Hanuman received the boon of strength from the gods, which made his valor extraordinary and unparalleled since childhood. His birth was blessed by the gifts of the Wind God, Indra, Kubera, and Yamaraj, among other gods. Hanuman, the son of the Wind, is considered an unparalleled symbol of courage and devotion. Let's learn about his 10 main feats.
Hanuman is omnipotent and omniscient. Without Hanuman, there would be no Ramayana or Lord Rama. In the battle between Ram and Ravan, Hanuman was the only invincible warrior who could not be harmed in any way. Although there are countless stories of Hanuman's valor, service, compassion, and humility, we have described some popular and selected ones here. Hanuman was born on the full moon day of the Chaitra month. There is no certainty about Hanuman's birthplace. The tribals of Madhya Pradesh believe that Hanuman was born in the Anjan village of the Gumla district of Ranchi. The people of Karnataka believe that Hanuman was born in Karnataka. The remnants of Kishkindha's destruction can still be seen in Pampa and Hampi in Karnataka.
There are different beliefs about how Hanuman was born. One tradition says that when Maruti saw Anjani in the forest, he was enchanted by her. He approached Anjani and she became pregnant. Another tradition says that the Wind entered Anjani's body through her ears, and she became pregnant. According to another story, King Dasharatha took a portion of the sacred offering from the Putreshthi Yajna that was distributed among his queens and dropped it in the place where Anjani was meditating for a child. After consuming the offering, Anjani became pregnant and gave birth to Hanuman.
Another story says that King Kesari and his wife Anjana lived on Mount Sumeru. As Anjana had no children, she performed penance for years for a son. Pleased with her severe penance, Lord Shiva granted her a boon, saying that she would have a son who would possess all the qualities of the Wind God. Shiva gave her a mantra to chant, and she would have a son as a blessing from the Wind God.
When Hanuman swallowed the sun
Mother Anjana had put Hanuman to sleep in a hut and had gone outside. When Hanuman woke up after a while, he felt very hungry. As he looked up, he saw the shining Sun in the sky. Hanuman thought it was a ripe, sweet fruit. He started flying towards it to pluck it. Seeing this, Pawan Dev increased the speed of the winds to help Hanuman. When Hanuman reached near the Sun and grabbed it, it was the day of the solar eclipse. Rahu had come to swallow the Sun. Hanuman thought Rahu was also a dark fruit and he grabbed it too. Rahu, fearing for his life, fled to Indra. He complained to Indra about Hanuman, saying that someone else swallowed him when he went to swallow the Sun. Indra was puzzled too. When Hanuman saw Indra on Airavata, he thought he was a white fruit. Now, Hanuman left Rahu and jumped towards Indra. In his haste, Indra struck Hanuman with his thunderbolt. Hanuman fell on a mountain, breaking his left cheek. Seeing Hanuman's condition, Pawan Dev became angry. He stopped his movement instantly. No creature could breathe, and everyone began to suffer. In this situation, Brahma and Vayu went to Lord Shiva. They found Hanuman unconscious and carried him in their laps, sitting sad. When Brahma revived Hanuman, Pawan Dev, pleased, resumed the movement of air in the world. Then Brahma gave a boon that no weapon could harm Hanuman's body. Varuna said that his waters and rain would always protect the child. Yama blessed him with immortality and good health. The Yaksharaj Kubera, Vishwakarma, and other gods also gave Hanuman invincible boons. Indra said that his body would be as strong as the thunderbolt, and his thunderbolt would have no effect on him. Since his left cheek (hanu) was broken by the thunderbolt, he would be called Hanuman from then on.
First encounter with Angad and crossing the ocean!
Hanuman was first tasked with sending Bali's son Angad to Lanka by leaping over the ocean. Angad agreed to go but said he couldn't promise to come back. Jamvant reminded Hanuman of his powers, and Hanuman, realizing his strength, crossed the ocean in two leaps.
Encounter with Surasa
While crossing the ocean, Hanuman encountered Surasa, a serpent deity who took the form of a demoness. Surasa stopped Hanuman and asked him to enter her mouth. When persuasion didn't work, Hanuman said, 'Alright, go ahead and eat me.' As Surasa opened her mouth to swallow him, Hanuman started growing in size. As Surasa increased the size of her mouth, Hanuman also grew in size. But suddenly, Hanuman reduced his size significantly and entered Surasa's mouth, quickly coming out. Surasa, impressed by Hanuman's wit, blessed him and wished him success.
Killing of the demoness Maya!
In the ocean, there was a demoness who would use her illusions to catch flying birds. Whenever a creature flew in the sky, seeing its shadow in the water, she would swallow it with her magic. Hanuman learned about her deception and killed her.
"Sita Mata's Grief Relief, Devastation of Ashok Vatika, Killing of Akshay Kumar, Battle with Meghnath, Burning of Lanka, Informing Ram about Sita, Vibhishan Coming to Ram, Protection of Lakshman's Life.
Upon entering Lanka, they encountered Lanka's guards, including Lankini and other demons, whom they defeated. They proceeded ahead in search of Sita Mata. They even entered Ravan's palace where he was asleep. Continuing their search, they reached Ashok Vatika. Hanumanji met Sita Mata in Ashok Vatika and comforted her by presenting Ram's ring, relieving her sorrow. When Mata Sita's grief was alleviated, she said, 'O son! You are ageless, immortal, and a treasure trove of virtues. May Lord Raghunath shower His grace upon you.' Hearing the plea for grace, Hanumanji was filled with immense love. Then Sita ji said, 'O son, go and inform Ram about me. But before that, have some sweet fruits.'
Devastation of Ashok Vatika!
Upon receiving Sita Mata's command, Hanumanji entered the garden and started eating fruits. He consumed many fruits from Ashok Vatika and began to break trees. There were many demon guards there. He killed some and others, having saved their lives, went to Ravan and informed him about the mischievous monkey.
Killing of Akshay Kumar
Ravan then sent his son Akshay Kumar, accompanied by numerous mighty warriors, to kill Hanumanji. When they arrived, Hanumanji took a tree in his hand and roared loudly, killing Akshay Kumar and all others with great strength.
Battle with Meghnath
After Akshay's demise, Ravan, enraged, sent his powerful son Meghnath. He instructed Meghnath not to kill the intruder but to capture him alive and find out where he came from. When Meghnath saw Hanumanji, he realized he was no ordinary monkey. He used the Brahmastra, causing Hanumanji to ponder that if he didn't acknowledge the Brahmastra, his immense power would diminish. Hanumanji, overwhelmed by the Brahmashira, fell unconscious from the tree. Seeing Hanumanji unconscious, Meghnath tied him with Nagapasha and brought him to Ravan's court. Bound, Hanumanji observed Ravan's assembly and then created a seat for himself using his own tail and sat on it. Angry, Ravan asked, 'By what offense did you kill the demons? Don't you know about my power and glory?' Hanumanji then described Ram's glory and acknowledged his mistake, teaching Ravan the lesson of surrendering to Ram.
Burning of Lanka
Enraged by hearing Ram's glory, Ravan declared that the tail on which Hanumanji sat should be set on fire. When this monkey without a tail goes back to his lord, even the lord won't dare to come here. Seeing his tail burning, Hanumanji instantly reduced his size. Free from the bindings, he jumped onto golden rooftops. Then he assumed his colossal form and started burning Ravan's palace while laughing loudly. The people of Lanka were terrified. As they watched, Lanka began to burn, and the residents were overcome with fear. Hanumanji burned the entire city in a moment. He then leaped into the sea.
Informing Ram about Sita
After extinguishing the fire, Hanumanji assumed a small form again and approached Sita ji with folded hands. He took her Chudamani as a token and leaped over the ocean to reach this side. He made joyful sounds to alert the monkeys. Hanumanji appeared before Ram and said, 'O Lord, while leaving, she (Mata Sita) gave me this Chudamani.' Lord Raghunath embraced him with affection. Hanumanji then said, 'O Lord, she filled her eyes with tears and spoke some words to me.' And Hanumanji narrated the tale of Sita's separation, bringing tears to Ram's eyes.
Vibhishan Coming to Ram
As Hanumanji searched for Sita Mata, he reached Vibhishan's palace. Upon seeing Ram's emblem on Vibhishan's palace, he was pleased. There, he met Vibhishan. They had a long conversation, and after that, when preparations were being made for Ram's assault on Lanka, there was a dispute between Vibhishan and Ravan. Eventually, eager to meet Ram, Vibhishan left the palace and came to this side of the ocean in haste. When the monkeys saw Vibhishan coming, they wondered if he was a special envoy of the enemy. No one trusted Vibhishan. In this situation, Hanumanji reassured everyone, and Ram also said that fear of the surrendered should be dispelled. It was through Hanumanji's efforts that the meeting of Ram and Vibhishan was ensured.
Protection of Lakshman's Life
During the Ram-Ravan battle, when Ravan's son Meghnath used the Shaktibana, many vanaras, including Lakshman, fell unconscious. Upon Jambavan's advice, Hanumanji went to Dronachal Mountain to get the Sanjeevani herb. When he couldn't identify the herb, he lifted a part of the mountain and started returning. On the way, he was intercepted by Kalanemi Rakshasa, a servant of Ravan. Kalanemi Rakshasa was Ravan's follower. He had gone to block Hanumanji's path as per Ravan's instructions. But being a devotee of Ram, Hanumanji saw through his deception and immediately killed him.
Killing of Ahiravan
Ahiravan was Ravana's friend. He lived in the netherworld. Upon Ravana's command, he entered Lord Rama's war camp and kidnapped both Rama and Lakshmana. Taking them to the netherworld, he imprisoned them there. Their abduction left the Vanara army fearful and grief-stricken, but Vibhishana revealed to Hanuman the secret of who could abduct them. Hanuman then went to Patala Puri to rescue Rama and Lakshmana from captivity. There, he saw a boy resembling himself guarding them. His name was Makardhwaja, who was Hanuman's own son. For more information about Makardhwaja, click here... Hanuman killed Ahiravan, freeing Lord Sri Rama and Lakshmana, and appointed Makardhwaja as the ruler of the netherworld, inspiring him to follow the path of righteousness. He then carried Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders and returned to the war camp.
Breaking the Pride of Satyabhama, Garuda, and Sudarshan
Lord Sri Krishna is considered an incarnation of Vishnu. Vishnu also took the form of Rama, and Sri Krishna is also considered a form of Vishnu. Sri Krishna had 8 wives - Rukmini, Jambavanti, Satyabhama, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Satya, Bhadra, and Lakshmana. Among them, Satyabhama was proud of her beauty and queenly status, while Sudarshan Chakra considered himself the most powerful, and Vishnu's mount Garuda also had pride in his swift flying abilities.
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