Hanuman Jayanti. 06-04-2012.
Manojavam Maarutatulyavegam
Jitendriyam Buddhimataam Varistham,
Vaataatmajam Vaanarayoothmukhyam
Sriramdootam Saranam Prapadhye.
Hanuman worship teaches us of the unlimited
power that lies unused within each one of us. Hanuman directed all
his energies towards the worship of Lord Rama.
His undying devotion made him such that he became free from all physical
fatigue. Hanuman only desired to go on
serving Rama. Hanuman
perfectly exemplifies Dasya-bhava devotion — one of the nine types of devotion.
Such devotion creates bond with the master and the servant.
The story of the birth of Hanuman is that Brihaspati
had an attendant called Punjika-sthala, who was cursed to assume the form of a
female monkey — a curse that could only be nullified if she would give birth to
an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Reborn as Anjana, she performed intense
austerities to please Shiva, who finally granted her the boon that would cure
her of the curse.
When Agni, the god gave
Dasharath, the king of Ayodhya, a bowl of sacred dessert to share among his
wives so they may have divine children, an eagle snatched a part of the pudding
and dropped it where Anjana was meditating, , the Wind delivered the drop to
her outstretched hands. After she took the divine dessert, she gave birth to
Hanuman. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated as a monkey, and was born as Hanuman to Anjana,
by the Wind God, who thus became Hanuman's God-father.
The birth of Hanuman released Anjana from the
curse. Before she returned to heaven, Hanuman asked his mother about his life
ahead. She assured him that he would never die, and said that fruits as ripe as
the rising sun would be his food.
Mistaking the glowing sun as his food, the
divine baby leapt for it. Indra struck him with his thunderbolt and hurled him
down to earth. But Hanuman's Godfather, the Wind carried him to the Patala. As
he departed from the earth, all life panted for air, and Brahma had to beg him
to return. In order to appease him
they conferred boons and blessings on his foster child that made Hanuman
invincible, immortal and super powerful.
Hanuman selected Surya, the sun god as his
preceptor, and approached him with the request to teach the scriptures. Surya
agreed and Hanuman became his disciple, but had to face his constantly moving
guru by traversing the sky backwards at equal pace, while taking his lessons.
Hanuman's phenomenal concentration took him only 60 hours to master the
scriptures. Surya considered the manner in which Hanuman accomplished his
studies as his tuition fees, but when Hanuman requested him to accept something
more than that, the sun god asked Hanuman to assist his son Sugriva, by being
his minister and compatriot.
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