Lopamudra, also known as Kaveri, Kaushitaki and Varaprada, was a philosopher according to ancient Vedic Indian literature. She was the wife of the sage Agastya who is believed to have lived in the Rigveda period (1950 BC-1100 BC) as many hymns have been attributed as her contribution to this Veda. She was not only the consort of Agastya but a Rishiki in her own right, as she was the well known Rishiki who visualized the "Hadi Panchadasi" mantra of the Srikul Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She was one of the prominent Brahmavadinis. There are three versions of Lopamudra's legend; one is in the Rigveda Hymns; the second is in the epic Mahabharata (Vanaparva: Tirtha-yatra Parva), where there is an elaborate version with a mention that Agastya Rishi did penance at Gangadwara (Haridwar), with the help of his wife, Lopamudra (the princess of Vidarbha). According to this legend, Lopamudra was created by sage Agastya with the most graceful parts of animals such as eyes of the deer etc. The third version is Giridhara Ramayana.
Etymology The name Lopamudra signifies the loss (lopa) that the animals and plants suffered by giving their distinctive beauties (mudras) when Agastya created her. After creating her, Agastya gave Lopamudra to the King of Vidarbha who was doing penance seeking for a progeny. Agastya had created Lopamudra with the intention of marrying her. The king brought up Lopamudra as his daughter. When she grew up, Agastya demanded her hand in marriage. Lopamudra agreed to marry him and left the King's palace for his hermitage. However, after some time, she grew tired of Agastya's austerity. She wrote hymn in the Rigveda, asking for his attention and love. The hymn made Agastya realize his duties towards his wife. The couple had a son named Drdhasyu, who became a poet.
Together with her husband she is also credited with spreading the fame of the Lalita sahasranama (the thousand names of the Divine Mother). It is also believed that Agastya learnt the hymns of Lalita Sahasranama from Hayagriva who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu.
In Rigveda In Rigveda, the hymns authored by 27 female rishis or rishikas reflect their success and progress as women intellectuals. These hymns are presented under three headings. The first group has hymns contributed by female rishis only such as by Vishwavara and Apale; Vishwavara's hymn is dedicated to Agni, while Apale's hymn is about Indra. In the second group, some are attributed to female rishis, particularly Lopamudra and Shashiyasi, wife of Taranta. Lopamudra's hymn, hymn number 179 in Book 1, has six verses dedicated to Goddess Rati. Her hymns elaborate on the relationship between husband and wife in order to follow celibacy. The third group of hymns, though attributed to female rishis, are not identified by any author and deal mostly with mythological characters and representation of theoretical qualities. In Rigveda Agastya and Lopamudra are considered as "mantra drashta" (seers who are discoverer of mantras). She is also mentioned in Yajurveda (17:11:36:20) Brihaddevtakara (4:57–59) and in Agama granthas, and hailed as "Mantradrika" (well versed in mantras) in Rigveda.
In the translation of the Sanskrit text of the Rigveda by Ralph T.H. Griffith (1896), the hymns or sutras related to Agastya, Lopamudra and a disciple are titled "Rati" meaning love, which are six verses, two are by Lopamudra, two by Agastya, and the last two are to the credit of the disciple or Agastya. M. Bergaigne has commented that the hymn has mystical meaning, with Agastya identified as the heavenly Soma while Lopamudra represents her feminine attraction which fructifies in getting Agastya out of his "secret dwelling place". It is presented more as a dramatic dialogue between husband and wife with the student commenting his appreciation. The first two verses are expressions of Lopamudra's passion filled approach to her husband, highlighting his old age and his coolness towards her charms.
+ Six verses of Book 1 Hymn 179 of the Rigveda composed by Lopamudra (Verses 1 &2), Agastya Rishi (verses 3 & 4) and Agastya or a student (Verses 5 & 6) Number of Verse Original Sanskrit Version. IAST Version English Translation 1 परुवीरहं शरदः शश्रमणा दोषा वस्तोरुषसो जरयन्तीःमिनाति शरियं जरिमा तनूनमप्यु नु पत्नीर्व्र्षणो जगम्युः pruvīrahaṃ śaradaḥ śaśramaṇā doṣā vastoruṣaso jarayantīḥmināti śriyaṃ jarimā tanūnamapyu nu patnīrvṛṣaṇo jaghamyuḥ [Lopamudra] For many autumns have I been laboring, evening and morning, through the aging dawns. Old Age diminishes the beauty of bodies. Bullish men should now come to their wives.2 ये चिद धि पूर्व रतसाप आसन साकं देवेभिरवदन्न्र्तानिते चिदवसुर्नह्यन्तमापुः समू नु पत्नीर्व्र्षभिर्जगम्युः ye cid dhi pūrva ṛtasāpa āsan sākaṃ devebhiravadannṛtānite cidavasurnahyantamāpuḥ samū nu patnīrvṛṣabhirjaghamyuḥ [Lopamudra] For even those ancients who served truth and at one with the gods spoke truths,even they got out of harness for they did not reach the end. Wives should now unite with their bullish (husbands)3 न मर्षा शरान्तं यदवन्ति देवा विश्वा इत सप्र्धो अभ्यश्नवाव जयावेदत्र शतनीथमजिं यत सम्यञ्चा मिथुनावभ्यजाव na mṛṣā śrāntaṃ yadavanti devā viśvā it spṛdho abhyaśnavāva jayāvedatra śatanīthamajiṃ yat samyañcā mithunāvabhyajāva [Agastya] Not in vain is the labor that the gods help. Let us take on all contenders; let us two win here the contest of a hundred stratagems, when a united couple we will drive on4 नदस्य मा रुधतः काम आगन्नित आजातो अमुतः कुतश्चित लोपामुद्र वर्षणं नी रिणति धीरमधीर धयति शवसन्तम nadasya mā rudhataḥ kāma āghannita ājāto amutaḥ kutaścitlopāmudra vṛṣaṇaṃ nī riṇati dhīramadhīra dhayati śvasantam [Agastya] The lust of a mounting bull has come to me, lust arisen from there, from everywhere.Lopamudra draws the bull to herself: that giddy woman sucks the steadfast man.5 इमं न सोममन्तितो हर्त्सु पीतमुप बरुवे यत सीमागश्चक्र्मा तत सु मर्ळतु पुलुकामो हि मर्त्यः imaṃ n somamantito hṛtsu pītamupa bruve yat sīmāghaścakṛmā tat su mṛḷatu pulukāmo hi martyaḥ [Student or Agastya] This soma within my heart, just drunk do I adjure, Whatever offense we have committed let him forgive that for of my many desires in mortal man.6 अगस्त्यः खनमनः खनित्रैः परजमपत्यं बलमिछमानः उभौ वर्णाव रषिरुग्रः पुपोष सत्या देवेष्वशिषो जगाम aghastyaḥ khanamanaḥ khanitraiḥ prajamapatyaṃ balamichamānaḥubhau varṇāv ṛṣirughraḥ pupoṣa satyā deveṣvaśiṣo jaghāma Agastya, digging with spades, seeking offspring, descendants, power-- Cherished - a sage of mighty strength - both classes, and with the Gods obtained his prayer's fulfilment. Laurie L. Patton interprets Rigveda hymn 79 as representing Lopamudra in a state of "voracious sexuality". Initially resisted by Agastya, finally he is “overwhelmed.” Patton also states that "the final line of the hymn celebrates Agastya as having attained immortality both through children and through ascetic practice, while Lopamudra remains marked by sexual desire". According to Dr. Rameshchandra Mukhopadhyaya, Lopamudra's sutras say that men should go to women. Even the past rishis who attained knowledge of gods enjoyed women and "were never tired of it". Lopamudra's expression of frustration in this verse is a result of Agastya's abstinence from having sex with his wife. Her saying that she has become old is an expression of "pathos." Agastya explains in reply that this restraint was god created. Agastya succumbs to Lopamudra's entreaties and submits to her. In the last two verses the disciple of Agastya glorifies Agastya's "kindred points of love making and penance".
In Mahabharata The legend of Lopamudra, a mythological female, is the story of Agastya and Lopamudra narrated in the Aranyakaparvan of the epic Mahabharata. This version of the legend is said to be "the glorification of domestic life and family and demonstrates the incompleteness of a life based solely on asceticism."
Background
The background to Agastya and Lopamudra's legend in the Mahabharata starts with the asura brothers Ilvala and Vatapi of the region of Manismati. It is also said that they hailed from Badami in Karnataka, South India. Ilvala requested a learned Brahmin to bless him with a son who would be as powerful as Indra. As this did not materialize Ilvala and his brother Vatapi got annoyed with the Brahmins and started taking revenge against them by adopting magical tricks. Illwala's brother Vatapi would transform himself into a buffalo and after slaying the buffalo the cooked meat would be served to the Brahmins. Once the meal was consumed by the Brahmins then Ilvala would call out for his brother to come out of the stomach of the Brahmins. Vatapi would then assume his normal human form and emerge from the stomach of the Brahmins killing them in the process. This aspect was made known to Agastya. At that time Agastya who had attained benefit of his long penance through asceticism went to the heaven where on his way he saw a few manes suspended with their legs up over a gorge. Surprised, Agastya asked them the reason for their such a plight. They told him that they were waiting for a son to be born to their descendant to get release from this curse. They also told him that they were his ancestors and it was now left to him (Agastya) to get married and soon beget a son, perform oblation rites to gods, and get them released from the curse so that they could go to heaven. Agastya promised the manes of his ancestors that he would fulfill their wish. In another version it is said that Agastya encountered his ancestors in a dream in the form of suspended manes with heels up over a deep ravine.
Creation of Lopamudra Agastya then started creating a woman of rare beauty and intelligence. He did this creation from most graceful parts of various creatures possessing such a beauty (drawn from "different birds, animal and flower, the eyes of the doe, the grace of the panther, the slenderness of the palm trees, the fragrance of the champak flower, the softness of the feather on a swan's neck"), who would eventually beget a son for him. At that time the king of Vidarbha, who was childless, was doing penance to gods seeking boon of a progeny. Agastya bestowed his creation of the women of his imagination to the king. As the girl child emerged into the world, in glowing beauty, the king called the Brahmins to bless the child. The Brahmins named her Lopamudra. As the creation was done due to the loss of parts of creatures (animals and plants) the girl was named Lopamudra, 'lopa' meaning "loss" and 'mudra' meaning "parts.". She grew up to be a very pretty, learned and devoted daughter and the King wanted to get her married when she attained puberty.
Lopamudra marries Agastya