The hagiography of great people who transformed society and dictated new directions is always hazy. Several stories were built upon their lives as per their understanding of the meaning of the avatar of such personalities. The stories surrounding the birth of Lord Hanuman were not an exception. However, it had been pronounced in all the texts that Anjani and Kesari were parents of Lord Hanuman.
STORY OF ANJANI
One apsara named, Punjikastala because of the immense powers she possessed, was wandering in the skies. When she was roaming there, she saw a monkey in deep meditation. Since the monkey was sitting cross-legged, it looked funny to her. She made a mockery of him. Despite her mischievous deeds, the monkey could not be disturbed of his meditation.
She threw stones and fruits at him and suddenly the monkey came out of meditation and noticed the mischievous deeds of Punjikastala throwing stones at him. He cursed her to change her personality as a monkey as she was making fun of him.
When she prayed at her feet, the monkey blessed her that the curse would end as soon as she gave birth to a son who would be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. As per his advice, she made a small Shiva Linga and prayed the Lord.
Afterwards wandering in the forest in the form of a monkey she came to a place where she saw some saints. When they enquired about her whereabouts, she said her name was ‘Anjani’. While talking to her, the saints exclaimed how she could cross the forest without fear which was occupied by one demon called, Sambasadan.
They further told that the demon would be invading their ashram that day and they were very fearful of fighting him out. She said that she would demolish him. When she was preparing herself with bows and arrows to fight, she found a man beside her to fight with the demon. He was ‘Kesari’, a monkey King of the forest. Both killed the demon.
Kesari then married Anjani. They meditated for the blessings of Lord Shiva. Hanuma was born to them with the blessings of Lord Shiva.
Lord Hanuma on his birth relieved his mother of her vanararoopam (monkey personality). Thus lord Hanuma derived the names Kesarinandana (son of Kesari) and Anjaniputra (son of Anjani).
BIRTH OF HANUMA
There are several stories surrounding the birth of Hanuma. Hanuma is called Vayuputra (son of the Wind god). Bhavartha Ramayana gives an explanation. When Anjani was meditating about Lord Shiva, Dasaratha was performing putrakamestiyagna (yagna with a desire for child) at the same time in Ayodhya.
Blessed with his yagna, he received payasam (made of milk and rice). A kite snatched a part of payasam when being delivered to Dasaratha and dropped in where Anjani was meditating for Lord Shiva. Vayu carried the falling payasam and placed it in the hands of Anjani.
She gave birth to a child and named him as ‘Hanuma’. Hanuman Chalisa thus narrates Lord Hanuma as, “Anjaniputra pavanasuthanama”, “Sankara Suvana Kesari Nandana”.
MOTHERLY LOVE
Hanuma was very mischievous and had huge appetite. Anjani used to get up early in the morning and fetched him fruits to mitigate his hunger because she knows that he cannot wait longer for food. One day she was late in returning home. Hanuma got up and searched for food. When he could not get anything, he noticed Sun in the form of a round fruit on the east side. He flew to the skies and tried to catch hold of him.
Rahu was always in the look out to swallow Sun, but he found an opponent. He tried to overcome Hanuma. He drove away Rahu. Rahu having failed in his effort to grab, went to Indra and complained that small monkey snatched the Sun from him. Both came to the place and found Hanuma holding the Sun in his hand and was ready to eat as he felt it was red melon. Indra hurled Vajrayudha and it hit Hanuma at the chin.
Hanuma felt on the ground. Mother Anjani was agitated because of her love to him. Both Indra and Vayu appeared by them and blessed Hanuma with immense powers.
SENDING HANUMA TO LORD SUN
Having known the powers of his son, speed, mischief and knowledge, she sent him to Lord Sun to learn holy scriptures from him.
TEMPLES OF ANJANI MAATHA
Anjanimaatha was said to have done penance and gave birth to Hanuma in a place called AnjaniParvat, a village near Ahwa in Dang District. Earlier this place was part of Dandakaranya. Anjanimaatha is worshipped as a family deity in Himachal Pradesh and Salsar, Rajasthan.
There are two temples at both these places dedicated to her. The story behind the temple in Himachal Pradesh says that once mother (Anjani) visited this place and stayed there for a long time. One villager saw her, but mother told him not to reveal her identity to anyone.
But he informed all the villagers. Angered by his actions, his mother left the place but before leaving she made the village into a big stone. Scorpion is her vehicle (Vahanam). Thus any villager bitten by a scorpion in that area will visit the mother for a cure.
There is another temple of the mother in Haridwar. Anjani was a blessed mother as she had given to this universe a valiant, faithful and resonant son, Hanuma. In a mother’s love nothing matters, whether her child is beautiful or ugly, intelligent or laggard. She is the most accomplished creation of God on earth and she is the first teacher to the child.
Thus Manu Smirti says, “From the point of view of reverence due, a teacher is tenfold superior to a mere lecturer, a father a hundred to a teacher and mother a thousandfold to a father”.
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