Hanuman
is originally the son of Vayu, the air god. And he is also an expansion
of Lord Siva. All the demigods were helping Lord Ramacandra in his
battle. Lord Siva was thinking, “I must also help him.” So long
before Lord Ramacandra incarnated, Lord Siva had a pastime.
Once Siva and Parvati were playing in Kailash, and they saw a monkey. Lord Siva, by
looking at this monkey, he also took the form of a monkey. Parvati also
took the form of a monkey, and they played. During that time, Lord Siva
gave Parvati a conception. Then immediately she became Parvati again and
said, “I’m not going to give birth to a monkey.”
So Siva said,
“Well you have a conception so now you have to give birth to it.”
Parvati said, “No no, when you gave the conception you were a monkey,
so my son will become a monkey. Already I have an elephant, that is
enough. I can’t have this.” So Siva said, “All right then, I will
make some arrangement.”
Siva then called
Vayu, and Vayu came there. Once before Siva had given a conception and
Agni had carried it, and Agni had said that he would never do it again.
So Vayu came, and Siva said, “Vayu, you have not done anything to me
up till now, so please do this for me. Take this conception and look
after it.” Vayu said, “But you are the most hot person, and I am
going to be carrying this around when I am supposed to be cooling
everything. The wind will be hot.” Siva said, “You make some
arrangement.”
So Vayu was
carrying this conception wondering what to do, and then he saw the
sapta-rishis going somewhere. He went before them and asked, “This is
a conception from Lord Siva. This has to be preserved until the Supreme
Lord incarnates as Ramacandra. That is a long time away, but it has to
be kept. Please make some arrangement.”
The sapta-rishis
said, “Oh we will make some arrangement.” So they went to origin of
the Mandakini river and they took a leaf which was made of metal, and
put the conception there. In this way it was preserved, and Vayu was
supposed to come and see that nothing happened to it.
And then Brhaspati,
the spiritual master of the devas, he had a maidservant in his house,
and she was supposed to bring flowers for worshipping Salagram. One day
when she went to get flowers, she saw some gandharvas having conjugal
pastimes, and she was very attracted. So instead of collecting flowers,
she came back early and Brhaspati was sitting on a deerskin in his
ashrama.
Suddenly this lady
jumped on him and began covering him with kisses. Brhaspati had not
expected this, because he was doing puja, and he said, “What is this?
You are behaving like a monkey! Therefore become a monkey!”
When she became a
monkey she cried, “I’m very sorry. Some ignorance came in my mind,
and I have insulted you. But you have made me a monkey, so when will I
again become normal?” Brhaspati said, “Why have I cursed you like
this? I did not lose my temper.” Then he thought for a while, and
said, “Oh, I know. There is some arrangement. So now you must go to
Kishkinda, and you get married to a great monkey warrior king. His name
is Ketari, and you become his wife. There is a big plan for you.”
She came down, and
she met Ketari who was jumping for some fruits, and she appeared on top
of the tree. Then they had some talk, and they got married. When she was
in the body of a monkey she was known as Anjana. They were living for a
long time, but they were having no children. Ketari went on performing
austerities to please Lord Indra so that he could get a son. He wanted a
very powerful son, so he was doing meditation.
While he was doing
meditation, Vayu came, and somehow or other, in his invisible form, he
managed to give the conception to Anjana. Anjana felt someone holding
her, and she said, “Who is this person? You must come before me
otherwise I will curse you.”
So then Vayu came
before her and said, “Your curse will be gone only when you deliver a
strong person, and I am giving you that person. So close your eyes and
take this conception. Then deliver your baby and you can return to the
heavenly planets. You do not want this?” And then she remembered all
her previous activities. She took that conception, and what was this
conception? It was originally conceived by Lord Siva, carried by Vayu
for so long, and Vayu gave it to her, so it was Vayu’s son and it was
Siva’s angsha, or expansion.
And then Anjaneya
was born. As soon as he was born he grew into a sixteen year old boy.
That was the potency of Lord Siva. So then Anjana immediately rose up to
go to the heavens, and Anjaneya caught hold of her cloth and said,
“Wait a minute, where are you going? You gave birth to me, and now you
are leaving? What will I eat?”
She was looking
around, and it was sunset so she said, “Any fruit which is as red and
as ripe as the sun planet, you can eat it.” Then she left, and he was
very hungry. He thought and then said, “Why as red as sun and as ripe
as sun? Why not just eat sun?” So he jumped up, and straight away went
to the sun planet and jumped on the chariot of Lord Suryadeva.
He was extending
his hands, and he took the whole sun planet and reduced it to a small
ball and put it in his mouth. Just then he looked and saw Rahu coming.
“I am going to eat the sun,” Rahu said. Rahu always says this but he
only ever half eats it. So then Anjaneya said, “Oh you are going to
eat the sun? Well I have already eaten the sun and now I will eat you
also.” So then he swallowed Rahu.
Indradeva had been
sitting in his seat discussing politics, but suddenly everything had
become dark. Agni was there, so due to his light he could see. He asked
Agni, “Why is this? Why is there no light?” Agni replied,
“Somebody has taken the sun away.” “What? Somebody has taken the
sun away?” Agni said, “Why are you wondering who has taken it? Just
use your shabda-viddhi.”
Shabda-viddhi
means that just by hearing the sound you shoot your weapon. So he threw
his vadra. While throwing it he was already jumping on his white
elephant, Airavata, and he was coming. Anjaneya looked this way and that
and he saw that everything was dark, and then he saw this white elephant
coming. “Oh, I will eat that also,” and then he jumped on Airavata.
While he was
jumping on Airavata, the vadra came, and hit Anjaneya on his teeth.
Anjaneya quickly caught hold of it. Indra turned around and saw Anjaneya
holding the vadra, and he thought, “This must be some big Vishnu
avatar. I’d better keep quiet.
Out of living entities,
only Indra can hold this thunderbolt, so he must be some incarnation
with a tail.” So Indra went back. Now Anjaneya had the sun, Rahu and
this vadra weapon, and he went back to his place in Kishkinda to eat it.
He sat down looking at this vadra, and thought, “Should I bite it or
chew it?”
At that time everyone
went to Brahma and asked him, “What is happening in this universe?
Rahu is gone, sun is gone.” Brahma said, “Don’t worry. This is the
potency of Lord Siva, and this person is a great devotee of Lord Rama.”
Brahma lives for a long time, and so many Ramayanas are happening. So he
knows that it is almost the same every time, but the pastime is a little
different in each kalpa.
So he said, “This is
Hanuman. All of us have to go there and touch his feet and beg him. If
you do that you will get the sun, otherwise no sun.” So all the
demigods came, thirty three crores of them. They all came there with
folded hands. “Please Anjaneya, open your mouth.” He was upset
because Indra’s vadra had hit him on his teeth. “You have already
broken my jaw. If I open my mouth you will just break my other jaw.”
So then Brahma
said, “My dear boy, I will give you anything you like. You can live as
long as I live.” Anjaneya was not satisfied. Then Agni came forward
and said, “Fire will not burn you.” Still he was not satisfied, so
Indra came forward. “You are already holding my Vadra, so what
benediction can I give you? But I tell you this, you will become the
most famous, as famous as me.” Still not satisfied.
Then Vayu came.
“You will be as fast as me.” He smiled a little bit. One by one they
all came and offered benedictions, and after everyone came and offered
benedictions, still Anjaneya was not satisfied. Brahma said, “Don’t
worry, I will use my mystic powers.” And he read Anjaneya’s mind.
Anjaneya was
thinking “Why is there no fruit in this world?” Brhaspati came to
know of his desire and he came forward and said, “Anjaneya, I will
give you all the fruits in this world, and I will give you the knowledge
of Ayurveda by which you will know all the fruits, all the plants, and
all the trees. Any plant in the creation, you will know it, and what is
the use of it you will know, and what is the medicinal effect of it you
will also know. This is my benediction to you.”
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Then
Dhanvantari spoke, “I will be at your command. You put any medicine on
anyone and they will come alive.”
So Anjaneya opened
his mouth, and the Sun-god was there, and the demigods were very much
satisfied. So then Brahma called him “Hanuman.” Hanuman means one
who has got some kind of a defect in his teeth. That is the meaning of
Hanuman.
Hanuman is also
known as Vajranga, which means the same thing. Vajra means teeth and
anga means missing one part. One other name for him is Marut-suta, the
son of the wind god. He is known as Anjaneya, the son of Anjana. And
lastly he is known as Mahavira, or a great king. These are some
different names of Hanuman.
And then Brahma
gave him a diamond necklace, and told him, “This is the highest
benediction you can get. You will be the eternal servant of the eternal
Lord, and only the eternal Lord will be able to recognize this necklace.
That means you will be recognized by him, and he will be recognized by
you as the one who recognized the necklace.”
When Ramacandra
asked the beggar, “What kind of a beggar are you? You have a wonderful
necklace on your neck.” So Hanuman immediately recognized, that this
is my worshippable Lord. And he immediately surrendered to Him. In this
way he went to Sugriva, and Hanuman had so many other exploits too, when
he was a small boy. After the sun-swallowing pastime there were so many
other pastimes.
He used to take
elephants and tigers and play with them. One day he caught hold of a
very wise elephant. He was holding it by the tusk, and he was also
holding a tiger by the tail, and swinging them around. They were making
some sound. This was Hanuman’s fun.
And then he saw an
ashrama. The sage who lived here had never gotten angry in his life. He
was known for his sense control. Hanuman thought to himself, “Now we
will test his sense control.” So he put the tiger and the elephant
tied up together in front of his ashrama.
This was early in
the morning, during the brahma-muhurta time. So the rishi slowly opened
the door and took his lota for taking bath. And then he looked out and
saw this tiger, so he closed the door quickly. Up to that time he had
constipation, but when he saw this tiger suddenly he felt nature
calling. So he had to go out.
But what could he
do? There was a tiger outside his door. He looked out the door again,
and this time he saw the elephant as well, so he quickly shut the door
again. He had to pass. But how could he pass inside? He had to go out of
the window, and there was a tree outside of the window, and he looked up
and saw Hanuman at the top of the tree.
“So you are the
cause of this mischief. Come here!” Hanuman thought, “He’s
becoming angry. I must go.” So he came down, and he became small and
entered the window. The rishi gave Hanuman a curse that limited his
strength. “Why did you curse me like this?” Hanuman asked.
“This is only
good for you. You are having your strength controlled so you can use it
only for the Lord’s service. And when the service is coming, the Lord
will arrange for someone to remind you.” So then Hanuman said, “I
will never tie an elephant to a tiger any more. And I will certainly not
put it in front of your ashrama. I’ll put it somewhere else.”
So then he came
back, and he did not play for a whole week. Ketari was asking,
“Hanuman, how come there have been no complaints from anyone for a
whole week? Have you become a good boy?” Hanuman said, “I don’t
want to give trouble to anyone.”
Then they heard a
sound, a very nice sound. Ketari said, “What is this? It is Narada
Muni coming!” Hanuman asked, “Who is this person?” Ketari replied,
“He is a very great soul. He doesn’t need any introduction. You just
go to him and you will find out the greatness of this man.”
Immediately Hanuman jumped up and Narada was just on his way past their
place, going to see some rishi, so Hanuman jumped in his way and paid
pranams.
“Narada Muni, I
heard that you are a very great person, so you must bless me. Without
blessing me, you are not allowed to go.” Narada said, “What blessing
do you want?” Hanuman said, “Already the demigods have given me so
many blessings. I cannot think of anything else, so you think of a
blessing, and you give it to me.”
Narada thought,
“What blessing does Hanuman not have?” And so he said, “You will
become expert in music.” That was the only benediction left to give.
So Hanuman got that benediction, and Narada Muni said, “So I have
given you the benediction, and now I am going.”
Hanuman said,
“One minute, one minute.” “What do you want?” Narada asked.
“How will I know that I am the most expert in music?” Hanuman
inquired. “My father told me that you are the most expert in music, so
you must do me a favour today. Give me the benediction that I will be
more expert than you.” So Narada said, “All right, I will sit
somewhere and listen to you.”
“Shall I start
singing?” Hanuman asked. “Yes.” Narada Muni put his vina on a
rock, and he sat down on the ground. So Hanuman selected that tune which
would melt the rock, and he began to sing it. The rock melted, and the
vina was in the liquid. He was singing and singing, and the vina was
floating in the liquid rock. Narada was closing his eyes and enjoying,
and he said, “All right Hanuman, you are the best musician. You can
stop singing now.”
Hanuman said,
“You open your eyes and tell me if I should stop singing.” Narada
said, “How do you mean?” Hanuman replied, “You open your eyes.”
So Narada opened his eyes and looked around. He didn’t notice the vina
floating in the stone water. “Yes, you can stop singing.” So then
Hanuman stopped singing, and the liquid stone became rock, and the vina
got stuck.
Narada said, “I am
going,” and he took his vina, but it wouldn’t move. “What did you
do, Hanuman?” Hanuman said, “I only sung a song. You told me to sing
a song, and you also gave me the ability. Now you are complaining. I
have been a good boy for a whole week.” Narada said, “One week of
doing nothing means that before that week you did too much.” And then
Hanuman told him all about what he had done, swallowing the sun etc, and
Narada became very pleased.
Then he said, “Now
whatever it was, you please sing the tune again, so I can get my vina.”
Hanuman said, “Well, I don’t know....” Narada Muni said, “Please
do it!” “No I won’t,” Hanuman said, and he jumped up and ran
inside the palace. Narada Muni came in there and called out, “Hey
Hanuman, come and get my vina out! I have to go.”
Just then Ketari came
out, and when he saw Narada Muni he touched his feet. “What is my son
doing, he is giving you some trouble?” Narada said, “Oh no, no
trouble, just that he got my vina stuck in the rock.” Ketari said,
“Oh no, he has started his mischief again. Hanuman, get Narada’s
vina out of the rock!”
And then Hanuman said,
“I want Narada Muni’s feet to touch every room in this palace, that
is why I was doing this. Now he has touched all the rooms, and I will
release his vina. The dust from his lotus feet is so rare that what is
the use of just having it in one part of our kingdom? We should have it
all over.”
Narada said, “You are
already blessed, because you are Lord Rama’s eternal servant.” So
Hanuman went and sung for Narada, who quickly took his vina and left. In
this way, Hanuman had so many wonderful pastimes.
Then he told
Ketari, “I want to get education. I have so many benedictions, but I
need some education too, I need vidya. I am very much hankering for
vidya.” Ketari said, “But who could give you vidya? You have so many
benedictions, but you also have uncontrollable behaviour. I can’t find
a guru for you, because you are so strong, and so naughty also.”
Hanuman said,
“This means that you are not going to perform the duty of the father.
You’re not giving me any education.” Ketari said, “I have to give
you education, but you do one thing. You go to the Sun-god. He is the
most powerful. Some time ago he was suppressed by you, but I can’t
think of anyone else. So you go to him.”
Hanuman went to
see the Sun-god, and when the Sun-god saw Hanuman coming, he said,
“It’s Hanuman again. What is he here for? He’s grown up now, so he
must have stopped playing his mischief.” Hanuman came up and paid his
obeisances. The Sun-god said, “What are you here for now? Whom are you
going to swallow?”
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Hanuman
objected, “No, no, all that was because I was in ignorance. I still
have so much ignorance, but I want to get some knowledge. I’ve heard
that you are a great pandit, so please teach me. I’ve come to join
your gurukula.”
So then the
Sun-god looked down. He has a big sitting place in the front of his
chariot. There, there are six million rishis sitting, and they are
constantly reciting Yajur-veda, Rg-veda, Sama-veda and Atharva-veda to
the Sun-god. So he looked to see if there was any vacant seat, but the
whole place was filled up, so he said, “Sorry, but no admission.”
Hanuman said,
“If there is no seat then I will stand and learn from you.” The
Sun-god said, “But I have to keep moving. If you stand in front of me
then I won’t be able to move and the seasons won’t be there. I will
be in trouble.” Hanuman said, “Then I will move and learn.” The
Sun-god said, “All right. But you have to face me and move backwards.
In this way you have to listen to me, and whatever I say you have to
learn. I won’t repeat it.”
So Hanuman was
there in front of the Sun-god, and he was walking backwards. He was so
sense-controlled that he could join the orbit of the sun. In 60 orbits
he learnt everything, Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. The Sun-god spoke it,
he heard it and immediately he knew it. And then he said, “Now I have
finished. Everything you have said I have heard and I remember it.”
The Sun-god said,
“Very good, but you have to give me some dakshina.” Hanuman said,
“Well what do you want? Do you want Indra’s crown? You tell me
anything and I will get it for you in a second.” The Sun-god said,
“No, I don’t want any of that. Only one guru-dakshina I need from
you. I have a monkey friend. You must become his minister. You must
always protect his life.”
Hanuman said,
“Oh? You have a monkey friend, and I should protect him? This is only
glory for me. I will do it, I will protect him as my life.” And then
the Sun-god told him who was that monkey. It was Sugriva, and he is the
son of the Sun-god. How Sugriva became the Sun-god’s son is a
wonderful story.
There was one lady
who was known as Narayani, and her husband was called ugra-tapas. That
means “ferocious austerities,” but he never did any austerities. He
was only engaged in sense gratification. He became so diseased and
paralysed that he had to be carried in a basket. Narayani would carry
him in a basket so that he could go to different places and get sense
gratification.
Ugra-tapas told
Narayani, “You must take me to such and such prostitute today.” So
she was carrying him. While Ugra-tapas was in the basket and Narayani
was carrying him, there was one rishi whose name was Bishmanda Rishi,
and he had been put on a trident by a king because of some
misunderstanding, and was suffering in that condition. He had tri-kala-jnah,
knowledge of past, present and future, and when he saw Ugra-tapas he
knew he was going to a prostitute’s place, and that he was crippled
and being carried by his wife.
So he got so
upset, and forgot about his pain. He called out, “Hey Ugra-tapas, what
are you doing? Your name is Ugra-tapas, and what is your life like? And
now you are asking your wife to carry you to a prostitute’s when you
are paralysed. What kind of a person are you? You should die
immediately. When the sun rises tomorrow you will die.”
When Narayani
heard this she said, “When the sun rises tomorrow my husband will die?
Then I curse that the sun will not rise.” She cursed the sun. So the
sun became motionless. The Sun-god’s charioteer Aruna was getting
ready, packing the horses etc, and then he looked back and saw the sun
had become static.
“Oh? It is a
vacation for me. I never got any holiday, because there was never any
chance. Let me have some fun.” So he went and asked the sages that sit
on the Sun-god’s chariot, “How come the sun is not moving any
more?” “This is the curse of a chaste lady,” they replied. “How
long will this curse last?” Aruna asked. “At least one day.”
“That’s good,” Aruna said. “One day is good. I can enjoy
nicely.” So Aruna got one day’s holiday.
He was thinking,
“How can I enjoy this day? It never happened in the creation before,
and it will probably never happen again. The sun never goes on holiday.
I only have one day, so I must get the highest enjoyment.” So he took
a book, like a tourist guide for the heavenly planets, and he found out
that Indra was having a special feast and dinner in respect of some
great personality, and Menaka was dancing at that festival. “Oh I must
go and see that,” he said.
But in this party,
only the invited guests were allowed. You had to bring an invitation,
and you had to be dressed in a special design. It was only Indra’s
close friends. So he was wondering, “How will I go? I know, I will
also become a dancer.” So he turned into a woman, Aruna became Aruni.
And this Aruni was so beautiful, because he always sat with the sun and
he was shining so brightly.
He came in front
of Indra’s palace. The gateman said, “Hey, who are you?” “I am
Menaka’s make--up assistant,” she said. She forgot to put one line
on her face, so I have to do it. I am the only one who is expert
enough.” “All right, you may come.” So then Aruni entered. Menaka
was dancing on one side and Aruni was hiding. And then Indra was looking
through the crowd, and suddenly he saw Aruni. “She is more beautiful
that Menaka,” he said. So he immediately cancelled the party, and
started showing everyone out.
Aruni was going to
leave, but Indra caught hold of her and said, “Wait a minute! Who are
you?” Aruni said, “I am Menaka’s make-up assistant. Leave me
alone! I am going.” “No you are not going, you are staying,” Indra
said. “I’m staying where?” “With me,” Indra said. “No, I am
not staying with you. I know your history,” Aruni said.
Indra said, “No,
no, I will keep you next to Indrani.” Aruni objected, “Even if you
keep me more than Indrani, I cannot be here because I am a man.” Indra
said, “Don’t play these games with me, I know you are a woman.”
Aruni said, “No I am not a woman! I am a man! I just turned myself
into this form.” Indra said, “Even then, you are the most beautiful
woman that I have seen.”
Aruni said, “If
you were to give me a conception, who would bring up the child? I am the
charioteer of the Sun-god.” Indra said, “Whatever or whoever you
are, and whatever will come out of it, I’m going to enjoy you.”
Aruni agreed, and immediately there was a conception, and a demigod was
born. And then Aruni ran, because it was getting late already, and the
Sun-god was slowly getting his movement back.
At the last moment
Aruna jumped on the chariot and grabbed the reins. The Sun-god said,
“You’re sure cutting it fine. Where did you go?” “Oh,
nowhere,” Aruna answered. “Tell me!” “Oh, I went to Indra’s
planet.” “What did he do to you?” the Sun-god asked. “He gave me
a conception.” “How did he give you a conception?” Aruna said,
“It’s getting late now, we only have a few moments.”
The Sun-god said,
“A few moments is alright. It needs only one moment. Let me see that
beautiful form.” Aruna objected, “No, no. This will only cause more
trouble.” “No, I must see,” said the Sun-god. “You are my
servant.” “Alright,” said Aruna, and he became Aruni. In the next
moment there was another conception.
So this is demigod
life. Only a very few of them are thinking of Vishnu. The bulk of them
think of Vishnu only when the demons come, and then when the demons
leave they go back to their sense gratification. It is mentioned in the
Vishnu Purana that one who hears this story loses the attraction for
going to the heavenly planets. So now two babies were crying.
This was not
usually the way that birth happened in the heavenly planets, so all the
demigods were disturbed in their sense gratification. They all went to
Brahma and Brahma approached Indra, saying, “You are the cause of this
problem. You settle this down.” “I can’t have babies in the
heavenly planets,” Indra said. “We’ll have to give them to
someone.” Then he remembered the king of Varanasa, Riksharaja, who had
no children. He was performing austerities to please Indra so he could
get a son.
A benediction from
the demigods is usually something that demigods don’t want in the
heavenly planets, so they give it away. So Riksharaja was standing on
one leg to get some children, and Indra came and said, “Why are you
standing on one leg? Here are two babies you can have.”
So they had two
sons, Bali and Sugriva. Bali was the son of Indra, and Sugriva was the
son of the Sun-god. And the Sun-god got the benediction of guru-dakshina
from Hanuman that he would always protect Sugriva. In this way, when
Bali was anointed the king after Riksharaja, Sugriva became his
minister, and Hanuman became the counsellor or minister of Sugriva.
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