Hari Om.
Let us begin the twelfth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Setting off from the hermitage of sage sutIkshNa to tour the range of hermitages in the danDaka forest, the trio encounter a musical lake and learn about the legend associated with it. The forest was a happening place in the obscurity! They begin to visit the hermitages of the orders of sages and stay there. In some of those they stay for a few months and in others they stay up to a year and thus feeling at home in the hermitages of various sages, a decade passes off! Again, the focused screenplay of bhagavAn vAlmIki is to the fore here. Just like the 18th sarga of bAlakAnDam [1.18. The Lord descends and the sage arrives ] where rAma is born and within a few verses attains marriageable age, thus leapfrogging several years at once, here too mahaRshi fast forwards what might be uneventful ten years from the perspective of rAma to take the mission forward. After spending a decade across the range of hermitages, the trio return to the hermitage of sutIkshNa. Staying there for sometime, rAma desires to go to the sage agastya and sage sutIkshNa offers him directions. The trio set off in the southern direction to meet the greatest of them all, recounting the legends of his exploits and his benevolent nature which always has the welfare of mankind as its goal. They stay for a night at the hermitage of the brother of agastya and journeying next morning, they are at the threshold of the hermitage of sage agastya. Onwards…
Upon the command of rAma to go inside the hermitage of sage agastya and inform them of his arrival, brother lakshmaNa enters the hermitage, meets the disciples of the sage and says –
“The valorous elder son of king daSaratha, rAma by name along with his wife sItA has arrived to greet sage agastya. If you are aware, I am his younger brother lakshmaNa, loyal and devoted to him. By the command of our father we have entered the forest and are desirous of an audience with the celebrated sage. Kindly do report our arrival to him”.
The disciple agreed and hurried to the yajna vEdi to convey the arrival of guests to the sage. He folded his hands in the presence of that repository of peerless impenetrable penance, sage agastya and reported that rAma along with sItA and lakshmaNa has arrived at the hermitage and the trio are desirous of being in the service of the sage. Having conveyed the message, the disciple prayed for his directions about the next steps. The sage exlaimed –
दिष्ट्या रामश्चिरस्याद्य द्रष्टुं मां समुपागतः।।3.12.10।।
मनसा काङ्क्षितं ह्यस्य मयाप्यागमनं प्रति।
“By great good fortune rAma has come to see me after a long time. In my heart I was deeply desirous of meeting him. Go at once and usher him in with due honour. Why has he not been ushered in already, why this delay”?
गम्यतां सत्कृतो रामस्सभार्यस्सहलक्ष्मणः।।3.12.11।।
प्रवेश्यतां समीपं मे किं चासौ न प्रवेशितः।
The disciple hurried back to where lakshmaNa was and hurriedly asked where rAma was; at once both the disciple and lakshmaNa went to where rAma was. The disciple welcomed sItA and rAma with befitting hospitality and ushered them in to the hermitage to be in the service of the sage agastya. The trio entered the hermitage and witnessed herd of deer in peaceful existence there.
Entering into the hermitage, rAma witnessed the altars of lord brahma, agni (fire god), lord vishNu, indra, the Sun god, moon, lord bhaga, kubEra, dhAta, vidhAta, wind god, serpent lord, ananta, goddess gAyatri, the vasus, varuNa, kArtikEya and yama respectively. And as they moved forward they saw the celebrated sage agastya stepping out and walking towards them surrounded by his disciples. rAma recognized him by his resplendence and said as much to lakshmaNa. Having said so, the mighty rAma grasped the feet of the resplendent sage agastya. Then sItA and lakshmaNa also paid their respects and the trio stood with folded palms.
The sage agastya offered a traditional welcome to them and having offered them water and seat, he served them in a way that befits a hermit and offered traditional hospitality. He told rAma about the subtle dharma involved in first offering oblations to the fire god and only after that offering hospitality to a guest.
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य धर्मचारी महारथः।।3.12.30।।
पूजनीयश्च मान्यश्च भवान् प्राप्तः प्रियातिथिः।
He was absolutely delighted at having received such a dear guest who is the king of the three worlds, righteous, valorous, honorable and worship worthy. With these words he offered flowers, fruits and roots to rAma and said –
“O rAma, look, here is the mighty and golden bow of lord vishNu made by viSwakarma. And here is the splendid arrow given by lord brahma to me. And here are the two quivers ever full of fiery golden arrows and two swords in their silver caskets given to me by lord indra. In the ancient times lord vishNu has slain the demons with these weapons and restored the glory of gods. Here rAma, take possession of these weapons unhesitatingly for your victory just like indra wields the thunderbolt”.
तद्धनुस्तौ च तूणीरौ शरं खङ्गं च मानद।। 3.12.36।।
जयाय प्रतिगृह्णीष्व वज्रं वज्रधरो यथा।
Having commended so, sage agastya conferred the unmatched weaponry on rAma and further said.
Here we conclude the the twelfth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.13. Destination panchavaTi
Previous: 3.11. A decade passes… in the company of the sages
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
