his divine power but made a condition that the girl should be given to him in marriage. The king of ‘Vidarba’  agreed to this condition  and Saint Agasthya gave him the boon to become the father of a very beautiful daughter.

The queen became pregnant and in due course delivered an extremely beautiful girl and this girl was named as  Lobamudra. The girl grew up and attained the age of marriage. Agasthya came to the king and asked her hand in marriage to him. Even though the King was unwilling to marry the so beautiful girl to this ugly Saint Agasthya but could not refuse his demand remembering his supreme power and also his help in getting him his daughter born.

Lobamudra  on her part consoled her father  and agreed to marry him. King married her to Agasthya as per all the norms and practices. Agasthya asked her to remove all her expensive ornaments, dress etc and come in simple dress suitable for a life of a poor Brahmin. Lobamudra agreed to his command and did as  she was told and followed him to the forest.

She did all his daily chores perfectly and earned his love and affection.  One day  Agasthya was impressed by  her devotion and love and called her to come and share his love and become the mother of his child.

But  Lobamudra  told him that she is bound to make him happy and bear a child to him but he also should satisfy her one desire or interest. Saint agreed and asked her what was her desire? She said when she comes to share his bed she should wear all the  jewelleries  and costly and expensive dresses she once wore or liked.

Agasthya told her that being a poor Brahmin he does not have the means and ways to buy them. But Lobamudra told him that being a very powerful saint and influential sage he could go and ask the kings for these gifts.

Agsthya told her if he did what she told him to do then he would lose his power of penances which he did all these years. But she asked him humbly for these gifts.

Agasthya went to a king and asked him for the gifts. The king opened his treasury and showed him that what he collected  from the people went for the welfare of the people and hence he do not have anything to spare. Then Agasthya went to another king and there also the same thing happened. Which showed  that those kings were ruling just for the welfare of the people and not for themselves unlike the present day rulers.

Finally Agasthya came to a ‘rakshasa ‘ who  was very rich and had amassed wealth beyond anybody else. His name was’ Ilvalan’ and had a brother called ‘Vathabi’. These brothers had a terrible hatred towards all Brahmins and used to invite the Brahmins for a feast. There the elder brother Ilvalan used to kill his brother and cook him and serve the food to the invited Brahmin. Once the Brahmin  had eaten the food Ilvalan would call “Vathabi come out.” And the Vathabi would cut open the stomach of the Brahmin and come out and both brothers would eat the Brahmin.

When Agasthya came to them,  Ilvalan as usual killed Vathabi and fed a feast to Agasthya. Once Agasthya ate the food, Ilvalan  called out “Vathabi come out.”  But knowing their way of treachery Agasthya put his hand on his stomach and said “Vathabi on digestion”, there by digesting him instantly.

Ilvalan went on calling for his brother but Agasthya told him that Vathabi was digested. Ilvalan understood the greatness of Agasthya  and gave him all the riches and other things the sage has asked.

He brought these gifts to Lobamudra. He waited for Lobamudra to commence his married life but was shocked to see her coming in dimple dress. Agasthiya asked her why she did not wear any of the jewels & dresses she wanted. She replied that she demanded those gifts just to test his love for her. Very much pleased Agasthiya  asked her whether she wanted ten sons of fame or one son who could defeat ten warriors? Lobamudra wanted one great son only and got the same in due course.