Agastya
Legendary figureLegendary sage of the Tamil tradition, regarded as the father of Siddha medicine and founder of silambam and varma kalai with 108 vital points; historically unverified.
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IndiaBiography
Agastya is a legendary sage whom the South Indian Tamil tradition regards as the father of Siddha medicine. Tradition also credits him with founding the martial art silambam and the doctrine of vital points, varmam; the southern kalaripayattu style (Thekkan Kalaripayattu) and varma kalai are also linked to his name.
According to tradition, varmam was passed to him by the god Murugan, son of Shiva; a folk tale adds that Murugan appeared to him as an old man and passed on to him knowledge of the 108 varmam. Agastya then wrote a treatise on them and spread them among his students and other siddhars.
The varma kalai system works with 108 varmam points and its healing use, called Vaidhiya Murai, is part of the tradition of Siddha medicine. The siddhars Agastya, Bogar, Theriyar, Pulipani and Avvaiyar are traditionally associated with varma kalai, but according to the source only Agastya's school is commonly practiced, in Tamil Nadu and in neighboring Kerala. The Nadar community believes that Agastya gave varma kalai to them.
Historians regard these connections as traditional and legendary, not historically verified. The Siddha medicine texts attributed to him were written in the 15th to 16th century at the earliest, long after the era in which tradition places his life. The scholar Kamil Zvelebil believes the figure called Agastya or Akattiya probably merged three to four different persons from different eras.