Hanumanji Reveals His Original Fierce Form

On the seashore, close to Lanka, on this side, Jatayu’s brother Sampathi told Hanumanji and the other Vanaras that Seetha Matha was held in captivity in Lanka, Ravana’s capital. Then Sampathi flew away. Sampathi was a vulture.

The Vanaras started jumping and dancing in joy. 'We have successfully completed our task. We have found out where Matha is.'

Jambavan said – 'No, it is not over yet. When we get back to Rishyamookachala, the Lord and King Sugreeva are going to ask us. Did you see her? How is she? What is she doing? Is she all right? Do we have answers for all these? Our job will not be over unless we cross the sea and reach Lanka.'

The Vanaras became quiet.

Someone has to jump across the sea.

Angada asked, 'Who will do this?'

The Vanara called Gaja said, 'I can jump up to 10 yojanas.' Lanka was 100 yojanas away across the sea.

Gavaksha said, 'I can do twenty yojanas.'

Sharabha said, 'I can do a maximum of 30 yojanas.'

Rishabha said, 'I can do forty.'

Gandhamandana said, 'I can jump up to fifty yojanas.'

Mainda said, 'I can do sixty yojanas.'

Dwivida said, 'Seventy yojanas – that’s the maximum I can do.'

Sushena said – 'I can do eighty, but that is not sufficient.'

Jambavan said, 'When Bhagawan had taken Vamanavatara, I did seven parikramas of him in the sky at one stretch. Vamana was so huge, with three footsteps he had covered Bhumi, Patala and Swarga. But now I have grown old. I think I can do a maximum of 90 yojanas.'

Angada said, 'I can do 100 yojanas. But it is not just about jumping across the sea and reaching there. They are not waiting there to welcome me to Lanka. They are fierce Rakshasas. It is Ravana’s land. He would definitely remember what my father had done to him. He will not spare me if he finds me there. What can I do alone? I can guarantee that I will reach Lanka, but coming back, I am not so sure.'

Jambavan said – 'I won’t doubt your capability, but still, you are the one and only Yuvaraja of the entire Vanarakula. I won’t allow you to walk into the middle of enemies, alone.'

Jambavan was the chosen commander of the Vanaras. His permission was needed for Angada even to take that step.

Angada said – 'That means we are not going to do this. That means we have failed. Let me go back to my original proposal – to stop eating and die.'

Jambavan suddenly spoke up – 'This will be required only if there is not a single one among us who can accomplish this task. It is not so. There is someone among us who can do this.'

Everybody, including Hanumanji, were startled. Who could this be? Everybody has declared their capability. Who could this be?

Jambavan turned towards Hanumanji – 'Why are you sitting silently, Pavan Putra? Don’t you remember what Sugreeva told you when we started? You are capable of going anywhere – Swarga, Patala, Antariksha – anywhere. Your speed is unimaginable. Nobody has the power to stop you. This is just hundred yojanas – nothing for you. There is nothing in the three worlds that you cannot do. And even after reaching there – the Rakshasas, even Indrajit and Ravana – they are nothing in front of you.'

'Oh Rudra, Eleventh Rudra, this is your avataroddesha. You have to achieve Lord Rama’s task. This is what you have come here for, oh Rudra. You alone can achieve the Lord’s task.'

Why did Jambavan have to say this?

Don’t you remember, the Rishis had cursed Hanumanji when he was young? He used to trouble Rishis when he was a mischievous young boy. And they had given him a small curse that he would forget his power. Hanumanji had become really quiet after that. He forgot what Sugreeva told him also. He even forgot the blessings that the Lord had given him when they started.

But this was his wake-up call. This is how it was planned originally also.

Suddenly, all his memory came back. Hanumanji became so excited that his original form came to him.

Hanumanji rarely reveals the original form of his. Never has he done it in Ayodhya. In Lanka, he showed his original form to Seetha Matha once. Otherwise, it was only in the battleground.

Jambavan was huge – as huge as a mountain – but Jambavan could stand up, stretch his hand up, and barely touch Hanumanji’s shoulder. In the whole world, only Kumbhakarna was equal to him in height – only in height, not in power.

All the powerful Vanaras like Sushena, Dwivida – they reached up to the knees on Hanumanji in height. They were all looking up, amazed, shocked, to see this colossal original form of Hanumanji, all of a sudden. They never thought that this could be. He used to always keep a low profile – never showing off.

Even Angada was taken by surprise.

After Hanumanji returned from Lanka, Angada went near him and said, 'Pardon me if I have offended you ever in the past or neglected you. I never knew who you really are. I remember, whenever my father was about to send somebody to kill Sugreeva at Rishyamukachala, he would think something and then decide not to. He must have been thinking about this frightening form of yours, which he must have known. I thought of you as a friend – equal to me. I have said something to you – pardon me.'

Hanumanji embraced Angada and said, 'No, no, nothing, never.'

When Jambavan gave that wake-up call, in fact, Hanumanji could not control himself. He knew that he was Rudra – all-powerful. Samhara Murthy Rudra.

He roared – 'I am going to finish all the Rakshasas in all the worlds, and also the sons of Danu and sons of Diti – the Danavas and Daityas who are aiding Rakshasa. I am going to wipe out their entire clans, and also anyone who dares to side with them. You don’t know my power. I can pulverize every mountain. I can drink up all the oceans. I can tear this Earth into two.'

Jambavan pacified him – 'Hanuman, no, no, you can’t be doing that. Daitya Raja Bali is under Vamana’s protection – the Lord’s protection. He has to become the next Indra. Danava chief, Maya, is a Parama Shiva bhakta. Don’t talk about eliminating their vamshas.'

Hanumanji said, 'Then I will finish Ravana and his clan. Or should I pluck Lanka out and take it to Rishyamukachala along with Seetha Matha? Or do you want me to tie a rope to Ravana’s neck and drag him all the way to the Lord’s feet?'

Jambavan said, 'No, no. What did the Lord ask you to do? Just find out where Seetha Matha is. Do that only. The rest, leave it to Him. Now I would request you to retract this fierce form of yours. Let the Lord destroy Ravana. We are all His servants. When He does that, His keerti would increase manifold, which is what we should strive for.'

Hanumanji agreed and said, 'You tell me what I should do. I will accomplish that.'

'You have to go to Lanka, find out the whereabouts of Seetha Matha, and report to the Lord – that’s all. But in the meantime, if you are attacked, you have the right of self-defence. Then you know what to do.'

Thus, Hanumanji became ready to jump over to Lanka across the sea.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi