Agastya swallows the ocean13

Many times wars would break out between the cosmic gods and the demons.

Once, after fighting with the gods, the demons concealed themselves in the depths of the ocean. At that time, the demons were extremely powerful, so they were able to hide in the depths of the ocean. The cosmic gods could not do anything; they could not even trace them.

Agastya, the great sage, saw what had happened, and he became mad at the ocean. He said, “Why did you allow the demons to enter into you and why do you allow them to remain in your very depths?”

Agastya was so angry that he went to the shore and began drinking up all the waters of the ocean.

The cosmic gods came and begged him to stop. “No, no, you cannot do that! If you do that, the earth will be in terrible danger of drying up and God’s creation will be destroyed. Please give the ocean back its water.”

Agastya said, “If that is what you want, I will give back the water. I wanted to punish the demons and I wanted to punish the ocean for helping the demons. But you are wise, and what you are asking me to do is a good thing. I don’t want God’s creation to be destroyed. Therefore, I am restoring the water.” And with that he disgorged all the water.


GIM 112. 29 January 1979