Vayuputra Hanuman

 

Vayuputra

Bajrangbali, Hanuman, Anjaneya – we call him by many names. But all it denotes supreme power and complete devotion to Lord Rama and humility towards all others.

We celebrate him as the Ashta siddi Navanidhi ke dhata (the possessor of eight powers and nine types of wealth). How did he get all these powers – just by his parentage? His devotion to Rama or was there more to it. Let us see an interesting story of Hanuman as a child.

Anjana devi was busy with her chores. Her naughty Anjaneya, who she was fond of calling Sundara, was playing outside. The birds were chirping and the sun was just rising on the horizon. It was early spring. The sun was a bright orange in the distance. Baby Hanuman was as ever curious. He was also hungry. He wanted to eat that right, red fruit.

With one jump he tried to catch the sun not realising that Lord Surya was a ball of fire. That day happened to be the day of eclipse. Rahu with his snake like form was trying to eclipse the sun. Hanuman, who got angry that the snake like creature was stopping him from reaching the red fruit, started biting the edge of Rahu’s tail.

Rahu panicked as he could not escape. He called upon Lord Indra to free him from the clutches of this powerful baby. Lord Indra came rushing to help Rahu in his Airavata carrying his thunderbolt, the Vajra. Baby Hanuman was having too much fun now. There was the red fruit in the sky. There was a snake that was blocking his path. And there was a seven tusked white elephant (Airavata) and a man sitting on it trying to protect the snake.

Lord Indra forgot for a moment that this was just a child that too of Lord Vayu. Irritated at the laughter, he used the thunderbolt on the cute little Hanuman. The thunder bolt hurt Hanuman who was shocked at the speed of the weapon and the pain it inflicted. Hanuman fell from the air.

Hanuman’s father was watching the entire spectacle. He came to his son’s rescue and caught his son mid air and gently put him down the hill outside Anjana Devi’s home. Once he had made sure that his son was safe and out of harm’s way, Lord Vayu turned his anger towards the other celestials who had troubled his innocent son.

Lord Vayu used all his might and sucked out the air from the entire universe. Without air to breathe, humans, animals and even animals and fish were suffocating. Lord Indra was shocked. What started as a small child’s innocent prank had reached much bigger proportions.

He immediately called the Devas and went to Lord Vayu and requested him to release the air so that living beings on earth can survive. Lord Vayu agreed provided that the Gods blessed his son with great boons that can help him become great and powerful.

All the Gods agreed. Lord Brahma blessed Baby Hanuman to live as long as Lord Brahma lives. Lord Vishnu blessed him with the boon of being known as his greatest devotee. Lord Indra blessed him with the boon that no weapon of any kind can hurt Hanuman. Lord Agni blessed him with the boon that fire will never harm Hanuman. Lord Yama blessed him with the boon that he will never encounter death. All the Gods blessed him with great speed and strength.

Is it any wonder that a child with so much divine blessings plays one of the greatest role in our most loved epic, the Ramayana and is revered, loved and worshipped even today!!!