Lord Hanumana facts

Do you know that despite being a brahmachari, Lord Hanumana had a son?

Lord Hanumana is famous for his devotion towards Lord Rama. He helped him tremendously in getting back Sita from the clutches of Ravana, the demon king. His famous exploit was burning the Lanka city. Here are few more facts about him, which are not famous but interesting.

He was born to Anjana and father Kesari.He is also called the son of the deity Vayu (Wind god, himself the son of Vishnu) because of legends associated with Vayu’s role in Hanuman’s birth

Birth of Lord Hanumana

There is an interesting story of birth of Lord Hanumana. Vrihaspati had an attendant called Punjikasthala, 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.

How he became a companion of Sugriva

Hanumana selected Surya, the sun god as his preceptor, and approached him with the request to teach the scriptures. Surya agreed and Hanumana became his disciple, but had to face his constantly moving guru by traversing the sky backwards at equal pace, while taking his lessons. Hanumana’s phenomenal concentration took him only 60 hours to master the scriptures. Surya considered the manner in which Hanumana accomplished his studies as his tuition fees, but when Hanuman requested him to accept something more than that, the sun god asked Hanumana to assist his son Sugriva, by being his minister and compatriot.

Why Lord Hanumana is covered with sindoor

After the exile was over and Shri Ram, Sita Mata were back in Ayodya. On day Lord Hanumana saw Sita Mata wearing sindoor and asked with curiosity about the same. Sita Mata replied, because I’m married to Shri Ram & because he is my master, as per rituals I have to wear it. Sita Mata replied, wearing Sindoor will result good for my husband & will also bless my master with long life.

A second later, Lord Hanumana besmeared sindoor in all his body. With this gesture of Shri Hanuman, Shri Ram was very impressed & gave a blessing to Shri Hanuman, that any one who will offer Sindoor to Shri Hanuman, all his hurdles will get removed automatically.

Lord Hanumana had  a son

Though Lord Hanumana was never married, he had a son. When Hanuman took a dip in the waters of sea, after burning whole of Lanka with the fire burning on his tail, a drop of his perspiration fell in to mouth of a mighty fish. Out of this the Makardhwaja was born.

He defeated his son to save Rama and Lakshmana

According to Ramayana told by Valmiki, when Ahiravana took Rama and Lakshmana to Patala, Hanuman followed them to their rescue. He was challenged at the gate of Patala by a creature, who was part Vanara and part reptile – a Makara. He introduced himself Makaradhwaja and son of Hanuman, the mighty warrior.

Hanuman was amused and said that, I am myself the Hanumana but he could not be his son, as he was celibate since birth. However, Hanumana then closed his eyes in dhyan to see the events described above of Makardhwaja’s birth.

Makardhwaja asked him for his blessings, however, he said to Hanuman, that he will have to fight him to enter Patala, as he cannot betray Ahiravana, his mentor. Hanuman defeats Makaradhwaja in a duel and binds him to proceed further to ultimately kill Ahiravana and rescue Rama & Lakshamana.

Later on, upon Rama’s advice he installed Makardhwaja, as King of Patala before returning to Lanka, to continue war with Ravana.

Rama and Sita in his heart

Shortly after Rama is crowned emperor upon his return to Ayodhya, Rama decides to ceremoniously reward all his well-wishers. At a grand ceremony in his court, all his friends and allies take turns being honoured at the throne. Hanuman approaches without desiring a reward. Seeing Hanuman come up to him, an emotionally overwhelmed Rama embraces him warmly, declaring that he could never adequately honour or repay Hanuman for the help and services he received from the noble Vanara. Sita, however, insists that Hanuman deserved honour more than anyone else, and Sita gives him a necklace of precious stones adorning her neck.

When he receives it, Hanuman immediately takes it apart, and peers into each stone. Taken aback, many of those present demand to know why he is destroying the precious gift. Hanuman answers that he was looking into the stones to make sure that Rama and Sita are in them, because if they are not, the necklace is of no value to him.

At this, a few mock Hanuman, saying his reverence and love for Rama and Sita could not possibly be as deep as he implies. In response, Hanuman tears his chest open, and everyone is stunned to see Rama and Sita literally in his heart.

How Rama left this world when Hanumana was guarding him

As Hanumana had boons from various gods and it was not possible for Rama to leave this world in presence of him, following has happened.

One day when King Rama was sitting on his throne, his ring fell off. When it touched the earth, it made a hole in the ground and disappeared into it. It was gone. He friend Hanuman was nearby. Rama said, Look, my ring is lost.” Dear friend, “Help me find it please.”

Hanumana was a powerful Vanara, a monkey-god, with the power to change shape and size and enter any hole, no matter how tiny. He had the power to become the smallest of the small and larger than the largest thing. So he took on a tiny form and went down the hole.

Hanuman reached underworld looking for the lost ring. When he was finally taken to the King of Spirits, he kept repeating the name of Rama. The King of Spirits asked, “Who are you?”
“Hanuman.”
“Why have you come here?”
“Rama’s ring fell into a hole, and I came to fetch it.”
The king looked around and found a platter, which he held up for Hanuman to see. On it were thousands of rings. All of them were Rama’s rings. The King of Spirits set it down and said, “pick out your ring and take it.”

They were all exactly the same. “I don’t know which one it is,” said Hanuman.

The King of Spirits said, “There have been as many Ramas as there are rings on this platter. When you return to earth, you will not find Rama. This incarnation of Rama is now over. Whenever an incarnation of Rama is about to be over, his ring falls down. I collect them and keep them. Now you can go.”