Hanumān, Śiva’s Own Portion

Nandī tells Sanatkumāra: now hear how Śiva became Hanumān and did great good, with love, for Śrī Rāma.

A radiance for Rāma's work

Once, Śiva — whose play is endlessly wonderful — saw Viṣṇu in his form as Mohinī, the enchantress. As if struck by Kāma's arrow, he let himself be stirred, and released his radiance, his tejas — for the sake of the work Rāma would one day have to do.

Moved by Śiva's own will, the seven sages gathered that radiance reverently on a leaf. And, for Rāma's work, they placed it in Añjanī, the daughter of Gautama, through her ear.

When the time came, Śiva's radiance was born in the body of a monkey, full of strength and courage. His name was Hanumān.

The sun as a fruit

While still a baby, he saw the sun rising one morning and, thinking it a small ripe fruit, swallowed it. The gods begged him, and he let it out again. Knowing him to be a mighty avatāra of Śiva, the gods and sages gave him boons. He ran happily to his mother and told her everything.

At her bidding he went to the Sun every day, and learned all knowledge from him without effort.

Sugrīva's minister

Then, with his mother's leave and at the Sun's direction, he went to Sugrīva, who was born of a portion of the Sun. Sugrīva had been driven out by his elder brother Vālī, who had taken his wife by force, and lived on Mount Ṛṣyamūka. Hanumān lived there with him and became his minister, working for his good in every way.

When Rāma came there with his brother Lakṣmaṇa, grieving for his stolen wife, it was Hanumān who made the friendship between Rāma and Sugrīva. Rāma killed Vālī.

Across the sea

At Rāma's command Hanumān set out with many monkeys to search for Sītā. Learning that she was in Laṅkā, he leapt across the ocean that no one else could cross. There he gave Jānakī her lord's ring as a token, and told her Rāma's news, which saved her life and ended her grief.

He tore up Rāvaṇa's Aśoka grove and killed many rākṣasas, among them a son of Rāvaṇa. When Rāvaṇa had oil-soaked cloth wrapped round his tail and set on fire, this portion of Mahādeva used it as an excuse: leaping from roof to roof, he burned all of Laṅkā — except the house of Vibhīṣaṇa. Then he dipped his tail in the sea, crossed back, and gave Rāma Sītā's crest-jewel.

Rāma worships Śiva

At Rāma's command, Hanumān and the monkeys brought great mountains and built a bridge across the sea. Before crossing, Rāma, longing for victory, set up a liṅga of Śiva with the proper rites and worshipped it, and received from Śiva the boon of victory. Then they crossed, besieged Laṅkā, and fought.

Hanumān killed rākṣasas, guarded Rāma's army, and when Lakṣmaṇa fell to Rāvaṇa's śakti weapon, brought him back to life with the sañjīvanī herb. He killed the demon Mahirāvaṇa and carried Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa back from his realm. In every way, says the Purāṇa, this son of Mahādeva made Rāma's work succeed.

The servant who became a teacher

And then Hanumān, himself the greatest of devotees, established devotion to Rāma on earth. The Śiva Purāṇa sums him up: protector of Lakṣmaṇa's life, breaker of the gods' pride, Rudra's avatāra, rescuer of devotees — the great hero, forever doing Rāma's work, famous in the world as Rāma's messenger.

It is one of the loveliest meeting-points of the Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava worlds: Śiva becomes Rāma's servant; and Rāma, before his greatest battle, worships Śiva.