Shloka 3.43.41
मायामृगदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Illusory Deer)
स कदाचिच्चिराल्लोभादाससाद महामुनिम्।अगस्त्यं तेजसा युक्तं भक्षस्तस्य बभूव ह।।।।
sa kadācic cirāl lobhād āsasāda mahāmunim | agastyaṃ tejasā yuktaṃ bhakṣas tasya babhūva ha ||
After a long time, driven by greed, he once approached the great sage Agastya, radiant with spiritual power—and became his food.
That Vatapi after a long time, once greedily entered into the stomach of the great lustrous sage Agastya and became his food.
Greed-driven aggression ultimately collapses before true spiritual power and righteousness. Dharma asserts that tapas (disciplined truthfulness and restraint) is a real force that neutralizes deceit.
The exemplum reaches its turning point: Vātāpi targets Agastya, but Agastya’s tejas makes the attack self-defeating.
Agastya’s spiritual mastery (tapas/tejas) is emphasized as the virtue that protects righteousness without panic or confusion.