Stories Of Hanuman From Ramayan

Shri Hanuman, a divine vanar and beloved devotee of Lord Ram, is considered the son of Kesari and Anjana. Through the blessings of the wind god Vayu, Anjana gave birth to Hanuman. Which is why Hanuman is also known as Pavanputra, meaning the son of the wind and is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. In the epic Ramayana, there are numerous examples of Hanuman's greatness, devotion and love, some of which we will explore today. After the war in Lanka, Shri Ram expressed a desire to pray to Lord Shiva to absolve himself from the sin of Brahma Hadya. After the killing of Ravan, who was although a Rakshasa from his mother's side but also a Brahmin from his father's side, he asked Hanuman to go to Kashi and bring a Swayambhu Linga from there. Swayambhu Linga are the lingams that manifest on their own and are not made by man. When Hanuman reached Kashi, he was confused by the countless Shiva Lingas present. Seeking help, Hanuman prayed to Lord Vishnu, who sent his vehicle Garuda. Garuda circled around a specific Linga repeatedly and a lizard also signaled, confirming it as the Swayambhu Linga. Hanuman then peeped at the Linga and began his journey back to Ram. At that time, Lord Bhairava, an incarnation of Lord Shiva and the protector of Kashi, noticed Hanuman flying out of Kashi with the Linga. Bhairava confronted Hanuman at the boundary of Kashi, questioning him for taking the Swayambhu Linga without permission. Hanuman replied that he was following Lord Ram's orders and did not require anyone's permission. A fierce battle ensued between Bhairava and Hanuman, but neither could claim victory. The gods intervened, requesting Bhairava to allow Hanuman to proceed as Lord Ram's prayer to Shiva was of great importance. Bhairava agreed on two conditions that Garuda and the lizard who helped Hanuman should be punished. Since then, Garuda avoids flying within 45 miles of Kashi, and lizards in Kashi are considered foolish. During Sri Ram's Ashwamedha Yajna, the sacrificial horse wandered into a city named Devapur, where it was captured by Rukma, the son of King Virmani, a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Shatrughna, learning of this, attacked Devapur and a fierce battle broke out. Hanuman joined the fight, defeating King Virmani's army. Virmani was wounded by Pushkal, Shatrughna's son, causing his army to flee. Lord Shiva, fulfilling his promise to protect Virmani, joined the battle, sending Virbhadra to fight Pushkal and Nandi to fight Hanuman. The battle between Virbhadra and Pushkal lasted five days, ending with Virbhadra killing Pushkal. Enraged, Shatrughna fought Shiva for eleven days, but he eventually lost consciousness. Seeing this, Hanuman stepped into the battle. He questioned why Shiva, a devotee of Lord Ram, was fighting against him. Shiva explained that he had promised to protect King Virmani's kingdom and was bound to keep his word. After a long argument, a fierce battle between Hanuman and Shiva began. Impressed by Hanuman's bravery, Shiva offered him a boon. Hanuman requested that Shiva protect Pushkal's and Shatrughna's bodies while he fetched Sanjeevani, a life-restoring herb. Shiva granted this boon. Hanuman revived Pushkal and healed Shatrughna. Once again, Shatrughna fought Shiva but could not win. On Hanuman's advice, Shatrughna prayed to Lord Ram, who appeared on the battlefield. Lord Shiva then took refuge in Ram and advised King Virmani to do the same. Virmani returned the sacrificial horse and handed over his kingdom to Ram, ending the battle. There is an interesting story behind the offering of betel leaves to Hanuman. Once, while in a betel leaf garden, Hanuman bowed at Goddess Sita's feet for her blessings. In response, she broke off some betel leaves and showered them on him, making betel leaves steer to Hanuman ever since. The story of butter being offered to Hanuman is related to the war between Ram and Ravan. Hanuman carried Ram on his shoulders during the battle and Ram had no chariot. Ravan, realizing that he couldn't defeat Ram directly, started targeting Hanuman instead. Hanuman was severely injured but Ram, filled with anger, fiercely fought Ravan and drove him from the battlefield. Later, despite Hanuman's protests, Ram lovingly applied cold butter to Hanuman's wound, showing the deep bond between them. In another tale, the sage Vishwamitra felt insulted by Hanuman, who only recognized Shri Ram and not the sage. Vishwamitra complained to Ram, who, bound by his guru's word, decided to punish Hanuman. However, when Ram attempted to shoot arrows at him, Hanuman began chanting Ram's name with deep devotion. Ram's arrows could not touch Hanuman and Vishwamitra was amazed. Ram explained that devotion is greater than even God and the power of a devotee's love can protect them from anything. After the victory of Ram over Ravan, Hanuman went to the Himalayas to continue his worship of the Lord. There, he scripted a version of the Ramayana on the Himalayan mountains using his nails, recording every detail of Ram's deeds. When Maharshi Valmiki visited him to show him his own version of the Ramayana, he also saw Lord Hanuman's version and became very disappointed. When Hanuman asked him the cause of his sorrow, he said that his version, which he had created very laboriously, was no match for the splendor of Hanuman's and would therefore go ignored. At this, Hanuman took those rocks on one shoulder and Valmiki on the other and went to the sea. There, he threw his own version into the sea as an offering to Ram. This version, called the Hanumadramayan, has been unavailable since then. Maharshi Valmiki was also taken aback by the selflessness of Hanuman that he said that he would take another birth to sing the glory of Hanuman, which he had understated in his version. It is said that Saint Tulasidas, who composed the Ramcharitmanas, was none other than Maharshi Valmiki, reborn to fulfil his desire. God's power stems from the devotion of his devotees, just as the devotees' strength comes from the faith in God. According to a prophecy, Hanuman will appear before the arrival of Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu, and guide Kalki to follow the path of righteousness. At Kalki's time, Hanuman will return to help and serve, symbolizing the continuity of devotion and divine support. As a protector and motivator, Hanuman will play an essential role in helping Kalki uphold dharma.