Was Rishi Agastya the uncle of Ravana?

Question

According to the Shrimad Bhagvatam Rishi Agastya was the son of Pulastya and a brother of Vishrava:

The sage Añgirã and Sraddhã had four daughters and two sons, Utathya and Brihaspati. The sage Pulastya and HavirbhU had the sage Agastya and the great ascetic Visravä (who begot Kubera the god of wealth, and, by another wife, Rãvana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana). Pulaha and Gati had Karmasreshtha. Variyãn and Sahiu. Kratu and Kriyã had sixty thousand sages known as Vãlakhilyã. Vasishtha and Urjã had seven Sons (Citraketu, Suroci, Viraja. Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhrdyãna and I)yuman). Atharva and Sãnti had Dadici. Bhrigu and Khyãti had two sons Dhäti and Vidhãtã, and a daughter Sri, and also Kavi. He who listens to this recitation of Kardama’s progeny is freed from sins.

This would make him the uncle of Kubera as well as Ravana. The Ramayana also mentions that he gave Rama the Brahmastra with which Ravan was finally killed which would imply that he helped Rama in killing his evil nephew!

I want to know whether this relationship between Rishi Agastya and Ravana is mentioned or at least hinted at in any other scripture?

Answer 1

It seems the text is referring to SB 4.1.36:

पुलस्त्योऽजनयत्पत्न्यामगस्त्यं च हविर्भुवि।

सोऽन्यजन्मनि [saḥ + anya-janmani] दह्राग्निर्विश्रवाश्च महातपाः ॥३६॥

Pulastya begot in his wife, Havirbhū, one son of the name Agastya, who in his next birth became Dahrāgni. Besides him, Pulastya begot another very great and saintly son, whose name was Viśravā.

Here might be some translation issue as the verse says anya-janmani which simply mean another birth instead of next birth.

Also, Bhāgavata Purāṇa refers sage Agastya as kumbha-sambhavaḥ like in SB 6.3.35 and SB 6.18.5.

---

Other than Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Vishnu Purāṇa and Markandeya Purāṇa too says something similar but with slight variation.

Vishnu Purāṇa - Part I - Chapter 10

The English translation would be something like this (as the verse is same as Markandeya Purāṇa's verse):

Dattoli was born the son of Pulastya by his wife Priti : he was known as Agastya in a previous life during the Svayamblniva Manvantara.

Markandeya Purāṇa: Chapter 52

English translation can be found here

Dattoli was born the son of Pulastya by his wife Priti : he was known as Agastya in a previous life during the Svayamblniva Manv-antara.