by Vanamali
“Let us try our prowess with weapons now,” Kesari said.
The hunter immediately stood ready with his bow and arrow. Kesari also took up his bow and shot arrow after arrow at the hunter, who parried them all with ease until he eventually shot down Kesari’s bow so that he stood defenseless.
Anjana realized that this was no ordinary hunter. She closed her eyes and brought her favorite deity to mind. When she opened them, she saw that the hunter was none other than Shiva himself. Hastily she plucked some flowers and ran forward, placing them at the hunter’s feet. Hanuman also brought some flowers and placed them at his chosen guru’s feet. The hunter placed his palms on the boy’s head and blessed him. Turning to Kesari, he asked with a laugh, “Now do you have any more objections to my becoming your son’s tutor?”
Kesari fell at his feet and begged him to pardon him. “It is our great good fortune that you have come here in person and agreed to become our son’s guru. Because of this we have had the good fortune to see you with our own eyes. Pray forgive my transgressions and take our son as your pupil.”
Shiva agreed and touched the boy’s tongue with his ring. Lo and behold, the child started to sing a paean of praise to the Lord. He then whispered the sacred syllable (pranava mantra) in the child’s right ear by which Hanuman became a fully enlightened being. Next, he told Hanuman that Saraswati, the goddess of the arts, would grant him proficiency in music when the time came and when he so desired it.
The parents were delighted to hear all this and prostrated themselves again and again to the Lord.
Thus Lord Shiva taught Maruti all the esoteric knowledge of mantras and yantras and various other spiritual secrets. It is said that Vishnu taught him bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion), samkhya yoga (the yoga of wisdom), and hatha yoga (the yoga of physical purification). Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, is supposed to have taught him the secrets of wrestling.
Now his father Vayu took over his teaching. First of all, he taught him the esoteric secrets of pranayama, or the science of breath control. He then taught him to fly like a bird and jump vast distances. One day he presented him with a beautiful lute and told him to sing and praise the Lord with this accompaniment. Hanuman was delighted and spent the evening hours known as sandhya (twilight devotions) singing to God. Once, while he was bathing in a forest pool he heard the dulcet sounds of a nightingale and thought to himself that he would really love to sing like that. Just then he remembered the words of Shiva who had encouraged him to pray to the goddess Saraswati if he wanted to be a master of the fine arts. As soon as this idea came to his mind, he jumped into the pool and stood waist-deep in water. He prayed to the goddess to grant him a boon.
Hearing his fervent plea, the goddess appeared and shook him slightly so that he opened his eyes. She then told him to ask for any boon.
He bowed low before her and asked her to grant him knowledge of all the fine arts as well as the ability to sing. Smilingly, she agreed to his request and told him to take up the lute and start singing. Having prostrated himself before her, he took the lute, sat under a tree, and started to sing. Hearing his melodious voice accompanied by the lucid notes of the lute, even the wild animals came near to listen. Celestial beings passing in the sky also stopped to enjoy the music.
Just at that time Narada, the divine sage, who was a famous singer and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu, happened to pass by and was struck by this sight. He thought he was the only one who played on the lute and sang for the Lord, and he was not too pleased at this intruder into his particular field. He came down hurriedly to the ground to find out what was so special about Hanuman’s voice that made the whole forest go into a state of ecstasy. He approached the young devotee and tapped him on his shoulder. Hanuman opened his eyes and saw the sage standing with his lute in front of him. Narada told him who he was and Hanuman bowed with all humility before him. Narada then asked him to sing another song for him. Hanuman agreed and began to sing. When he heard his dulcet notes, Narada was totally immersed in the music, and when he stopped, he felt truly humbled and said, “O Hanuman! I came to test your ability and now I’m convinced that you are a great master of music. I see that the goddess Saraswati has indeed blessed you with all her gifts. Let me add my blessings to hers. You are certainly superior to me.”
Hearing this, Hanuman fell at the feet of the divine sage and said, “O noble one! Surely none can compare with you in devotional singing. Your fame has spread over all the three worlds. I’m nothing compared to you.”
Narada was pleased both by Hanuman’s humility as well as by his divine voice. Having blessed him, he rose up to go but was dismayed to find that the lute he had placed on a rock had become stuck to the boulder that had melted at the sound of Hanuman’s music!
Turning to Hanuman, he begged him to sing once again so that the rock would melt once more and free his lute. Hanuman did so, and the celestial sage was able to retrieve his lute. In the age of Dwapara, all solid things like rocks were purported to have melted when they heard the ravishing notes of the flute that Lord Krishna played in the forest of Vrindavana. The same was the case here. Having realized Hanuman’s greatness, Narada blessed him once again and went on his way.
Some years passed in this delightful fashion. However, the time was fast approaching when this idyllic time would come to an end. One day when Anjana was immersed in meditation, she heard a voice from within her calling, “Punchikasthala! Punchikasthala! Your time for reprieve has come. You may now return to your celestial abode!”
When she heard this, a flood of memories arose in her and her past life became vivid in her mind. “I’m not a monkey called Anjana. I’m the celestial maiden known as Punchikasthala. I am the adopted daughter of Brihaspati, the guru of the gods. I am now freed from my curse and can return to my father’s ashrama.”
But somehow this thought did not bring her any joy. Her eyes filled with tears.
Her husband Kesari came near her and asked her the reason for her tears. Baby Hanuman came close and hugged her and promised never to get into any mischief. At this Anjana burst into tears and hugged him close.
“My darling son! It’s time for me to return to my abode and leave you. But I cannot bear the thought of leaving you and going back.”
Neither her son nor her husband could figure out her meaning.
“What are you saying? I don’t understand. Where do you have to go? This is your home.”
“My Lord!” She said, “In reality, I’m not Anjana but an apsara called Punchikasthala. I belong to the ashrama of Brihaspati. I took the form of a monkey due to a curse. Now I have been reprieved from it and given permission to return home. But the thought of parting from you and my beloved son is tearing me apart.”
“O Anjana! I cannot live without you. I will definitely not allow you to go anywhere,” cried Kesari.
“My beloved husband! None can change the course of destiny. You will not be able to stop me. So please give me leave to go.”
Her son now spoke true words of wisdom. “O Mother!” he said, “Go in peace. You are absolutely right in saying that none can stop the wheel of destiny.”
The wind god Vayu now appeared, comforted her, and said, “Don’t grieve about your son. We are all here to see to his welfare. If you have to go, go in peace.”
The heroic Kesari could not bear this parting. “I cannot live without you, beloved! Wherever you go, I will follow.”
Hearing her husband’s oath, Anjana closed her eyes for a few minutes and meditated on her guru. Mentally, she begged him to allow her to go to the mountain of Kanchana in the Himalayas, along with her husband, in order to practice tapasya. She clasped Hanuman in her arms, kissed his forehead, and gave him to Vayu. Then turning to Kesari, she said, “My Lord! I feel the same way as you. If you want to accompany me, clasp me in your arms.”
He did as bidden and to the amazement of her son, they both rose up into the sky and then turned into two balls of light. He watched in wonder as the
y slowly disappeared toward the north. Brihaspati granted her wish, and they both went and stayed at the mountain known as Kanchana.
Thou art the son of Shiva and Kesari’s joy,
Your glory is sung throughout the word.
HANUMAN CHALISA BY TULSIDAS
Aum Sri Hanumathe Namaha!
Aum Manojavaaya Namaha!
7
Jitendriya
Conqueror of the Senses
Manojavam Marutathulyavegam
Jitendriyam buddhimatam varishtam,
Vathatmajam vaanarayudhamukhyam,
Sri Rama dhutam shirasa namami !
I bow to the messenger of Rama,
Who was the son of Vayu and the best among monkeys,
Who had his senses under perfect control and was highly intelligent,
Who was as fast as the mind and as swift as the wind!
HANUMAN STOTRA
After his parents left, Hanuman was left solely in the care of his foster father Vayu. After some years in the forest, Hanuman thought to himself that there must be more to life than just eating and playing in the forest. He mentally asked his father Vayu to come to his aid and told him that he was anxious to see the world and meet great saints. Vayu agreed to his request and said, “Indeed, it is time for you to go from here. However, I’d like you to get married first before going anywhere. Then you can go to the kingdom of the monkeys known as Kishkinda. The king of that state is a great and powerful monkey known as Vaali. He has a brother called Sugriva. Befriend him and you will certainly gain fame and fortune.”
Hanuman bowed low before his parent and said firmly, “My Lord, I am not in the least interested in a family life. I have taken on a vow of chastity, and I hope I will never have to break it. However, I’m pleased by your other advice. I will certainly set out for the kingdom of Vaali without further ado.”
He bade a fond farewell to his playmates in the forest and started out toward Kishkinda. He traveled through the trees as monkeys do. After some time, he was very thirsty and hungry. He spied a stream below him and came down to drink the water. Hardly had he scooped some water in his palms than he heard a horrendous voice saying, “No one is allowed to drink this water without my permission!” Hearing this, Hanuman let the water fall from his hands and looked around for the person who had spoken. Seeing no one, he said, “Who are you? Why are you hiding in the foliage like a coward? Why don’t you reveal yourself?”
At these words the whole forest was shaken by the sound of a roar and the horrible figure of a rakshasa appeared before Hanuman. He was not to be deterred by this figure and asked him who he was.
The rakshasa replied, “Why should I introduce myself to you? You have trespassed on my land and now I will certainly make my midday meal out of you!” So saying, he opened his cavernous mouth and prepared to swallow Hanuman whole. His mouth emitted the stench of blood. Before he could catch him, Hanuman made use of the powers given to him by his father, Vayu, and enlarged himself so that he stood face-to-face with the rakshasa. The demon was a bit astonished to see this feat by the little monkey, but he knew a few tricks himself, so he also became larger and larger and made a lunge at Hanuman with these words: “Now let me have my lunch!”
Immediately, Hanuman magnified his body to double the size of the rakshasa and gave him one kick, which felled him to the ground. But the demon rose up with redoubled vigor and the two of them fought for a long time without either being vanquished. Hanuman now realized that this was not an ordinary rakshasa and begged Lord Shiva to come to his aid. He picked up a piece of dhruva grass and breathed the mantra of the great weapon of Shiva known as paasupatha. This he threw with all his might at the demon who was hurled a few yards away. His body fell on a rock and was smashed to smithereens. Out of the pieces there rose a divine form, which came toward Hanuman and bowed low before him.
“My Lord!” he said, “I was a gandharva in my previous life and became a rakshasa due to a curse. Thanks to you, I have been redeemed from this!”
Hanuman wanted to know how he was cursed. The gandharva replied, “Once I tried to kidnap the daughter of a rishi and he cursed me that I would become a rakshasa. When I begged him to release me from this curse, he told me that I would meet my end at the hands of one who was born from Shiva’s seed. At that time, I would be released from my curse. So now I see that you are the one who was foretold by the rishi.”
The gandharva now blessed Hanuman and proceeded on his way. Hanuman also was able to quench his thirst in the clear waters of the stream and take his fill of the fruits before progressing on his journey.
Maruti now continued his journey through the subcontinent of Bharatavarsha. He met many great sages on the way and got their blessings. He also encountered fierce beasts and strange birds and saw many lovely trees and flowers. At last he reached a huge forest known as Vidarshana that was so dark and menacing none dared to go through it, even during the day. It was thought to be the haunt of rakshasas and other night wanderers and was also inhabited by many wild beasts.
Hanuman contemplated on Lord Shiva and fearlessly entered the forest. As he walked on, he was beset by stinging mosquitoes and other poisonous insects. Vines and tendrils wound round his feet and tried to stop him from proceeding. As evening approached, he could hear the menacing growls of wild beasts all around him. He decided to spend the night in a tree, but all through the night he could hear the heartrending roars of an elephant in pain. With the break of dawn, he hurried to the site of the cries and discovered a magnificent elephant half in and half out of the river. His rear legs were firmly planted in the water and try as he might, he seemed unable to get out of the water and drag himself to the bank. Hanuman felt very sorry for the royal beast and went close, peering into the water to find out what was preventing the elephant from getting out of the water. He was shocked to see that one of the creature’s legs was cruelly gripped in the strong jaws of a crocodile. The huge crocodile was slowly but surely dragging the elephant down into the water. Blood was oozing from the elephant’s feet and flowed like a red stream in the river. The elephant lifted up its trunk and cried piteously. Feeling sorry for the noble animal, the fearless son of the wind god leaped into the water.
He grasped the tail of the reptile and pulled it. However, the crocodile refused to let go and dragged him along with the elephant further into the water. Hanuman immediately realized that this was the wrong thing to do. He let go of the tail, jumped nimbly on its back, and grasped its jaws, which were locked on the elephant’s legs. Using his enormous strength, he tore open the jaws and thus freed the elephant from its agony. The crocodile was incensed with the pain and the thought of its lost prey. It thrashed its tail violently in the water and turned with gaping, bloody jaws at its new enemy. Anjaneya immediately swam to its rear, grasped its tail, and dragged it to the banks. Before the creature could gather its wits, he once again grasped the tail, swung it above his head, whirled it round, and hurled it a hundred yards away. It crashed to the ground and died immediately.
Suddenly to his amazement a beautiful maiden rose out of the crocodile body, came near him, and bowed low.
“Who are you, and how did you come to take on a crocodile’s form?” he asked.
“O Anjaneya!” she said, “I am an apsara called Ambalika. I belong to the court of Indra, the king of gods. Once, as I was bathing with a group of my friends in the pellucid waters of a Himalayan lake, we happened to see a group of young ascetics meditating on the banks. We were smitten by their looks and approached them, trying to entice them with our songs and dances. At last they opened their eyes. They cast their compassionate glance on us and advised us strongly to leave them alone if we did not want to be cursed. My friends hurriedly left the place, but I lingered on, smitten by the beauty of one of the ascetics. Again and again, he warned me not to try him further, but I refused. At last he cursed me that I would become a cruel crocodile and live in a mud pool in the forest of Vidarshana. I begged him for reprieve, and he relented
and told me that I would be saved by the son of the wind god, born of the seed of Shiva! I see now that you are the one predicted by the ascetic. I would like to give you a boon for having saved me. You will never have to fear from drowning. Water will not be able to harm you. Now please give me leave to go!”
Hanuman was amazed to hear her story and told her to go on her way.
After this episode he continued on his journey. After passing through many forests and crossing many mountains and rivers, he arrived in a forest at the outskirts of the kingdom of Kishkinda. From afar he could hear the roars of wild beasts and the trumpets of elephants. He jumped onto a tree in order to have a look at what was happening and found that a noble-looking monkey was surrounded by wild elephants and other beasts and was slowly losing ground. Undaunted, Hanuman jumped into the fray and routed the elephants.