The Untold Devine Stories of Hanuman
How Hanuman Met Rama
Hanuman completed his studies and prepared to part from
Surya, the Sun God who had been his teacher. Surya said, "I am confident
that your knowledge shall always be used to protect the good, the humble and
all those who need your help. When you reach back home, remember to keep an eye
on my son Sugreev, who lives in the kingdom of Kishkindha. I shall be grateful
for any manner in which you can assist him."
This request from his teacher held great importance for
Hanuman. He promised to be of help to Sugreev. Then he streaked across the
heavens to return home again to his loving parents, Kesari and Anjana.
His parents were delighted to have him back. But they began
worrying again quite soon, They noticed that their son was developing a quiet
and meditative nature. He liked best to be alone, with only God's name as his
constant companion. If he was like this as a youth, how would he complete all
his adult duties? Kesari was a warrior, a general in the army of King
Hriksharaja who had ruled over the kingdom of Kishkindha. He wanted Hanuman to
grow up to protect the kingdom too. Anjana too, wanted her son to become a
brave and respected warrior.
Hanuman's parents decided to send him from Kanchangiri to Pampapur, the capital of Kishkindha. This was a beautiful kingdom of rocky mountains, green valleys and forests. Sparkling rivers and brooks flowed here. Trees laden with fruits fed the citizens of the kingdom - thousands and thousands of monkeys!
By the time Hanuman arrived in Pampapur, King Hriksharaja
had passed away. The kingdom was ruled by his elder son Vali, a formidably
powerful monkey. Vali was so fierce that he was able to keep away all the
enemies and demons in the surrounding kingdoms. Vali shared a very loving
relationship with his younger brother Sugreev. This was the same Sugreev whom
Surya had asked Hanuman to protect.
When Hanuman arrived in Kishkindha both Vali and Sugreev greeted him most warmly. He had to learn about the kingdom and how it was run, and Vali wanted to teach him this. But remembering his promise to Surya, Hanuman spent more time with Sugreev, and the two became firm friends. At this time, a cruel twist of fate caused the two brothers to become enemies forever. One dark night, a great roaring was heard at the gates of Kishkindha. It was the demon Mayavi, who stood and challenged Vali to a fight. He shouted to Vali to come out if he dared. Vali awoke from deep sleep and immediately rose to answer the demonic challenge. He went into the forest chasing the fearsome demon, and Sugreev went along too.
The demon seemed to have disappeared in the dark forest. Then they came upon a huge pit covered with leaves and grasses that led down deep into the ground. Vali entered this pit in pursuit of the demon, and asked his brother to stand guard at the mouth of the pit. He asked Sugreev to be there for a mere fifteen days, but Sugreev waited a whole month without his brother returning. He grew very worried. His worst fears seemed to be coming true, for whenever he put his ear to the mouth of the pit and heard the underground roar of hundreds of demons. When he saw a thin stream of blood emerge from the pit one day, he could bear no more. He dragged a huge boulder to cover the mouth of the pit, and returned to Kishkindha. He was sure his brother had died fighting the demon, and he mourned for him. When Sugreev returned alone, the monkey ministers were very sad to hear about the loss of their brave king Since Vali's son Angad was still a child, they appointed Sugreev as king in Vali's place, and he began to rule Kishkindha.
Meanwhile Vali emerged out of the pit as a proud victor who had fought and killed hundreds of demons single-handed. He reached Kishkindha to find his brother on the throne. He suspected Sugreev of treachery, thinking that he had deliberately blocked the entrance to the pit in order to snatch the kingdom. Angry Vali attacked Sugreev and snatched from him his wife Ruma. Sugreev had to run in terror to save his life. Hanuman accompanied him as he fled, Vali had sworn to destroy his younger brother, and Hanuman knew it was his duty to protect him.
Poor Sugreev had to search hard to find a place where he would be safe from Vali. But Hanuman had a keen and all-knowing memory. Hanuman remembered a place where Vali was forbidden to enter - Sage Matang's ashram on the mountain of Hrishyamuk. He asked his friend to hurry and ask the sage to shelter him.
Vali could never enter Sage Matang's ashrarn because of an earlier incident. Some years before this, he had fought a demon named Dundubhi. Dundubhi was a bull, and threatened Vali's life and kingdom. Vali picked up the demon by the horns, swung him around, and threw him up in the sky. Dundubhi was killed when he landed on the ground. Unfortunately, a few drops of his demon blood splashed on to Sage Matang, who was walking in his forest ashram. The Sage was furious, and deeply upset by the sight of the blood. He was moved to pronounce a curse. "Whoever has caused this to happen to me, shall never be able to set foot in my ashram!" he declared. "If he ever tries to enter this space, his head shall blow itself into a thousand pieces!"
The awful words of the curse reached the ears of Vali, and he knew he must take care never to step into the ashram of Sage Matang. Now Sugreev and Hanuman reached this haven and Sage Matang agreed to give them shelter, They began living here with a few of Sugreev's most devoted monkeys. Vali ruled in Kishkindha with his wife Tara, as well as Sugreev's wife Ruma as his queens. He continued to plot revenge on his brother. Sugreev was always afraid that one of his agents or soldiers would catch him and take him to Vali. He relied on Hanuman to be ever vigilant and alert.
One day, from the top of Hrishyamuk mountain. Sugreev and
his friends spotted two tall and handsome youths making their way through the
forest. These men wore simple clothes and had knotted their hair like
forest-dwellers. But they carried the large and heavy bows that princes usually
had as weapons. Seeing them, Sugreev was afraid that they may have been sent by
Vali to first win him over, then kill him. He asked Hanuman to leave at once,
meet the two visitors before they could reach Sugreev, and find out what was in
their minds.
"If they seem to be enemies in disguise, signal to me
and I shall leave immediately for some other place," said Sugreev.
"If they are friends, bring them here, so we may receive them."
The two visitors were none other than the Ayodhya princes, Rama and Lakshman. They had been sent into exile by their father, King Dasharath. Both had spent thirteen years in the Chitrakoot and Dandakaranya forests, along with Rama's wife, Sita. In the fourteenth and last year of their exile, they were living in a leaf cottage at Panchavati, when a demon named Marich had appeared as a golden deer, to attract Sita's attention.
When she asked Rama to fetch her this unique deer, he went
in search of it into the forest. A short while later, Marich began calling for
help, imitating the voice of Rama and making it seem as if Lakshman must rush
to rescue him. Sita urged and ordered her brother-in-law to go and see what had
happened to Rama. When both Rama and Lakshman were absent, Ravana, the king of
Lanka, abducted Sita.
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He went leaping through the forest towards the strangers,
taking care to wear the disguise of an old Brahmin. His true identity was to
remain concealed, in case these were indeed Vali's agents.
Hanuman reached the two young men. He stood, an old Brahmin
with folded hands in their path. As they approached him, he observed them
keenly. The taller and older of the two youths was dark, while the other was
fair-skinned. Both had the well-formed features that spoke of royal blood, In
addition, they carried the heavy, princely bows.
But their clothes were worn, even torn. And their feet were
protected from the rough jungle ground by wooden sandals.
When they stood before him, Hanuman bowed and spoke with
extreme politeness, "Most respected guests! Everything about you shows
that you are from a noble and distinguished family. Then why do you walk about
in this desolate jungle, without a single servant? Your faces shine like the
faces of gods. Are you the human forms of Brahma, or Vishnu, or Mahesh? Or such
humans who can inspire thousands with their goodness? There are thorns, and
stones and pebbles on this forest soil. Must they not be hurting your feet?
Please tell me who you are, so I may have the opportunity to serve you in whatever
way I can.
His polite words and respectful manner had their effect on
the two strangers. They stopped, and the dark one said to his companion,
"This is no ordinary person standing before us. The way he speaks shows he
is most learned. Let him know who we are."
The fair stranger turned to Hanuman, bowed slightly, and
said, "You have noticed correctly that we are princes. This is my elder
brother Rama, and I am Lakshman. We were sent into exile by our father, King
Dasharath of Ayodhya, and while we were at Panchavati, Rama's wife was abducted
by a demon. It is in Search of her that we have come this far south."
Hanuman heard Lakshman's speech with his ears, but his eyes
were fixed on Rama. He was drinking in the sight of his most beloved Rama as if
he could never again take his gaze away. This was the moment he had been
dreaming of since he was a child!
He looked up into Rama's big and beautiful eyes, which were full of kindness and love, and his own filled with tears of joy. He fell at Rama's feet, then spoke in a voice full of agony, "O my Lord, is it really you? Forgive me for not having recognised you. I am not wise or learned at all, just a foolish, dim-witted monkey! Please say you forgive me." With this, he fell again before Rama. Rama continued to look at Hanuman. But he stayed silent. This was because Hanuman still wore his disguise, and God dislikes deception. Rama was God himself come down to earth. When standing before God, a devotee must be absolutely truthful, honest and unafraid.
Rama was waiting for Hanuman to show his true form. But
Hanuman had forgotten he was in disguise! He was miserable that his beloved
Rama still did not speak to him. He said. "I failed to recognise my Master
because I am a mere monkey. But what about you Lord? How can you fail to
recognise me, when I have been born only to serve and love you? How can you not
know me, your own Hanuman?" In his despair Hanuman tore at his hair, and
the old Brahmin's wi came off! Now he remembered he was still in disguise and
threw off the rest of it.
Rama stepped forward and said, "Beloved Hanuman I was
just waiting for you to reveal yourself." Saying this, he folded Hanuman
in a powerful hug, and at last Hanuman's thirst to be known by Rama was
satisfied. It made a strange and wondrous sight. All the forest animals stopped
what they were doing to take a look. Their mighty monkey friend was huddled
small and tight in Rama's embrace. He was crying like a baby at what he had
been through, when he thought Rama had not recognised him.
Hanuman's meeting with Rama was a crowning moment in his life. When he could speak again, Hanuman told Rama and Lakshman the story of Sugreev, and what he had suffered at the hands of Vali.
"He is living the life of an exile in the forest, just
like you," he told Rama. "And he is separated from his wife Ruma,
like you have been separated from Sita. If you could become his friend and
protect him at this time, he could be of great use to you." When he heard
this, Rama agreed to befriend Sugreev, Now Hanuman placed Rama on one powerful
shoulder, and Lakshman on another. Then, in this joyous manner, he began
carrying them to Sugreev. When Sugreev saw this from the mountaintop, he
understood that these visitors were exceptional friends. A warm welcome awaited
Rama and Lakshman when they arrived where Sugreev was staying.
That night, before a holy fire, Rama and Sugreev promised to
do whatever was in their power, to help each other. Hanuman, who had brought
about this friendship, sat content by their side.
In the firelight, his gaze remained fixed on Rama. At last,
he was in a position to be of service to his Lord.
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