When Vindhya, the mighty mountain, was addressed, he became suddenly furious and sought to block the path of the sun and the moon, those radiant wanderers who scorch the foes of the world. Seeing this, all the gods, led by Indra, gathered together and tried to restrain the great mountain king as he rose up in his anger. But Vindhya paid no heed to their words. Unable to pacify the mountain, the gods made their way to the hermitage of the sage Agastya, the foremost among ascetics and the righteous, whose power blazed like fire. Approaching him, they spoke with urgency: “O lord of sages, Vindhya, overcome by anger, is obstructing the path of the sun and moon, and even the movement of the stars. No one else is able to restrain him.” Hearing their plea, Agastya, the great sage, went to Vindhya. Drawing near, he spoke with respect to the mountain, “O supreme mountain, I desire a path from you. I must journey south for a purpose. Until my return, you must wait. When I have returned, O lord of mountains, then you may grow as you wish.” And so, by the power of Agastya, Vindhya ceased to grow, as has been told from ancient days. Now, just as the Kāleyas were destroyed by the gods after reaching Agastya’s abode, so too did the gods seek the sage’s help for another daunting task. Hearing their words, Maitrāvaruṇi, the son of Varuṇa, asked, “For what purpose have you come? What boon do you desire from me?” The gods replied, “O divine sage, O great soul, we wish for one wondrous boon—let us drink the ocean. If you accomplish this, and the great ocean is entirely drunk up, then we will destroy the force of the Kāleyas, our mighty enemies, together with their kin.” Agastya replied, “So be it. I will fulfill your wish, which brings happiness to the worlds.” With these words, the sage, accompanied by perfected ascetics and the gods, journeyed to the ocean, the treasury of all waters. Humans, serpents, gandharvas, yakshas, and kimpurushas followed, eager to witness this wondrous event. As they arrived, they beheld the roaring ocean, its waves leaping in the wind, seeming to dance and laugh with masses of foam, stumbling through its channels, filled with creatures and flocks of birds. The gods, along with Agastya, gandharvas, mighty serpents, and illustrious sages, seated themselves by the great ocean. There, the divine sage Varuni spoke to the assembled gods and sages. But Agastya, desiring the welfare of the worlds, declared, “For the good of all, I shall drink the abode of Varuṇa.” He urged the gods to make their preparations quickly, and then Maitrāvaruṇi proceeded ahead. Angry and resolute, Agastya drank the ocean as all the worlds watched in awe. Seeing this, the gods with Indra were struck with wonder and honored the sage with praises: “You are our protector and creator, the sustainer of the worlds; by your grace, the universe attains its highest state.” Showered with divine flowers and hymns from the chief gandharvas, Agastya, the great soul, made the ocean devoid of water. The gods, overjoyed at the sight of the dry ocean, seized their divine weapons and fell upon the danavas, the enemies of the gods. These mighty, swift, and roaring danavas could not withstand the power of the celestials. Though they fought a tumultuous battle with terrifying cries, they were destroyed, having already been weakened by the austerities of the sages. The slain danavas, adorned with golden ornaments—earrings and armlets—lay resplendent, like blossoming kimshuka trees. Some of the survivors, the foremost among the sons of Kālaya, tore open the earth and took refuge in the realms below. Seeing their enemies vanquished, the gods praised the sage with many words: “By your grace, O highly fortunate one, the worlds have attained great happiness. By your power, the mighty and terrible Kālīyas have been destroyed. O great sage, replenisher of the worlds, restore the ocean; release again into it the water that you drank.” Agastya replied, “That water has already been digested by me; let another means be considered. For the purpose of filling the ocean, let effort be undertaken by all of you.” Hearing the sage’s words, the gods were astonished and disheartened. After bowing to Agastya, all the people and brahmins departed as they had come, and the gods, along with Viṣṇu, followed Brahmā, the Grandfather. Gathered together, they deliberated on how to replenish the sea, speaking with joined palms about filling the ocean once more. Then Brahmā, the Grandfather of the worlds, addressed them: “Go, all you gods, as you wish, as you desire.” Thus, the gods considered the means to restore the ocean, seeking the welfare of all creation.