Notes: Then, Śrīrāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa visited the hermitage of the great sage, Agastya. This is described in detail by Vālmīki. Agastya plays an important role in Rāmāyaṇa. He is as much a Guru to Śrīrāma as were Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. He gives him divine weapons, spiritual instruction, and motivation just before the final battle with Rāvaṇa.
Kālidāsa says here,
" Śrīrāma then moved and settled in Pancavaṭi by the order of Sage Agastya, famed as "the one born in a pot" (The world's first test tube baby). He was as obedient within his own nature to the Sage's order as was the Vindhya peak."
The story of Agastya's coming down south and settling here in South India is interesting. One of the things he accomplished was, as requested by the gods, to tame the ambitions of Vindhya and curtail his growth as Vindhya aspired to rival Meru. This was necessary as the Vindhya peak was right in the middle of Bharata Varṣa and his ambitious growth would have impeded the prosperity of all life forms.
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जय श्रीराम!
