Hanuman I

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The birth of Hanuman

Hanuman is one of the heroes of Ramayana. He has the faceof a monkey and is an ardent devotee of Ram. It was mostly

due to his help that Ram was able to defeat Ravana, thedemon-king of Lanka. Do you know the story of the birth of

Hanuman?

The birth of Hanuman starts with an apsara – Punjikastala.Punjikastala was a heavenly maiden and roamed the skies.

Once when she roamed the heavens, she saw a monkey deepin meditation.

Instead of admiring the devotion of the monkey rishi,Pujikastala felt that the monkey sitting in a cross-legged

posture was very funny. Unable to control herself she burstout laughing. However the monkey did not take any offence.

He was after all a rishi...someone in control of his senses. Hewas so deep in meditation that he did not even know that

someone was laughing at him.

Punjikastala misunderstanding the silence of the rishiand

poked fun of him some more. She finally threw stones andfruits at the rishi. When one of the mangoes hit the rishi on his

head, the rishi opened his eyes with a start, his meditation broken. He looked around furiously and saw Punjikastala

aiming a stone at him.

The sage looked so angry that Punjikastala shivered. Sheinvoluntarily dropped the stone and looked mutely at the sage.

The sage looked at Punjikastala angrily, 'Why did you throw

stones at me?'

http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.com/2012/03/birth-of-hanuman.html

http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.com/2012/03/birth-of-hanuman.html

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Punjikastala remained mute staring at the Monkey-sage. 'Youhave now broken my meditation...I can forgive the rest...but I

cannot forgive you for interrupting my meditation....'

Punjikastala looked at the furious sage still not able to talk.The sage continued, 'You think I am funny because I look like

a monkey...I curse you that you will henceforth become amonkey yourself....'

Hearing this, Punjikastala burst out crying, 'Great sage! I

w...was wrong...I did not understand who you were and I

threw stones at you....I made...made fun of you....But turningme into a monkey is a ver...very harsh punishment....Please

sir...' Punjikastala fell at the the sage's feet, 'I beg you sir! Ihave learnt my lesson. Please take back your curse. She said

tears streaming down her face.

Looking at Punjikastala, the monkey-sage realized that

Punjikastala had really repented her actions and was sorry forher actions. But he was a sage. Sages were powerful and whenthey said anything, they were immediately brought into effect.Their words could not be taken back.

The monkey-sage looked at Punjikastala and said softly, 'I am

sorry Punjikastala, but I cannot take back my word! But yourcurse will end as soon as you give birth to an incarnation of

Lord Shiva! Pray to him....'

Punjikastala looked downcast as the sage vanished from there.

She felt some change in her body and ran to the nearest river.There she saw that fur had grown in her body, she had a small

tail and her face was that of a monkey! Unable to bear the

grief anymore Punjikastala walked aimlessly throughout the

forest, wishing that the nightmare would be over and that she

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would again become her normal self. Pray to Lord Shiva...Thewords of the monkey sage came to her mind.

That night, Punjikastala made a small linga and worshipedLord Shiva and Goddess Parvati before going to sleep. Shefelt peaceful and fell asleep almost immediately.

In the morning, she again prayed to the Lord and the Goddessand then walked further deep inside the forest. As she walked,

she saw a small ashrama there.

The people in the ashrama however did not make fun of her because she had the face of a monkey. They were true

ascetics. They did not care how a person looked. True faith inGod was all that mattered.

They gave her fruits to eat. Punjikastala was feeling very

hungry after a long day. She gratefully ate the fruits.

'Who are you my child?' asked one of the oldest ascetics.

Punjikastala opened her mouth to say, 'I am...' when shestopped. What do I tell these people that I am an apsara who

was cursed to be a monkey...These people will make fun of me

if they come to know that I was cursed...My past life is done

and over...I need a new identity, a new name...a new

beginning....' Punjikastala winced as she looked as the calmand wrinkled eyes of the ascetic. She cleared her throat again,

'Sir, I am Anjana...' From deep down, Punjikastala felt that she

had more than changed her name...She began to feel that she

was destined to greatness because of this name...

'Well Anjana...You are a very brave woman...You havecrossed this forest at night...' The ascetic shivered, 'We

normally never go out at night...'

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Anjana looked quizzically at the ascetic as he continued,

'There is a huge demon Sambasadan who lives here. He...' The

ascetic shivered again, 'He is a monster. He terrorizes all the people in the forest....We think he may attack the ashramatoday....' Anjana looked at the ascetic, 'We are preparing to

defend ourselves against the demon...'

'I will also help you fight...' She said in a determined manner

as the ascetic nodded and left to make preparations.

Anjana walked out of the hut and made a small linga on theground and worshiped Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. These

people are good and kind. They have given me protection,instead of laughing at me and my plight...It is my duty to

protect these people...Please give me the strength to fight this

demon.

Anjana felt distinct words flow inside her head, 'Sambasadamcan be defeated only by his own blood my child...May you be

victorious...'

Anjana opened her eyes as a new hope filled her body. Sheknew she had heard the words of the Lord and the Goddess

and that they would guide her to victory....She got ready for

battle. She was picking up the weapons, when she saw another

man standing beside her who was examining the weapons.The man had turned his face away from her so she could notsee his face. However the man was very muscular and well-

built. Anjana realized that the man was a professional fightera king perhaps....and that he probably was called upon by the

people in the ashram to fight for them.

The man looked strong and from the scars in his body helooked like he had fought many times.

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As Anjana was about to talk to the man, the man turned and

Anjana gasped. The man had the face of a monkey...He carried

himself like a king and Anjana realized that he was probablythe king of monkeys here.

He came forward and spoke to her in a strong voice. 'I am

Kesari! I hear that you are also going to fight the demon here.That...' Kesari smiled, 'That is very brave of you...'

Anjana felt proud as she picked up her staff and practiced

with it, 'Well, you are also fighting, that makes you a very brave man....'

Kesari laughed, 'Well it is my duty. I am the King of themonkeys here and this ashrama comes within my territory. So

I have to give these people all the protection that I can give

them...'

Anjana was about tell him about Shiva and Parvati's dream,when they heard a loud roar. Anjana turned and saw a huge

demon rush towards the hermitage. His size was so big that

Anjana felt that even if he came inside the ashrama bymistake, he would trample the people and destroy the homes

of the people in the hermitage....

'We have to lead the demon away from the ashrama...' Kesarisaid as he picked up his weapon and charged at the demon.

Together the two of them along with some people from the

ashrama and a small monkey army fought with the demon.

Kesari fought the demon brilliantly, but unfortunately he was

not able to hurt the demon.... The demon was always able toturn and twist away or change his form, before Kesari could

actually hurt him.

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However Kesari persistently kept pushing the demon back andonce pierced the demon's shield. The demon roared as some

of his blood flowed down on the earth.

Anjana who was firing some arrows stopped and ran forward.She dipped the arrows in the blood of the demon and fired the

arrows. The demon wailed as the arrow pierced him. Kesarisaw this and immediately came forward and dipped his staff

in the blood and started fighting.

Whenever the staff or the arrow tipped in his own blood hit

the demon, the demon roared as his body started melting.

Soon Kesari dipped his whole staff and pierced the demonstraight in the heart. Sambasadan let out a loud roar and

slowly disappeared.

The people in the ashrama let out a loud cheer when they saw

that Sambasadan was no more. People carried Anjana andKesari on their shoulders and happily brought them to the

ashrama and dancing for hours together.

Sambasadan had been killing and injuring people very oftenand the forest had become a very dangerous place because of

him. However now it was all over...The festivities went on all

night and the people had a grand feast to celebrate the

victory....

While the festivities were going on, an old ascetic of the

ashrama came forward and asked to speak to Anjana

separately. The ascetic was looking at her with pride, but he

looked slightly uneasy as if he was going to ask a favour fromher. Anjana looked at the ascetic and waited for him to

continue. The ascetic cleared his throat and said softly,'Anjana, we have a custom....Generally when a person fights

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and wins a battle for us, we give a very precious gift to that person...Today both of you have won this battle for us...I was

wondering if....' Anjana looked at the ascetic wondering what

he was going to give her.

'Would you consider marrying Kesari?' The ascetic blurted

out as Anjana looked surprised. 'He is a brave man and youare a brave woman..You are the best gift for him and he is the

best gift for you....Would...?'Anjana looked at the ascetic

shyly as she did not say anything. Since she had seen Kesari

fight, she was filled with awe at how brave he was. He wasalso extremely intelligent...Anjana had wondered all day

whether Kesari would be interested in marrying her. But thenshe remembered that she had the face of a monkey...Though

he was also a monkey, Anjana did not think she was pretty

enough to attract him...

She cleared her throat and said softly, 'If Kesari is willing, I

am also....'

The ascetic was happiness personified, 'We have alreadyspoken to him. You see...he thinks you are very brave and

beautiful and he wanted to marry you. But he did not knowwhether you would be...'

Anjana laughed....

An auspicious day was chosen and Kesari and Anjana was beaming as they were married....

After their marriage, both Anjana and Kesari daily worshiped

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. They led a very happymarried life.

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Meanwhile in a faraway place called Ayodhya, KingDasaratha had no children of his own and was performing a

yagna for children. After Sage Rishyashringa performed the

Putrakameshti yagna for King Dasaratha, Lord Agni came before Dasaratha and gave him some pudding [payasam]

which was to be be shared between King Dasaratha's three

wives.

King Dasaratha gave the pudding to Kausalya and Kaikeyi.

However as Dasaratha was about to hand over the pudding to

Queen Sumithra, a bird snatched the payasam and flew awayfrom there. Both Kausalya and Kaikeyi immediately gave a

portion of their own pudding to Queen Sumithra, because ofwhich Queen Sumithra gave birth to twins – Lakshmana and

Shatrugana. Queen Kausalya gave birth to Ram, the hero of

Ramayana and Queen Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharat.

[The bird which stole the payasam also has a story. The bird

was actually an apsara –

Suvarchala. Suvarchala was veryimpulsive and often acted without thinking. Once because ofher impulsive behaviour, Lord Brahma got very angry with

her and cursed her that she would become a bird. Suvarchala promised Lord Brahma that she had repented her ways. Lord

Brahma said that his words could not be taken back and that

Suvarchala would have to go to earth and stay as a bird. Lord

Brahma however modified the curse and said that Suvarchalawas to be freed from her curse if she touched the pudding

given by Lord Agni to Dasaratha.]

Eager to have her curse lifted, Suvarchala snatched the

pudding from Queen Sumitra. Immediately she changed form

and became an apsara. The payasam fell from the bird's claws

and was falling to the ground when Vayu, the Wind Godfollowing the orders of Lord Shiva, blew the pudding softly

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without spilling it...Vayu blew the pudding straight towardsthe forests where Anjana and Kesari were staying

Anjana and Kesari had just finished her morning prayerswhen Anjana felt something brush her hands. It was the pudding! Anjana and Kesari looked surprised when they heard

a heavenly voice, 'Take this offering Anjana. It has the powerof the Wind God as he was the one who blew it you and the

essence of Lord Shiva inside it. You will have a healthy brave

boy, who will be the incarnation of Lord Shiva...Take the

pudding...'

Kesari looked with pride as Anjana swallowed the pudding.

Subsequently Anjana gave birth to one of the most powerful

heroes of Ramayana – Hanuman.

However Hanuman was originally called as Anjaneya [Son of

Anjana]. He was also called as Pavanputra, [which means sonof the Wnd God.He was called so because he had the essence

of the Wind God] Hanuman was also calledas Kesharinandan [which means 'son of Kesari']

Anjana was freed of her curse as she had given birth to an

incarnation of Shiva.

Vayu, whose essence was there in the young monkey boylooked after the boy as his own son...

But how Anjaneya got the name as 'Hanuman' is another

story!

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