August 2 - Sargas 12 and 13 of Aranya Kanda.
The meeting between Sri Rama and Sage Agastya as well as their conversation is very interestingly described by Sage Valmiki.
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Sri Rama instructs Lakshmana to go into the hermitage of Sage Agastya and properly announce their arrival. Lakshmana proceeds to carry out his orders.
On entering the premises, Lakshmana sees a rishi kumara (student). He says the following:
"Sir, there was a renowned king of Ikshwakus in Ayodhya called Dasharatha. We are his sons Sri Rama and Lakshmana. We have come along with Sita, the wife of Sri Rama. I am here as Sri Rama's attendant and am fully dedicated to serving my elder brother Sri Rama.
"We are in the forest as ordered by our father. Perhaps you already know about us. We have come here to meet Sage Agastya. Kindly inform the sage and seek his permission for our meeting him."
When the rishi kumara proceeds to inform Sage Agastya who is engaged in performing some homa, Sage Agastya expresses extreme delight:
दिष्ट्या रामश्चिरस्याद्य द्रश्टुं मां समुपागतः ।
मनसा काङ्क्षितं ह्यस्य मयाप्यागमनं प्रति ॥
By good fortune has Sri Rama, at last, come here to see me. Indeed, my mind has been full of desire to meet him and I have been anticipating his arrival."
Sri Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana are received very cordially in the hermitage. It is situated in a very beautiful forest setting and surrounded by herds of deer.
When Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita are ushered into the sage's presence in the homa shaala (the place for performing many homas and yajnas), Sri Rama witnesses the astonishing presence of all the deities:
Vishnu, Indra, Sun/Vivasvaan, Chandra/Moon, Bhaga, Kubera, Ashwinis, Vayu, Yama, Varuna, Gayatri, Adishesha, Garuda, Karttikeya, and Dharma. What Valmiki is conveying to us is that if a homa is done in the right way by one qualified to do it, by invoking the gods' presence, we actually receive them there. They will be present to accept our salutations and offerings.
Seeing the lustrous sage, surrounded by his disciples, coming forward to receive them, Sri Rama tells Lakshmana:
बहिर्लक्ष्मण निष्क्रामत्यगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः ।
औदार्येणावगच्छामि निधानं तपसामिमाम् ॥
"Dear Lakshmana, by the very way this esteemed sage is coming out to receive us, full of magnanimity, I see the supreme status of this great rishi and the glory of his tapas."
Sri Rama bows down to Sage Agastya and holds his feet in reverence. Sita and Lakshmana follow suit.
Sage Agastya receives them with courtesies and then resumes his homa ritual and after duly completing it, he comes back to them. He informs Sri Rama that it is always the proper thing to complete the ongoing home sacrifice first and then only divert one's attention to entertain guests.
Sage Agastya says that he knows Sri Rama to be the mighty and righteous warrior who will protect the whole world.
Sage Agastya offers them delicious fruits and roots for dinner. He also brings and gives a glittering divine bow of gold, studded with diamonds, made by Vishwakarma himself. It was used long ago by Lord Vishnu himself in battle. Along with that, the sage gives an inexhaustible quiver gifted to him by Lord Brahma and also a divine sword.
Sage Agastya tells Sri Rama that he should destroy terrible demons with these weapons and earn divine glory much like Lord Vishnu.
Agasyta tells Sri Rama that he should receive these weapons as they will be required by him, just as Indra had received the Vajrayudha for a special purpose.
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Then Sage Agastya says something very interesting:
एषा च सुकुमारी च खेदैश्च न विमानिता ।
प्राज्यदोषं वनं प्राप्ता भर्तृस्नेहप्रचोदिता ॥
यथैषा रमते राम इह सीता तथा कुरु ।
दुष्करं कृतवत्येषा वने त्वामभिगच्छती ॥
एषा हि वक्रुतिः स्त्रीणामासृष्टे रघुनन्दन ।
समस्थमनुरज्यन्ते विषमस्थं त्यजन्ति च ॥
"Dear Rama, Sita here is a tender, youthful princess, and yet she is not daunted by hardships. She has come into the forest where life is full of troubles. Her only reason is her devotion to her husband.
"Rama, you should always do what pleases Sita. Her decision to live in the forest with you is indeed a remarkable act.
"Oh scion of Raghus, it is the nature of women, since the beginning of creation, to be devoted to their husbands as long as they are in prosperity and comfort and to forsake them when facing hardships and distressing circumstances. But Sita is not like that. She is as glorious an example of an ideal wife as Arundhati, the wife of Sage Vasishtha." ( We recall that since Vedic times, during the Hindu wedding, the couple is asked to look up at the Vasishtha and Arundhati stars to bless their happy union.)
Sri Rama now asks Sage Agastya to tell him a suitable spot to construct a hermitage and live for the rest of their sojourn in the forest. Sage Agastya says that there is precisely such a spot called Panchavati, not far from there, on the bank of the Godavari river. He describes how the place is full of beautiful trees like Ashwattha (Panchavati means a spot with five Ashwattha or peepul trees). The location abounds in fruits, roots in all seasons, and is home to birds and wild animals including herds of deer. The sage says that they will all be very happy there and Sita will be particularly comfortable and happy.
Sage Agastya says that by his spiritual power he knows the entire sequence of events up to the present moment. How Sri Rama was exiled by Dasharatha and how dutiful and righteous Sri Rama is. He assures Sri Rama that the exile in the forest will end soon and he will return with Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya and live there happily ever after.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
