Sage Agastya arms Rama with Bow, arrow and ornaments with guarded blessings:
Taking leave of Agastya bhraata Rama journeyed on the path as directed by sage SuteekshNa witnessing schools of flowered forest trees covering jack-fruit, sala, ashoka, bilva and lemon trees a midst wild grass reverberating with animals and birds living in co-existence with each other.
Heralding LakshmaNa, Rama desired that sage Agastya be informed of His arrival and that He with Seeta are waiting at his door steps. LakshmaNa informed the disciples and they let him through the 'hall-of-fire' to submit the same to Agastya.
As they got into the hermitage what they saw was the Alters specifically laid for Brahma, Fire-God Agni, Vishnu, Indra, Sun-God Vivasvan, Soma, the Moon-God, Bhaga one of the twelve AdityAs and Kubera, the God of wealth.
Adjoining them are the seats for Dhaata, Vidhaata, Vaayu-air, VaruNa-rain-God, Gayatri, the eight-Vasus and that of Ananta and Garuda, the seat and vehicle of Lord VishNu. As also KArtikeya,and Yama having home-kunDa in their name. All this include the ritual to Fire-god usually done before taking one's food and necessarily feeding a guest a day.
Yearning for His arrival, Agastya greeted Rama with folded hands while Rama touched his feet paying His respects.Offering water and seat, Agastya treated his guests with food, fruits and flowers, as would be appropriate to honoring people of Vanaprasta.
He then gave to Rama the sacred bow designed by Vishvakarama for Lord VishNu together with never-go-waste arrows as gift of Brahma. So also two in-exhaustible quivers full of arrows gotten from Indra.
These bow, two quivers, arrows and the sword the sage gave Rama are the best of weapons to help Him triumph over the demons and are as effective as VajrAyuda of Indra.
Presenting ornaments to Seeta, the sage is appreciative of Her joining Rama in all the hardships, motivated purely as friendly companion, taking the shining example of Arundhati, wife of sage Vashshita.
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