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Agastyar, the patron
saint of southern
Indian's Tamil Nadu,
has become a figure
of mythology. He is
surrounded by
various legends of
several ages.
References to him
are found in the
literature of both
the Dravidian Tamil
land and also in the
Rig Vedic culture of
northern India. In
the Rig Veda, Agastyar is referred
to as one of the
seven great Rishis
of the Vedic period.
Several Vedic hymns
are ascribed to him.
According to Vedic
legends, once upon a
time both Mitra, the
god of Love and
Harmony, and Varuna,
the god of the seas,
had a contest for
the love of a
heavenly damsel
Urvasi. They could
do no more than
deposit their
fertile seed: Mitra
in a pot and Varuna
in the sea. In time,
Agastyar was born
from the pot, and
Vasistha, one of the
reputed seven great
Rishis, started his
life from the sea.
Agastyar, being from
this divine
parentage, became
known also as "MaitraVaruni"
and "Ourvasiya". He
is known in Sanskrit
as Kalasaja,
Kalasisuta,
Kumbhayoni,
Kumbhasambhava,
Kumbamuni and
Ghatodbhava denoting
his origin from the
seed of Mitra. (Pillal,
1979, p. 254)
The correct
interpretation of
such legends is
still being awaited.
There are many
indications that
Agastyar existed as
a real historical
person. He had a
wife, Lopamudrai by
name, as well as a
sister and a son,
Sagaren. His wife
demonstrated
affection for him.
He is renowned for
combining
domesticity with a
life of austerity.
Agastyar ' s
ashrams
Tamil tradition
holds that at the
time of Shiva's
marriage to Parvati
on Mt. Kailas, the
assemblage of gods
and goddesses was so
great that the
equilibrium of the
planet was
disturbed. To
restore a balance,
Lord Shiva asked
Agastyar to travel
from Mt. Kailash to
southern India.
Geographically,
Agastyar's exodus to
southern India
divides itself into
three distinct
stages. The earliest
finds him lodged in
the Agastyasrama, a
few miles north of
Nasik, the ancient
Panchavati, on the
northern borders of
the Dandakaranya
Forest. His marriage
to Lopamudrai, the
daughter of the
Vidarbha King, and
Rama's first
interview with him
take place here. (Piuai,
1979, p. 254-57)
In the epic work
entitled Ramayana,
Rama tells his
brother Lakshaman,
as they are on their
way to Agastyar's
forest ashram, how
Agastyar saved the
world from a deadly
serpent. He also
narrated the story
of the death of
Vatapi in a manner
which differs from
that of the
Mahabharata, though
the deviations are
of no significance.
What is remarkable
is the idea that the
" Dandakaranya"
region was first
made fit for human
occupation by the
success of Agastyar
against the asuras
(demons). Agastyar's
conflict with the
asuras and rakshasas
(hostile powers of
the vital plane) is
also hinted at
elsewhere in the
Ramayana. For
instance, the sage
Visvamitra explains
to Rama the reason
for Tataka's attacks
on the Aryan
settlers. Agastyar
had destroyed
Tataka's husband
Sunda, and was
consequently
attacked by Tataka
and her son Maricha.
Agastyar cursed them
both, turning
Maricha into a
rakshasa and his
mother into an ugly
ogress. From that
time, to the moment
when Rama did away
with her, she kept
up a war of revenge.
(Pillai, 1979, p.
255)
Agastyar is now one
of the most famous
of holy men in
India. He is
considered to be a
great sage and
ascetic yogi and the
oldest teacher of
ancient times.
Though less than
five feet tall. he
was a fighter, a
famous hunter and an
archer, who
triumphed over
barbarous enemies,
and whom like
Hercules, of ancient
Greece, none could
approach in eating
and drinking.
The second stage of
Agastyar's
pilgrimage to the
South begins with
his residence at
Malakuta, three
miles east of Badami
(the ancient
vatapipura)
otherwise known as
Dakshinakasi, in the
Kaladgi District of
the Mumbai
Presidency. This now
residence is about
three hundred miles
south from his Nasik
ashram. During this
second stage he ate
Vatapi and destroyed
llvala (also known
as Vilvala) as
described above.
During the third
stage, there are
many stories about
him at Pothigai,
known also as the
Pothigai Hills, one
of the southern most
promontories of the
Western Ghats, in
the Pandya country.
During his residence
in the very center
of Tamil Nadu, he is
credited with having
founded the first
Tamil Academy or
Sangam, and having
presided over it,
besides writing an
extensive Tamil
Grammar and many
other works on
medicine, pharmacy,
alchemy, botany,
yoga, moral and
natural philosophy,
the education of
youth, religious
rites and
ceremonies,
exorcism, prayer,
mysticism and even
magic.
According to
tradition, in two
more stages of
migration, he
crosses the seas to
the Indonesian
Islands. Here he is
said to have visited
Barhinadvipa
(Borneo), Kusa Dvipa,
and Varaha Dvipa.
Here too he appears
to have taken up his
abode in the Maha
Malaya Hill in
Malaya Dvipa (now
known as Malaysia).
In the fifth stage
he crosses over to
the mainland and
enters Siam
(Thailand) and
Cambodia. It was
here, near the end
of his journey
eastwards, that he
was obliged to marry
a local beauty,
Yasomati by name,
and leave by her a
royal progeny among
whom King Yasovarma
was an outstanding
personage. (Pillai,
1979, p. 256-257,
262)
The most famous
ashram site, in the
Tinnevely district
near the Courtrallam
waterfalls in the
Pothigai mountains
of southern Tamil
Nadu, is where he is
reported to be
living to this day.
Babaji was initiated
into Kriya Kundalini
Pranayama here by
Agastyar.
In the epic
Mahabharata, the
story of Agastyar is
more fully
developed, and
Agastyar's
connection with
southern India comes
into prominence. His
marriage with
Lopamudrai, a
princess of Vidarbha,
is mentioned. The
princess had
demanded that to
claim the exercise
of marital rights,
Agastyar would have
to provide her with
the costly jewelry
and luxuries she was
used to in her
father's house,
without in any
manner jeopardizing
his ascetism.
Agastyar could only
meet his wife's wish
by seeking a large
gift of wealth. lie
approached three
Aryan kings one
after another, but
in vain. They all
went to Ilvala, the
"daitya" (demon)
king of Manimati.
Ilvala was no friend
of the Brahmins
because one of them
had refused to grant
him a son equal to
Indra. His vengeance
took a bizarre form.
He would transform
his younger brother
Vatapi into a male
goat and offer his
brothers flesh to
the Brahmins as
food. After doing so
he would suddenly
recall Vatapi back
to life, who would
rip open the flanks
of the Brahmins as
he emerged laughing.
In this manner the
two brothers killed
many Brahmins and,
on the occasion of
the visit of
Agastyar and the
three kings, Ilvala
tried to play the
same game. He
prepared the flesh
of Vatapi to
entertain them. The
kings became
unhappy. Agastyar
ate it all, and when
Ilvala called for
Vatapi to come back,
only air came out of
Agastyar's stomach,
because Vatapi had
been digested. Then
Ilvala, becoming
unhappy, promised to
give wealth to
Agastyar if the
latter could tell
him what he intended
to give. Agastyar
was able to predict
Ilvala's intention.
The kings and
Agastyar returned
with the wealth they
needed. Vatapi is
the name of the well
known fortified city
in the western
Deccan which was the
capital of the early
Chalukyas. This city
is now called Badami.
This story may be
understood to mark
the beginning of
Agastyar's
connection with
southern India. (Pillai,
1979, pg. 255)
The Mahabharata also
records the story of
Agastyar drinking up
the waters of the
ocean to enable the
gods (devas) to
dispose of their
enemies who were
hiding under the
sea; and of his
journey to southern
India on some
unspecified business
when he prevailed
upon the Vindhya
mountains to stop
growing until he
returned, which
however, he never
did. The pact with
the Vindya mountains
and the drinking of
the waters of the
ocean have been
generally accepted
as allegorical
representations of
the spread of Aryan
culture first to
India south of the
Vindhyas, and then
across the seas to
the islands of the
archipelago and to
Indo-China. It is
supported by other
accounts of the life
of Agastyar.
Agastyar and the
Tamil language and
grammar
Traditionally
Agastyar is
considered as the
father of the Tamil
language and
grammar, and the
royal chaplain (kulaguru)
of the divine line
of Pandiyan rulers.
These rulers were
the descendants of
Shiva and Parvati
who condescended to
become the first
king and queen of
this celebrated
line. Kulasekhara
Pandiyan founded the
Pandiyan dynasty at
South Madurai, the
capital of the
ancient Tamilagam,
lying far south of
the present
southernmost point
of India.
His treatise on
Tamil grammar is
said to have
contained no less
than 12,000 sutras
or aphorisms. Except
for some fragments
which have been
preserved in
quotations by
Tolkappiyanar in his
work on the same
subject, Tolkappiyam,
it has not survived.
(Pillai, 1979, p.
264)
At what period
Agastyar established
himself in southern
India is not known.
It will remain so
until the real date
of the existence of
the king Kulasekhara
Pandiyan, who
patronized Agastyar,
is ascertained. All
accounts concur in
assigning the
foundation of the
Pandiyan kingdom at
Madurai to
Kulasekhara Pandiyan;
but they are at
considerable
variance with regard
to the time when
that event happened.
When Agastyar left
the court of
Kulasekhara Pandiyan,
he is stated to have
assumed the ascetic
life, and to have
retired to the
Pothigai Hills,
where he is commonly
believed to be still
living in anonymity.
There is no clear
and specific
reference to
Agastyar and or his
exploits, in any of
the early Tamil
works now known.
Only some indirect
ones are made in the
anthologies of the
Sangam Age. The
phrase "sage of
Pothigai" (Pothigal
being the
southernmost section
of the western Ghats)
is an indication
that the legends
relating to Agastyar
were not unknown in
the land at the
time. Vasishtha, the
author of the poem
Manimckalai, a
Buddhist epic, know
of his miraculous
birth. The same
author also says
that Agastyar was a
friend of the Chola
king, Kanta. At the
request of Kanta he
released the Cauvery
river from his water
pot.
Agastyar's abode was
in the Pothigai
mountains.
Naccinarkkiniyar
(1400 A.D.) a
commentator of the
Middle Ages,
narrates (on the
authority of a more
ancient writer) that
when Havana, the
king of the asuras
in the Ramayana,
came to the Pothigai
Hills, and was
tyrannizing the
inhabitants of the
extreme southern, he
was persuaded by
Agastyar to leave
that land alone and
go to the island of
Sri Lanka. (Pillai,
1979, p. 258;
Zvolebil, 1973, p.
136) References to
Agastyar's work on
Tamil grammar appear
rather late. The
first occurs in the
legend of the three
Sangams, the ancient
Tamil literary
academies, narrated
in the
Iraiyanar-Agapporul
Urai, a work of the
ninth century A.D.
Here Agastyar is
mentioned as a
leader of the first
and second Sangams,
which lasted for
4,400 years and
3,700 year
respectively. His
work Agastyam miss
aid to have been the
grammar of the first
Sangam, while that
work, together with
the Tolkappiyam and
three other works,
formed the basis for
the second Sangam.
According to
fraiyanar-Agapporul
Urai, the third
Sangam lasted for
1,850 Years. (Pillai,
1979, p. 258-259)
Whether Agastyar
wrote a treatise on
Tamil grammar, and
if so in what
relation that work
stood to the
Tolkappiyam, the
oldest extant work
on the subject, has
been discussed by
all the great
historians and
commentators of the
Tamil country.
Perasiriyar
(1250-1300 A.D.)
says that in his day
some scholars
contended that
Tolkappiyanar, the
author of the
grammar named after
him, composed his
work on principles
other than those of
the the Agastyam,
following in this
other grammars which
have not survived.
He refutes this
theory by an appeal
to tradition and
authority,
particularly that of
lraiyanar Agapporid
Urai. He maintains,
with support from
more ancient
writings, that
Agastyar was the
founder of the Tamil
language and
grammar, that
Tolkappiyam was the
most celebrated of
the twelve pupils of
the great sage, that
the Agastyam was the
original grammar,
that Tolkappiyanar
must be hold to have
followed its
teachings in his new
work, and that
Agastyar's work must
have been composed
before the Tamil
country was
confined, by an
inundation of the
sea, to the limits
indicated by
Panambaranar in his
preface to the
Tolkappiyam, i.e.,
from Vengadam hill,
to Cape Cormorin. (Pillai,
1979, p. 259).
The opposite party
that denied
Tolkappiyanar's
indebtedness to
Agastyar did not
give up its
position. The
general belief that
Tolkappiyanar was a
disciple of Agastyar
was too strong for
them to deny, so
they "postulated
hostility between
teacher and pupil
arising out of
Agastyar's jealousy
and hot temper". (Sastri,
1966, p. 365393).
Naccinarkkiniyar
records the story
that after his
migration to the
south, Agastyar sent
his pupil
Trinadhumagni (Tolkappiyanar)
to bring his wife
Lopamudrai from the
North. Agastyar
proscribed that a
certain distance
should be maintained
between the pupil
and his wife during
their journey, but
when the rising of
the Vaigai
threatened to drown
Lopamudrai,
Tolkappiyanar
approached too close
in holding out to
her a bamboo pole
with the aid of
which she reached
the shore in safety.
Agastyar cursed them
for violating his
instructions saying
that they would
never enter heaven.
Tolkappiyanar
replied with a
similar curse on his
master. (Pillai,
1979, p. 259;
Zvolebil, 1973, p.
137)
As K.A. Sastri says,
this legend
"represents the last
phase of a
controversy,
longstanding,
significant and by
no means near its
end even in our
time" (Sastri, 1966,
p. 77). Much more
research must be
done among the
thousands of palm
leaf manuscripts and
other documents
which have been
collected in such
places as the
Oriental Manuscripts
Library in Madras,
the Saraswati Mahal
library in Tanjore,
the libraries of the
Palani Temple, the
Palayamkottai Siddha
Medical College, and
those in the hands
of private
collectors and
siddha medical
practitioners.
The affirmation and
denial of Agastyar's
father ship of Tamil
and of his work
being the source of
the Tolkappiyam are
both symbolic of
divergent attitudes
towards the incoming
northern Sanskritic
influences. As a
matter of fact,
there is no mention
of Agastyar either
in the Tolkappiyam
nor in the
Panambaranar's
preface to it. The
earliest reference
to the Agastyam
occurs only in the
eighth century A.D.,
as we have seen, and
that is also the
time when Pandiyan
chroniclers begin to
proclaim the
preceptor ship of
Agastyar to the
Pandiyas, the
patrons of Tamil
literature and the
Sangam, and the
first genuine Tamil
power to achieve
political expansion
and to establish an
empire. Many of the
stories meant to
support Agastyar's
connection with
Tamil and
Tolkappiyanar may
have been elaborated
in subsequent ages.
The attempt to give
Agastyar the
dominant position in
the evolution of
Tamil culture evoked
a challenge. Things
went on smoothly so
long as Aryan
influence, the
influence of the
"Northern" speech
and culture, was
content to penetrate
the Tamil land
quietly and by
imperceptible
stages, and silently
transform the native
elements. This
process began very
early and was
accepted by the
Tamils to an extent
that has rendered it
all but impossible
to distinguish the
elements that have
gone to make up the
composite culture.
But when a theory
was put forward,
that is when a
legend may have been
invented: to show
that Tamil as a
spoken language and
with it the entire
culture of the Tamil
country was derived
from a Vedic seer.
This was met,
naturally, by a
counter-assertion
and the elaboration
of legends in the
opposite sense.
The main legends
gathered around
Agastyar in the
north and in the
south are on
parallel lines and
are filled with
miraculous deeds.
There are several
local and temporal
variations. The
Himalayan mountain
of the northern
legend is replaced
by the Pothigai of
the South.
Agastyar's
composition of many
Rig Vedic hymns and
medical works in
Sanskrit is answered
by his numerous
mystic and medical
treatises in Tamil;
his efforts to bring
down the Ganges with
the consent of Shiva
finds an echo in his
getting Tamraparni
from Shiva and his
bargaining with God
Ganesha for Cauvery;
his seat in Kasi (Bonares)
seems to be replaced
by his abode in
Badami, known as
Daksina Kasi; his
marriage with
Lopamudrai, the
daughter of a
Vidarbha King, has a
parallel in his
wedding of Cauvery,
the daughter of King
Cauvery; and taking
into consideration
the curses, which
had issued from his
spiritual armory in
the north, his curse
of Tolkappiyanar,
his own student,
shows unmistakably
how the dwarf sage
kept true to his
reputation and
habits, in the
far-away south (Pillai,
1979, p. 258-261).
Agastyar ' s
contributions to
science
There are hundreds
of ancient treatises
from various areas
of science ascribed
to Agastyar. These
include medicine,
chemistry, pharmacy,
astronomy and
surgery. As a
physician, Agastyar
occupies the same
eminence amongst the
Tamils as
Hippocrates does
amongst the Greeks,
and it is remarkable
that there are some
very curious
coincidences between
the doctrines of the
former and those of
the latter,
especially as
regards the
prognosis and
diagnosis of
diseases, the
critical days, and
premonitory symptoms
of death. The
existence of seminal
animalcules, which
was discovered by
Ludwig Hamm in
Europe only in 1677
A.D., is mentioned
by Agastyar in one
of his medical
works, entitled
Kurunadichutram (PiUai,
1979, p. 265).
Below is a list
of manuscripts
attributed to
Agastyar, as
mentioned in a 160
year old
bibliography of
Siddha medical
literature:
1. Vytia Vaghadum
Ayrit Anyouroo (Vaidya
Vahadam 1500)
A medical work by
Reeshe Aghastier: it
is written in Tamil
poetry, and consists
of 1,500 verses.
2. Tunmundrie
Vaghadum (Dhanvanthari
Vahadam)
A medical work,
originally written
by Tunmundric in
Sanskrit, and
translated into
Tamool verse by
Aghastier. It
consists of 2,000
verses. The Hindu
practitioners hold
it in high
veneration, for the
particular account
it gives of many
diseases, and the
valuable receipts it
contains.
(Manuscripts
available at
Palayamkottai)
3. Canda Pooranwn:
A work on ancient
history, originally
written in Sanskrit
verse, by Resshe
Aghastior and
afterwards
translated into
Tamool by Cushiapa
Braminy. It consists
of 1,000 stanzas.
4. Poosavedy:
This book treats of
the religious rites
and ceremonies of
Hindus. It was
written by Aghastier,
and consists of 200
verses. (Ms.
available at Tanjore
and Madras)
5. Deekshavedy (Deeksha
Vithi):
A work which treats
of magic and
enchantment, on the
use and virtues of
the rosary, and on
the education of
youth: it consists
of 200 verses, and
was written by
Agastyar (Ms.
available in Tanjore
and Madras)
6. Pemool (Peru Nul)
A medical work,
written by Agastyar,
in high Tamool. It
consists of 10,000
verses, and treats
fully of all
diseases, regimen
(Ms. available at
Palayamkottai)
7. Poorna Nool:
This book consists
of 200 verses. It
was written by
Aghastier, and
treats chiefly of
exorcism: it also
contains many forms
of prayer.
8. Poorna Soostru: A
work on the
intuition of
religious disciples,
and on their forms
of devotion, and
which
also treats of the
materia medica and
regimen. It was
written by Agastyar
and consists of 216
verses. (Ms.
available at Madras
and Palani and also
printed)
9. Curma Candum
(Karma Kandam)
A medical shaster of
Agastyar, written in
Tamool verse, and
consists of 300
stanzas: supposed to
be translated from
the Sanskrit of
Durmuntrie. It
treats of those
diseases which are
inflicted on mankind
for their folhes and
vices. (Manuscripts
available at Tanjore
and Madras and also
printed)
10. Agastyar Vytia
Ernoot Unjie (Aghastior
Vaidyam 205)
A work on medicine
and chemistry,
written by Agastyar
in Tamool verse, and
consisting of 205
verses. (Ms.
available at Palani)
11. Agastyar Vytia
Nootieumbid (Agastyar
Vaidyam 150)
A work in Tamool
verse, written by
Agastyar. It
consists of 150
stanzas, and treats
of the purification
or rendering
innocent, of
sixty-four different
kinds of poison
(animal, metallic,
and vegetable), so
as to make them
safe, and fit to be
administered as
medicine (Ms.
available at Palani
and printed)
12. Agastyar Vytia
Vaghadum Napotetoo (Agastyar
Vaidya Vahadum 48):
A medical shaster,
written by Agastyar,
in Tamool verse;, on
the cure of
gonorrhea; and
consisting of 48
stanzas.
13. Agastyar Vytia
Padinarroo (Agasthiyar
Naidyam 16):
A medical shaster,
written by Agastyar,
in Tamool, and
consisting of 16
verses. It treats of
the diseases of the
head, and their
remedies.
14. Agastyar Vytia
Eranoor (Agastyar
Vaidyam 200):
A medical shaster,
written by Aghastier
in 200 Tamool
verses. It treats of
chemistry and
alchemy (Ms.
available at
Palayamkottai and
printed).
15. Calikianum (Kalai
Gnanam):
A work on theology,
written in Tamool
verse, by Agastyar,
and consisting of
200 stanzas (Ms.
available at Tanjore)
16. Mooppoo (Muppu):
A medical shaster
written by Agastyar,
in Tamool verse, and
consisting of 50
stanzas. It treats
of the eighteen
different kinds of
leprosy and their
cure. (Ms. available
at Thirupathi)
17. Agastyar Vytia
Ayrit Eranoor (Agastyar
Vaidyam 1200): A
Medical shaster,
written by Agastyar,
in
Tamool verse and
consisting of 1200
stanzas. It treats
of botany and of
Materia Medica. (Ms.
printed).
18. Agastyar's Vytia
Ayrnouroo (Agastyar
Vaidyam 500):
A valuable work on
medicine, written by
Agastyar, in Tamool
verse and consisting
of 500 stanzas. It
treats very fully of
many diseases, and
contains a great
variety of useful
formulae.
19. Agastyar Vytia
Moon-noor (Agastyar
Vaidyam 300):
A work on pharmacy,
written by Agastyar,
in Tamool verse, and
consisting of 300
stanzas. (Ms.
available at
Palayamkottai and
printed)
20. Agastyar
Vydeyakh Moonooro
(300 verses): This
chiefly instructs us
in the art of making
various
powders.
21. Agastyar
Auyerutty Annooroo
(1500 verses):
A general work on
Materia Medica. (Ms.
available at Tanjore,
Madras and Palani)
22. Agastyar
Aranooroo (600
verses): (Ms.
available at Tanjore
and Palani)
23. Agastyar Moopoo
Anbadoo (50 verses)
(Agastyar Muppu 50)
24. Agastyar
Goonnoovagadam
Moonoor (300 verses)
(Agastyar Guna
Vahadam 300): Ms.
available at Tanjore,
Thirupathi, Palani
and Palayamkottai
also printed.
25. Agastyar
Dundakum Nooroo (100
verses). (Agastyar
Thandaham 100):
These are various
Works of Agastyar on
chemistry and
physic. They also
treat of theology,
and of the best
means of
strengthening the
human frame. (Ms.
available at Tanjore
and Madras.)
(Pillai, p. 268-70).
Agastyar is said to
have had twelve
disciples to whom he
taught the different
arts and sciences,
and who were
afterwards employed
by him in
instructing the
people.
The names of
these disciples are
1.
Tolkappiyanar
2. Adankotasiriyanar
3. Turalinganar
4. Semputcheyanar
5. Vaiyabiganar
6. Vippiyanar
7. Panambaranar
8. Kazharambanar
9. Avinayanar
10. Kakkypadiniyar
11. Nattattanar
12. Vamanar
but few
particulars are
known about them.
Other prominent
disciples included Thiruvalluvar, the
author of the
perennial classic of
Tamil literature,
Thirukural, and
Babaji Nagaraj, the
fountainhead of
Kriya Yoga
Siddhantham in the
modern age. Their
influence on the
world today is
immeasurable, and
will be discussed in
subsequent chapters.
Agastyar is a sage
of cultural
integration, leading
a fusion of the
culture of the
northern Aryans with
that of the southern
Dravidians. His
ashram was the
practical approach
to harmony and
integration,
enabling every
visitor to worship
the Absolute in his
or her own way.
There were separate
shrines to different
deities and an
illuminating shrine
to Righteousness.
Kamban says Agastyar
welcomed Rama in the
sweet, pleasant
tamil language,
while his disciples
chanted Vedic hymns.
This may be seen in
the story that
Agastyar was
specially sent down
to the south by Lord
Shiva himself, at
the time of His
wedding with Parvati
on the Himalyas. The
north sank low under
the weight of the
crowding celestials
while the south rose
up, free of such
burden, and the
diminutive sage was
sent south to right
the tilt. Was it
because at that time
the south had
forgotten its gods
or that the north
had become too full
of gods, masking the
image of the single
Absolute? Anyway it
was Agastyar who
propagated an
integral, harmonious
culture. The
immortal message and
spiritual technology
of Kriya yoga, which
he taught to Babaji,
may be the master
key to the cultural
integration which is
now needed in the
modern world, where
telecommunications
and computer
technology have
created an
interdependent
"global village".
May the name of this
great sage inspire
us to righteous and
harmonious action in
these troubled
times! May integral
institutions
flourish!
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