Sages & Others
Agastya
अगस्त्य
Drinker of the Ocean
Who was Agastya?
Agastya (अगस्त्य): Drinker of the Ocean, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. Son of Mitra and Varuna, the short and terrible sage of the south.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | अगस्त्य |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Drinker of the Ocean |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Austere, Irascible, Resourceful, Unbending |
| Notable relationships | Ally of the gods: Indra, Curser of: Nahusha, Curser of: Kubera |
| Featured in | 7 stories |
About Agastya
Son of Mitra and Varuna, the short and terrible sage of the south. He digested the shape-shifting asura Vatapi so that the demon could never rise again, and when the Kalakeyas hid in the sea he drank the ocean dry at the gods' request so that they could be slain in the open.
In Their Words
Vatapi is digested. Call him as long as you please, he will not answer.
Agastya
Traits
- Austere
- Irascible
- Resourceful
- Unbending
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Agastya
7 further tales on this site name Agastya, in canonical reading order.
- The Heir ApparentA crown promised, a second fee demanded, and the conquests that frightened a blind king
- The Court of Sages at the Dvaita LakeAn exile that filled up with brahmanas instead of soldiers
- The Council at PrabhasaThe Yadavas find the exiles on the shore and argue about ending the exile by force
- The Hands Marked With CornsA night in the kitchen, and everything she had not said
- The Weapon He Could Not LiftAshvatthama's bargain on the Dwaraka shore
- The Wind Answers the Thousand-Armed KingKartavirya boasts, and an invisible voice begins to argue
- The Rain Agastya Did Not NeedTwelve years of drought against one sage's seeds
Character Arc
- The AncestorsHe sees his fathers hanging head down and takes a wife to free them
- Come Out, VatapiHe digests the asura before he can be called forth
- The Dry SeaThe gods slay the Kalakeyas on the bared floor of the ocean
Key Relationships
Places in Agastya's Story
Drawn from the stories Agastya appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.