Adventures of Hanuman In Ramayana

The adventures of Hanuman in Ramayana are famous throughout the world. Hanuman who will never die, or in our words, a Chiranjeevi, means, immortal or living forever, is unmarried and has a tail like a monkey or a monkey himself and is also a pure vegetarian.

Birth, Childhood and Education

There was a king called Kesari and he was ruling his country, called Sumeru, within India. Anjanadevi was the queen and they performed a fast to obtain a good child, meditating God Vayudeva, the angel of air. Vayudeva was pleased and offered a male child to Anjanadevi and the child was named as Anjaneya. The child was in good health and Kesari felt happy to look after his son with care.

One day, in the early morning, when Anjanadevi went to forest, to bring some fresh fruits for young Anjaneya, he got awakened from sleep and searched for his mother to get some food, but found nothing inside the house, so went out. On the sky, in the east horizon, he found a red apple and due to hunger he jumped up to catch and to eat it. Vayudeva saw the child and went behind it with cold breeze to protect it from heat.

It was a no moon day and then, one Rahu eclipse was to happen to sun. The child could not understand the red planet as sun but thought it was an apple. On seeing the child Anjaneya chasing the sun, Rahu complained to Indra that it is his right to eat the sun first but now a strange child is usurping his right. When Rahu came across his path, Anjaneya, due to hunger, tried to catch it first. Indra threw his diamond mace up on the tender body of the child and the small child fell down on the court yard of Kesari causing flattened lips. In Sanskrit, the tampered mouth Anjaneya is called Hanuman.

Again, Anjanadevi and Kesari prayed Vayudeva for the safety of life and good health and as a result all the Gods including God of constructions, Vishwakarma, were pleased to offer many boons over the child. Thereafter, the name has been populated as Hanuman and the sun God put a limited condition that, unless another one reminds of his capabilities, he could not use his powers.

The boy Hanuman had grown up and understood later about the diamond mace of Indra. After obtaining his mother’s permission, he conducted penance of God Shiva and procured a Shivalinga. Hanuman covered it with suitable strong metals and made it as a mace to use as a weapon for his lifelong use.

Joining the Vanaras

After his education, he searched a job and got a court attendant duty in Kishkinda, a larger country of monkeys. His land was on Sumeru, a small plot and palace of Kishkinda was in a neighbourhood one and there, he helped Sugriva and Vali in routine works. Vali was the king and married Tara, and his younger brother Sugriva had married Ruma with the help of Hanuman. In Kishkinda, Hanuman was attached to Sugriva, who had a separate palace at mountain Rishyamuka.  

Hanuman Meets Shree Rama

After sometime, Vali had kept Ruma under his custody illegally. Since nobody has reminded of the abilities of Hanuman, he could not maintain law and order on behalf of Sugriva. Sugriva was unhappy and Hanuman sympathized. One day, Sugriva and Hanuman saw two persons moving nearby Kishkinda and they came to know that the new comers are Rama and Lakshmana in search of Sita, who has been abducted by Ravana.  A powerful Rishi was conducting penance on the mountain Rishyamuka and Vali could not come there due to his curse.

Rama and Sugriva have become friends and Rama assured to assist him to procure his wife from the custody of Vali. Rama killed Vali and kept his promise. Sugriva and Ruma started to live happily in his palace with Hanuman. After all, Sugriva is a king of monkeys and tried to evade the promise. But Hanuman disliked it and when reminded again by Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, he, the Hanuman advocated on behalf of Rama and expressed to keep the promise by Sugriva. Sugriva ordered for the search of Sita by his troops on sending various batches to all directions. Hanuman, Angada, his mother Tara and Jambava went to southern side. They got information about Lanka and abduction of Sita by Ravana from the holy vulture Sampati.     

In Search of Sita

When the troop arrived at the beachside towards Lanka, further journey was challenging. The oldest bear was Jambava and could not cross the ocean. Even though Angada could go to Lanka, he was an inexperienced young one and higher tactics of diplomacy is far from him, his mother, Tara being a lady not better to go there now. But Jambava was very old and he knew about the birth history of Hanuman. He reminded about the capabilities of Hanuman.

On immediately hearing the words of Jambava, Hanuman ushered and grew like a mountain. Everybody was wonderstruck but the old bear was quite silent. He took leave of them, went a few distance back to pick up the speed, and sprang into the sky and resembled a small flight flying on a height towards Lanka.

Adventurous Affairs at Lanka

On the sky route, he faced Mahendra Mountain but wished to reach Lanka at the earliest. On reaching Lanka, he started his special search for Sita. He overcame a number of obstacles and finally succeeded to see Sita, as sitting in Ashoka Vana and guarded by Trijata, the wife of Vibhishana. Vibhishana is a good one even though he is the brother of the demon Ravana. Hanuman managed to convince Sita and handed over the ring provided by Rama as a genuine token to her. He tried to advice Ravana but the arrogant Ravana, instead of freeing Sita, insulted Hanuman by lighting fire to the end of his tail. However, Hanuman used the fire to burn most of the wooden palaces of Ravana and trees of Ashoka Vana except the Simshupa tree where Sita was sitting over the two feet soil brought from India having seven colored lines drawn by Lakshmana with sun Raksha mantra. Hanuman dipped the end of his tail in the sea to extinguish the flames. The charred items of the flames have been swallowed by one fish and a one son has born to that fish. He is considered as the son of Anjaneya and his name is Makara Dhwaja.

Hanuman returned, joined his troop and reached his palace. He managed to convince Rama and handed over the hair pin locket called Chudamani being received from Sita as a genuine token to him. Hanuman reported to Sugriva and Lakshmana and Lakshmana praised as follows:

मनोजवं मारुत तुल्य वेगं जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्टं ।
वातात्मजं वानर यूथ मुख्यं श्री राम दूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥

I bow my head to Hanuman saluting by joined hands, who has speed equal to one’s thoughts, like a cyclone, having no organic lusters, who is the cleverest, who was born by the blessings of Air God, who is the chief of monkey’s troops.

Battle against Ravana

          Sugriva ordered to arrange the army and wage war over Lanka. His troop, with the help of Hanuman, built a bridge across the ocean and the army fought with demons of Lanka. During the war, Lakshmana fainted and one medicinal plant was needed for the treatment. Hanuman brought Kailasa Mountain itself there and due to the fragrance of the plants, Lakshmana became normal and Hanuman replaced it intact, flying overnight over India. Hanuman assisted Rama and got victory and Ravana was killed. Sita, Rama and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya using the flight Pushpaka Vimana.

Rama wanted to inform his arrival to his brother, Bharata in advance and assigned that duty to Hanuman. He has done it.

Life at Ayodhya

In Ayodhya, the crowning of Rama was done with pomp and show and Hanuman was singing the name of Rama with joy as Rama Rama Rama.

Hanuman has been tested by Narada Maharshi and he passed it. When Vishwamitra Rishi came to the crowning ceremony, Hanuman was chanting his Rama manthra, both eyes being closed. Everybody has stood up except Hanuman and it showed his power of devotion towards Rama and even Vishwamitra also approved him.

 The devotion of Hanuman towards Rama has been appreciated by Valmiki Maharshi also, saying that if at all Hanuman writes another Ramayana, Valmiki Maharshi wished to sing it for him.

When Rama offered Hanuman his choice of things like a garland of pearl, Hanuman politely replied him that Rama Rama nama chanting is sufficient for him, which could be seen by his heart even though both eyes are closed, but if worldly pearl garlands, could not be seen if eyes are closed.

On glorifying the life of Sita and becoming as SitaRama on the final day of the rituals of Ashwamedha yaga, in front of the children, Hanuman put Sindoor on his body, covering fully, to make known to all that he is fully devoted both inside his heart and outside of his body also.

On the swargarohana moment, the final ascending day of Rama into heaven, the God of Time (yama) was highly afraid to come near Rama, by thinking of the mace of Hanuman. Yama sent secretly his two of servants Chitra and Gupta, and pleaded to have some remedial plans. Rama agreed and called Hanuman and told him that his ring has fallen underground into the Naga Loka and to search for it and bring back at the earliest. In case returning is delayed, Hanuman should bear the ring in his tail and tie a bell to it. Hanuman agreed and went to Patala Loka and started searching for the familiar ring as he carried it in the previous occasion to Ashoka Vana.

By this time, God of Time had completed his venture, in the absence of Hanuman.

Swargarohana of Shree Rama was successful and then Hanuman arrived with the ring. Now, Hanuman has to put it on his tail and tied a bell to it.

Hanuman has accomplished many adventures and some may be omitted here. Readers are free to note them in the feedback.