Mystery behind the Birth of Hanumanji

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Mystery behind the Birth of Hanumanji

Lord Hanuman is none other than Rudra.
He is the eleventh Rudra:

शिलादतनयो नन्दी शिवस्यानुचरः प्रियः
यो वै चैकादशो रुद्रो हनूमान् स महाऋषिः
अवतीर्णः सहायार्थं विष्णोरमिततेजसः

The eleventh Rudra is Nadikeshwara, who took avatara as Hanuman. Why? Vihshnoh sahayartham—to help Shri Hari, Mahavishnu. Shankara and Shri Hari are very close to each other. Whenever Shri Hari takes avatara, Shankara also takes avatara to help him eliminate evil. Lord Hanuman is one such avatara.

In the earlier birth itself, Nandikeshwara paved the way for this. Once, he was sitting on the peak of Kailasa Parvata, meditating. Ravana came on the Pushpaka Vimana and mocked Nandikeshwara's form, saying, 'See who is doing tapas here!' At that time, Nandikeshwara declared, 'I am going to take avatara as a vanara and devastate your Lankapuri.'

When such great births happen, many events connect to them. Dasharatha was performing Putra Kameshti Yagna. Lord Agni emerged from the Yagna Kunda and gave a vessel of payasam to be consumed by the queens. Kausalya was to take half of it, and the remaining half was divided between Kaikeyi and Sumitra.

As Sumitra was about to take the payasam, a crow appeared and snatched it. That crow was Suvarchala, an apsara cursed by Brahma. Brahma had told her, 'The moment you come in contact with the payasa from the Putra Kameshti Yagna, you will regain your original form.' That is why the crow snatched the payasam from Sumitra's hand.

Anjana Devi observed tapas to beget a child. Lord Shankara appeared before her and said, 'I will come into your womb as Neelalohita Rudra, my eleventh form. Vayudeva will also give you prasada. Take it with faith, and your son will emerge even greater and stronger.'

Anjana Devi was an apsara in Indra's court. Once, she taunted Indra about his appearance, saying his body was ugly because of his thousand eyes. Indra cursed her, saying, 'You are arrogant about your beauty; you will be born with the face of a monkey.' Her friend Adrika, another apsara, made fun of Indra by imitating a cat's sound. Indra cursed her too, saying she would be born with the face of a cat.

They both were born as daughters of Vanara King Kunja and later married Kesari, another Vanara king. Once, Sage Agastya visited them while Kesari was doing tapas. They took care of him well, and he blessed them. Anjana wished for a strong son who would help others, while Adrika was blessed with a son named Adri, the chief of pishachas.

Later, Sage Gautama told these brothers to take their mother to Godavari. After bathing in the river, their monkey and cat faces disappeared. The teerthas where they bathed are called Anjana Teertha and Maarjara Teertha.

Once, Dharma Raja came disguised as an old man and saw Anjana Devi's palm. He told her she would have a son who would be a savior for those in trouble and bring support to the fearful. Dharma Raja motivated her to perform tapas. Initially, she did tapas at Rishya Mookachala. Later, Matanga Maharshi directed her to Venkatadri to observe tapas at Vrishabhachala.

While performing tapas at Vrishabhachala, Vayudeva appeared and blessed her, saying, 'You will have a son whom no weapon can harm on the battlefield and who will be as powerful as me.'

During Shri Hari's Mohini avatar, Lord Shiva, enticed by Mohini's beauty, released his veerya. This veerya was collected by the Saptarshis for safekeeping. They approached Anjana Devi, asking if she had taken deeksha. She admitted she had not, so they gave her deeksha themselves. Sage Vasishta chanted the Panchakshara mantra in her ear and transferred Shiva’s veerya into her womb.

Kesari, while worshipping Lord Shiva with a mantra given by the munis, received Shiva's chaitanya through his mouth. On the same day, he returned to Anjana Devi and embraced her. The Shiva Chaitanya entered Anjana Devi's body.

Excited, Anjana Devi danced around the forest. At that moment, Suvarchala, in the form of a crow, was flying above with the payasam. Vayudeva created a storm, causing the leaf cup containing the payasam to fall into Anjana Devi’s hands. She consumed it.

Thus, Lord Hanuman was born with Shiva's veerya transferred through Vasishta Maharshi, Shiva's chaitanya through her husband Kesari, and the Shakti Chaitanya from the Putra Kameshti payasam. He is Pavana Putra, born from Vayudeva’s blessing, and the eleventh avatar of Rudra.

Knowledge Bank

Is there a specific day dedicated to worshiping Hanuman Ji?

Tuesdays and Saturdays are considered auspicious for worshiping Hanuman Ji. Knowing this enables you to plan your devotional practices effectively, aligning with the tradition and maximizing the spiritual benefits associated with these days.

Some famous Hanuman Temples outside India

1. Sri Hanuman Mandir, Durban, South Africa, 2. Sri Hanuman Temple, Suva, Fiji, 3. Sri Hanuman Temple, Brampton, Canada 4. Bhakti Mandir, Bridgetown, Barbados, 5. Sri Hanuman Mandir, London, United Kingdom. The existence of these temples illustrates Hanumanji's global significance and the widespread reverence he commands. His temples outside India are more than places of worship; they are cultural beacons that nurture the spiritual lives of devotees worldwide, promote Hindu values, and keep the rich traditions of Hanuman worship alive across continents. This global presence highlights Hanumanji's enduring influence and the universal appeal of his virtues of devotion, strength, and service.