When he couldn’t find any source of income, Agastya decided to get his wealth from the wicked demon, Ilvala. Ilvala and his brother, Vatapi, hated Brahmanas and had a plan for killing them. Ilvala would invite a Brahmana for dinner. He would magically change Vatapi into a goat and serve its meat to the Brahmana. When dinner was over, Ilvala would ask Vatapi to come out. And Vatapi would come out of the Brahmana, ripping him apart. Agastya knew this, so he went along with the plan and was invited to dinner. He ate Vatapi, the goat, and digested him. When Ilvala called his brother, Agastya told him he had been digested and there was no way to bring him back. Ilvala’s trick was over. He bowed before Agastya and gave him the wealth he needed for Lopamudra. She was blessed with a good and learned son.
Ilvala the Demon
