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Hanumanji son of Vayu (wind) is commonly
known as Maruti, Pavanaputra and Anjaneya.
In the Ramayana, India’s second epic written
by Valmiki in the 3rd century BC, we meet
Hanuman as a Commander in Chief, of the army
of King Sugriva (a Monkey King).
The son of a wind god Vayu, Hanuman uses his
ancestry and his ape like agility to help
Rama win the war against Ravana.
Rama and Hanuman had first met when they had
fought as fellow warriors for King Sugriva.
They restored Sugriva to his kingdom. An
ever grateful Sugriva offered Rama the
services of Hanuman to help find Rama’s
wife, Sita.
Hanuman took a single leap across the gulf
separating the two countries and located
Sita. The demons of Lanka tried to trick
Hanuman. They set fire to his tail, hoping
to distract him, Hanuman turned his tail on
the city and set Lanka on fire, burning the
demons to cinders.
During the battle, General Hanuman swung the
war in Rama’s favour. When Lakshmana was
wounded, Hanuman flew to the Himalayas for
the medicinal herb Sanjeevani. Unable to
identify the Sanjeevani, he wrested the
entire mountain from the land and carried it
to Lakshmana.Today people celebrate his
strength, and agility in temples consecrated
to Hanuman. |
