Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Hanuman included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of Ჹū
A monkey born of the elements and aspects of Devas. In the epics of no other country could be found a character that belongs to the animal kingdom who is as powerful, erudite and philosophic as Ჹū.
Birth.
Many and different are the stories about the birth of Ჹū told in Purāṇic literature, and they are briefly noted below.
(1) The semen discharged by Ś, whose erotic feelings were excited by the sight of վṣṇ disguised as Ѵdzī was received by the ٲṣi and deposited in the womb of ñᲹ, and Ჹū was born out of it. (Ś Purāṇa, Śatarudrasaṃhitā).
(2) ٲśٳ divided among his wives the divine ⲹ (pudding) got from the putrakāmeṣṭi ⲹñ which was performed so that he might be blessed with children. Somehow or other a kite snatched some pudding and flew off with it. On its way the pudding fell down from the beaks of the kite on the fingers of ñᲹ doing tapas in the forest. She ate that pudding and Ჹū was born as the son of ñᲹ due to the extraordinary powers of the pudding. (ĀԲԻ岹 峾ⲹṇa).
(3) Ś, once in his fierce and effulgent form (aspect) entered ī, the husband of ñᲹ and had coitus with her. After that (Wind-god) also had coitus with her. Thus as a result of the sexual act by both the Devas ñᲹ got pregnant. Later, ñᲹ was about to throw into the valley of the mountain her new-born child as it was an ugly one when (Wind god) intervened and saved the child. Ჹū was the child thus born of Ś and . (Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva).
(4) Hanūṃān’s actual father was Ś. Ҳṇa貹پ was born to Ś and ī as they played in the forest disguised as elephants. After that Ś and ī played about in the forest disguised as monkeys as a result of which ī got pregnant. Since ī did not like the idea of being the mother of a monkey, Ś, by his yogic power entrusted the child, (in embryo) that was in the womb of ī to (Wind god), who carried it with him hither and thither till it became mature, when it was deposited in ñᲹ, the monkey woman. The monkey called ī was her husband. Thus Ჹū was born as the son of ñᲹ.
ñᲹ also has a story of her own. Once upon a time she was the maid-servant called Puñjikasthalā of ṛh貹پ. One day she went out to gather flowers when the love-makings of other young women attracted her so much that, without gathering flowers, and her erotic sentiments being aroused much, she returned home and covered ṛh貹پ with kisses. ṛh貹پ got really angry with the misbehaviour of his maid-servant and cursed her into a female monkey. She was told that, after she had lived for sometime with a monkeyhusband she would get a child from the vitality of Ś, after which she would return to him as maid servant as of old. And, accordingly, Puñjikasthalā became a female monkey under the name ñᲹ and lived at ñᲹ forest with a handsome monkey called ī as her husband.
It was while ñᲹ was doing tapas so that she might become pregnant by Ś that Ś and ī played in that forest disguised as monkeys, and ī conceived and the child ultimately came out as the son of ñᲹ.
Even while ñᲹ was pregnant the child in her womb had much to suffer at the hands of . Hearing from 岹 that Ś’s son had been born in ñᲹ’s womb feared that the actual birth of such a son would jeopardise his lordship over the monkeys. To ward off the threatened contingency, , as advised by 岹, let in the five metals (gold, copper, iron, tin and zinc) in watery form into the stomach of ñᲹ. (This is a means of causing abortion). But, the attempt misfired. Instead of the five metals killing the child in ñᲹ’s womb, they became ear-ornaments for it, and Ჹū was thus born with ornaments in his ears. (Kaṃba 峾ⲹṇa Pūrvakāṇḍa).
Naming and boons.
As soon as Ჹū was born ñᲹ was released from the curse, and she wanted to return to heaven. The monkey child asked its mother what its future would be and how it was to earn its living. She assured him that he would never be destroyed and that fruits as ripe as the rising sun (she pointed the sun out to him) would form his food. And, ñᲹ returned to heaven. Thinking that the glowing and glittering Sun was food for him to be eaten, the monkey child made just one jump at it (Sun) and quite neared it. But seeing , bigger than the Sun he jumped at it. Then it was that it saw 屹ٲ and it tried to eat it. And, seeing this attempt of the monkey-child, Indra used his ܻ (Thunderbolt) against it. The weapon hit its chin and wounded it, and in precarious condition it fell down on earth. (Wind god) who saw his child falling down wounded carried it off to .
When (air) quitted the earth everything thereon came to a dead-stop. Living things were on the verge of death due to suffocation. And, then and others went to , comforted and congratulated the monkey child. On the basis of Indra’s vajra having made a scar on its hanu (jaw-bone or chin) the monkey child was named Ჹū by the Devas, who, one by one blessed him as follows:�
Brahmadeva; May you live long, so long as exists.
Ѳ屹ṣṇ: May you live all your life as the greatest devotee of God.
Indra: No weapon of any kind will wound or hit your body.
Agni: Fire will never affect you.
: May not death ever court you.
All the Devas: None will ever equal you in strength and speed. blessed Ჹū again giving him more physical power than Ҳḍa and blessed him to have more speed than himself. (air). (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Canto 15; Uttararāmāyaṇa; Kambarāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa; Adbhutarāmāyaṇa).
Education.
Being born of Ś and on account of the Śśakti in him, Ჹū reached boyhood immediately. To learn the four Vedas and the six śٰ he chose ūⲹ mentally as his preceptor, and approached him with the request to be taught the Vedas etc. ūⲹ agreed to have Ჹū as his disciple subject to the condition that the latter would not be permitted to sit with the ⲹ in his (ūⲹ's) chariot and study. Ჹū agreed to the condition to learn from ūⲹ walking in front of him. With book opened in his hand and concentrating all his attention on the face of ūⲹ Ჹū traversed the sky and within a short period of sixty hours he mastered all the Vedas and the śٰ thoroughly well. Though ūⲹ said that he would consider the great interest Ჹū took in his studies as 岹ṣiṇ� (tuition fee) Ჹū wanted ūⲹ to accept something more by way of 岹ṣiṇ�, and ūⲹ said as follows:�"If you are so very particular about offering me something more as 岹ṣiṇ� I shall tell you. My son ܲī is living on earth with and he is not as strong and powerful as . You be of help to ܲī as his minister and constant companion."
Happy at ūⲹ’s words Ჹū returned to the forest and lived as ܲī’s minister for the rest of his life.
Śrī 峾’s servant.
From the day he met Śrī 峾 after the abduction of ī by 屹ṇa till 峾’s death his story is inextricably connected with that of 峾. (See under 峾).
His music.
Once in a musical competition Ჹū defeated 岹. (Adbhutarāmāyaṇa; also see Para 8 under 岹).
Śliṅga at 峾ś.
There is a story in the Yuddhakāṇḍa of 峾ⲹṇa connecting Ჹū with the Śliṅga installed in the temple at 峾ś. (See under 峾ś).
Lost his divine power.
Once due to a curse of sage ṛṇԻ Ჹū lost his great strength and vitality. But, he would regain the lost power when one reminded him of it. During the search for ī ᲹԳܳ felt it difficult to jump across the southern sea to ṅk due to the above curse. But, when 峾 described to him about his noble origin and powers Ჹū regained his lost power and vitality, and successfully jumped across the sea to ṅk. (See ṛṇԻ II, Para 2).
A fort made of tail.
He made a fort of his tail and saved 峾 and ṣmṇa within it. (See rāmāyaṇa).
Ჹū and Sahasramukha 屹ṇa.
(See Sahasramukha 屹ṇa).
Ჹū and ŚٰܲԲ.
ŚٰܲԲ, who conducted the horse in connection with the ś performed by Śrī 峾 after his return from exile in the forest, fell down unconscious in his fight with King Vīramaṇi, and then Ჹū brought a herbal medicine called 'ٰṇa' from the ᾱⲹ and with its aid brought back ŚٰܲԲ to consciousness. (Padma Purāṇa, ṇḍ, Chapter 44).
Taken captive by ś and Lava.
The Yajñāśva (sacrificial horse) of the ś ⲹñ of Śrī 峾 led by a contingent of 峾’s army was resting in a tent put up near the hermitage of Gautama when ś and Lava together captured the horse. Ჹū, who rushed over to the spot on receiving intimation of the news was bound hand and foot with creepers by ś and Lava and dragged to the hermitage. ī, was then in the hermitage brooding over the past, and the repetition of the word '峾' by the humiliated Ჹū awoke her from her reverie. She was taken aback to see Ჹū there in that plight and got him released from captivity by her sons. (Kamba 峾ⲹṇa, Uttarakāṇḍa).
Old age.
Having witnessed Rāmāvatāra (incarnation of 峾) to its very end, Ჹū, who had by now become quite old, spent his days guarding the 岹ī forest. ī, who happened to go there to collect Saugandhika flowers got defeated in fight by Ჹū. (See ī, Para 7).
Arjuna’s flag-Symbol
(See under Arjuna 17B).
Idols of Ჹū.
When an idol of Ჹū is installed in a temple, he must be represented as holding Vajra in one hand and his feet must seem to tear the ground under them. (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 51).