How a Great King was Yoked to the Plough

Raja Bhoj was a great king who ruled over Malwa (part of present day Madhya Pradesh). He was a just and kind king, and was always very attentive to the problems of his subjects. He used to disguise himself and move around his kingdom, trying to understand the real situation, and took steps to improve the conditions.

On one such trip, the king came across a farmer who was ploughing his field, but with a difference. Instead of the two bulls which are yoked to the plough, he had yoked a bull to one end, and his wife to the other! The bull and his wife were pulling the plough with great difficulty, and the king was saddened by their plight.

He called out to the farmer, “My dear man, what are you doing? Can you not see that your wife is suffering, yoked as she is with the bull? How can you treat her thus?”

The man, who obviously could not recognize the king in his disguise, continued his work without a pause and replied, “I do not have the time to stop and explain things to you, but in any case, she is my own wife, and this is our own farm. What I do is no concern of yours!”

The king would not give up so easily, and went along with the man, asking for an explanation. At last, the man said, “I had two bulls, but one died recently, and I have no money to buy another one. If I do not plough the field now, I shall not be able to grow anything, and we shall starve this year. I had no choice but to yoke my wife to the plough. I would have yoked myself, but she cannot handle the plough by herself. What else can I do?”

The king was consumed by pity and said, “My dear man, please come along with me, and I shall give you a bull. You do not have to pay me any money.”

The man replied, “If I leave my work now, the rains might arrive before I plant the seeds. I cannot come with you. If you really want to help me, bring the bull here.”

The king did not want to leave while the woman was still yoked to the plough. He was a righteous king, and could not bear to see such pain. So he said, “Let your wife go along with my men to my wife, and collect the bull. Meanwhile, I shall take her place and plough your field.”

The farmer had no answer to this, and he agreed. Accordingly, he un-yoked his wife, and yoked the king to the plough, and continued his work.

The woman went with the king’s companions to the palace, where she met the queen and told her the tale. The queen was as generous and kind hearted as the king, and she said, “My dear lady, our bulls are well fed and strong. If you yoke them with your old bull, they will not be able to match their speed and energy, and will fall. Hence, take two of our bulls so that you can plough your field properly.”

Thanking the queen for her generosity, the woman returned home with the two bulls, and told her husband that the man who had taken her place was none but the king himself!

The farmer was shocked, and aghast at his treatment of the king. He apologized profusely for his behavior and asked the king to pardon him. Raja Bhoj however was happy with the farmer, for he had not turned to bad deeds even in his misfortune. He took his leave and returned to his kingdom, asking the man to approach him if ever he was in trouble or needed anything.

Time passed, and soon it was time to harvest the crops. The farmer reaped a wonderful harvest, but what stunned him was that the place which the king had ploughed yielded a harvest of real pearls instead of grains!

Being an honest man, he took the pearls to the king and offered it to him, saying, “O Great king, you helped me in my time of need, and I have reaped a bountiful harvest. I have come to give you your share of the harvest.” Saying this, he handed over the pearls to the king, explaining the matter, and surprising everyone in the court.

The king said, “My dear man, these pearls have grown on your farm, and belong to you. I can not lay any claim on them. So please take them back.”

The farmer replied, “O king, I have reaped the harvest which I sowed, but these are the fruits of your labour, and it would not be proper of me to have them in my possession. Please accept them and use them for the good of others!”

The king had no answer to this, and he humbly accepted the pearls, and rewarded the farmer for his honesty.

There are many things we can learn from this story, but most importantly that there is no work beneath us, for when the great king ploughed the earth to help the farmer, it yielded pearls. Thus, the fruits of our labour will always yield spectacular results.  

The Kind Hearted Dacoit

Long, long ago, when the British ruled over India, there were many dacoits in the hilly areas surrounding cities and villages. While some of these dacoits were simply robbers, robbing anyone who came their way, some of them were, at heart, kind and helpful, robbing only the rich, and helping the many poor people of the area. This is the story of one such dacoit named ‘Dilbar’.

Dilbar was a dreaded name in the area he operated in, for there was hardly a rich merchant or landowner who hadn’t suffered at his hands. On the other hand, he was a friend of the poor, whom he often helped in some way or the other. The police were no match for him, since he operated with a trusted band of supporters, and it was difficult to learn his whereabouts. Moreover, Dilbar and his gang knew the area very well and it was not an easy task to catch them. The police finally tried to incite the villagers to hand over Dilbar to them by offering a reward of five thousand rupees – a huge amount in those days!

One day, Dilbar was returning from a heist when the police, acting on information, started chasing him. Riding his horse, which was as agile as he was, he managed to get away, but in the process, he was separated from his gang, and found himself near an old temple on a hill. Hoping to find some water at the temple, he made his way up the hill, but there was no source of water there. By now, Dilbar was really tired and thirsty. Just then, he saw an old woman walking slowly up the hill, carrying a small vessel filled with water, and also a few flowers and fruits.

Dilbar asked her, “Mother, I am very thirsty. Can you please give me some water from your vessel?” The old lady replied, “My son, I had brought this water to pour on the Shiva Lingam inside this temple, but I can see that you are really thirsty. You can drink this water. I shall get more for the Lord later.” The small vessel of water did not have enough to quench the thirst of the burly dacoit, but it helped him regain some of his energy, and he was grateful to the old woman.

He asked her, “Mother, why do you come to this old temple which is up the hill? At your age, it is not easy for you to come all this way. So why don’t you visit a temple which is easier to approach?” The old woman replied, “Son, this is our family temple. It is an old temple which was rebuilt by my son. Some years back, my son and his wife were killed in an accident, leaving behind their young daughter. I have been taking care of my grand daughter for the last few years, though I have no source of income. She is now old enough to get married, and I have arranged her marriage on the coming panchami – the fifth day of the fortnight. I have come to the temple today to pray for her well being, and to ask for the lord’s help in conducting the ceremony. I am, after all, just an old woman, and have none but the Lord by my side.”

Dilbar was touched by the tale of the woman, and resolved to help her. He said, “Mother, you gave me water when I most needed it. Please think of me also as your son, and allow me to help you perform the ceremony. Tell your grand daughter not to grieve for her father. Tell her that I shall arrive and do for her, all that would have been done by her father. I shall give her away in marriage like she was my own daughter!” Saying this, Dilbar rode away to his hideout.

The old woman had no idea about who her benefactor was, and she happily told everyone in the village that a kind man had offered to help her. Within the next few days, bullock carts arrived at her house, filled with the requirements of the marriage ceremony – grains, sweets, fruits, flowers, ornaments and bridal finery!

The rich men in the village looked at all the goods that had arrived with suspicion, and soon guessed that it must be the dreaded dacoit, Dilbar who had sent them. They themselves had borne the brunt of Dilbar’s activities in the past, and informed the police about the happenings. They asked the police to arrive at the wedding venue and nab the dacoit.

Panchami arrived, and, as promised, Dilbar arrived at the wedding venue with his henchmen, and gave away the girl in marriage, performing the functions of the bride’s father. He completed his duties and left, only to be ambushed by the police, who were lying in wait for him.

Dilbar and his horse were too fast for the police, but he was no match for their long-range guns, and a policeman managed to shoot the fleeing dacoit through his back! The dreaded dacoit fell on the ground, with an expression of utmost happiness on his face, for he had managed to repay the debt of water!

Even though Dilbar was a dacoit, a robber by profession, he was a kind man at heart, and that is how he is remembered, years after his death. Hate and misdeeds are soon punished and forgotten, but kindness and good deeds remain alive long, far longer than life itself.

Beware of Evil Friends

Our parents always tell us to associate with good people, and stay away from those who are bad. We should especially be careful of evil friends, who do us more harm than good. Choosing our friends wisely is one of the most important things we should learn, and there are many stories illustrating this. Here is one story which occurs in both, the Panchatantra as well as the Hitopadesha. This is the story of a lion and his selfish friends.

There once lived a lion in a thick forest. He was a brave and good animal who hunted only for food, and never for pleasure. Among his followers were three crafty animals – a jackal, a crow and a wolf – who tagged along with the lion for selfish reasons. They were lazy, and depended on the lion for food, preferring to eat his leftovers rather than hunting their own prey. The lion did not mind this, since he anyway had his fill of food. Moreover, they knew that they were safe from the other animals as long as they were known to be the lion’s friends.

The lion was ignorant of the truth, and continued to regard the three as his friends, and continued to help them. Thus, the three animals lived a happy and contented life along with the lion.

One day, a camel wandered into the jungle by mistake, and could not find his way out. The three friends happened to see the camel trying in vain to find his way, and realized that he was a stranger. The jackal suggested to his friends, “Let us kill and eat him. He will provide us with food for many days.”

The crow was a bit wary. “He is a large animal, and it might be difficult for us to kill him. Moreover, he might injure one of us. Let us go and ask the lion to kill him. Then we can have the pleasure of tasting him without making any effort” he said.

The other two agreed with his suggestion, and went to the lion. “My lord” they said, “An animal has entered our forest. Please kill him for trespassing on our area, so that we can feast on his flesh!”

The lion was enraged, and roared “How dare you say that? If the animal has indeed entered our forest, it might be by mistake. We must give him refuge, not kill him. Go and bring him to me, so that we can learn more about him. If he is a danger to me, then we shall see what is to be done.”

The crow flew off and soon came back with the camel. The camel bowed before the lion and said, “O king of the jungle, I am a camel. I was travelling to the city with my master, passing through this jungle, when I got separated and lost my way. Please help me and allow me to stay on here. The grass is lush and green and will provide me sustenance. That is all I ask for.”

The lion was happy and agreed to let the camel stay on. Moreover, he enjoyed talking to the camel, who was unselfish and helpful. Soon, they became good friends. This angered the jackal, the crow and the wolf, who could not bear to see the camel’s influence on the lion.

Then one day, the lion entered into a fight with an elephant, and was badly hurt. He was not able to hunt for himself. A lion never eats what another animal has killed, so he soon grew weak due to hunger.

The three friends were in trouble, for they had forgotten the skills of hunting. They were so used to eating what the lion had killed, that they were unable to hunt for themselves now. They were hungry and wondered how they could secure a meal for themselves.

Meanwhile, the camel was concerned about the health of his friend the lion, but he had plenty of lush green grass to eat, and was growing fatter day by day.

The three friends’ mouths watered as they saw the fat and healthy camel. They wanted to eat him, but were too scared of the lion to kill him by themselves. They went to the lion with a plea. “My lord,” they said, “We cannot bear to see you so thin and weak while your friend the camel grows fatter by the day. Why don’t you kill and eat him? After all, you are a lion and he is a camel. You are justified in eating him, as he is your natural prey.”

The lion roared with anger “How dare you make such a suggestion? First of all, I have granted him protection and refuge. Second, he is my friend. How can I kill him now, even though he is my natural prey?”

The jackal was a cunning one, who immediately had a plan. He said, “My lord, under normal circumstances, we would never suggest something like this. You are right. You have given him refuge and assured him protection. But now you are hurt and wounded. You are weak and incapable of hunting. In such a situation, it would not be wrong to eat someone who offers himself to you as food. If the camel himself comes to you and offers himself as food to build up your health, there is nothing wrong in killing him.”

The lion was struck by this argument, and thought for a while. He could not think of anything to counter it, and finally replied, “What you say is right. If the camel himself offers to be my food, there can be no harm in my killing him. But why will he do that?”

This was the answer the jackal was waiting for. He said, “My lord, please do not worry. We shall talk to the camel and explain matters to him. I am sure he will come forward and offer himself as your food!”

As the three walked away, the wolf and the crow were sceptical. They asked the jackal, “Friend, indeed, it would be great if the camel offered himself, but won’t he refuse? Why will he agree to be slaughtered?” The jackal laughed and replied, “I have a plan. Just follow my lead, and see how the camel becomes our food!”

The three of them went to the camel, and sat down with mournful faces. The camel wondered what had happened, and asked, “My friends, why are you looking so sad? What is the matter?”

The jackal replied, “My friend, our friend the lion is wounded and incapable of hunting. He asked us to go and find a prey for him, but we have not been able to catch a single animal. If he goes hungry any longer, he will be too weak and will die soon. We do not want him to die, and have decided to sacrifice ourselves for him. We are going to offer ourselves to him and ask him to kill one of us to keep up his strength. This is why we are sad.”

The camel was perturbed on hearing this, but he too was worried about his friend’s health, and could not dissociate himself from the plan. He agreed to go along with his three friends, hoping that his friendship with the lion would keep him safe.

As soon as the four friends appeared in front of the lion, the crow said, “My lord, we have searched for a suitable prey for you all over the jungle, but have been unsuccessful. I cannot bear to see you growing weak day by day. Please kill me and satisfy your hunger, at least for a while!”

Hearing the crow speak thus, the jackal came forward and said, “Friend crow, you are indeed a true friend, but I cannot allow you to die while I am alive. Moreover, you are too small to satisfy our friend’s hunger.” He then turned to the lion and said, “My lord, please kill and eat me. I shall be blessed if my flesh will help satiate you!”

It was now the turn of the wolf, who played up to the plan and said, “No my lord, my friend the jackal is too good to be sacrificed. We shall be lost without his intelligence. Instead, please kill and eat me. I am the largest of all and shall satisfy you for the longest period.”

Hearing the animals speak thus, the camel was confused. He did not want to appear selfish by not offering himself for his friend’s health, but was afraid of being killed. However, he took heart from the fact that the lion had not killed anyone yet, and thought that the others would stand up for him. Hence, he too stood up and said, “My lord, my friends have all offered themselves to you, but none of them can fill your stomach. I am larger than all of them, and have grown healthy thanks to the lush vegetation here. Please eat me and fill your stomach.”

This was just what the others were waiting for. As soon as he said these words, the lion leaped on him and killed him with a blow. He saw nothing wrong in it since the camel had offered himself.

Once the lion had eaten his fill, the others ate the remnants as usual. The three selfish friends were happy that the situation was back to normal. The lion sometimes regretted his action, for he missed his only unselfish friend, but it was too late.

The camel and the lion, both suffered due to their bad friends. The camel lost his life, while the lion lost his only good friend. This is why we must be extremely careful while choosing friends, and must stay away from bad people. We must make friendship with those who are good at heart and help us, not with those who only want help from us. Such friends are dangerous in the long run.

Parikshit

The Mahabharata war was almost over – most of the warriors, not just the evil and wicked ones, but also those who were good, innocent and brave, were lying dead on the battlefield. However, the hatred and anger in the hearts of the Kauravas and their supporters was not yet dead.

Spurred by such anger and hatred, Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, decided to wreak havoc upon the Pandava forces in the dead of the night. Seeking revenge against Drishtadyumna for killing his father, he entered the Pandava camp while all were deep in sleep and killed Drishtadyumna before he could wake and defend himself. In a last attempt at avenging his friend Duryodhana, he also massacred all the sons of Draupadi, who were fast asleep in their tents. The morning brought despair and grief to the Pandava forces that had been jubilant the night before. When Krishna and the Pandavas managed to track down Ashwatthama at last, he was deep in meditation, but his hatred still had not abated, for he made one last attempt to ensure that the Pandavas would have none of their dear ones left.

Taking up a sacred darbha grass, he turned it into a weapon, and aimed it at the unborn child in the womb of Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu. Krishna, realizing the danger, immediately took a minute form and entered the womb, and, taking on the effect of the weapon, saved the child, who was the only scion of the Pandavas to survive the war!

This child, son of the brave Abhimanyu, remembered the handsome face of the one who had saved him, and once he was born, tried to recognize the person who had given him life. Even as a new born, he looked searchingly at all who came to see him, earning the name – Parikshit – the one who examines all! His eyes stopped searching the day Krishna came to visit, for he had found the divine being he was looking for.

Parikshit was well tutored by his grandfathers and Krishna, but he was just a young boy when Krishna left for his abode, and the Pandavas, unable to think of living without the guidance of Krishna, attained heaven too, crowning Parikshit as the king.

The young king had all the qualities of his father and his grandfather, and ruled well with the guidance of those older and more experienced than him. It was during his reign that the Dwapara Yuga ended, and Kali Yuga began. As soon as Parikshit heard of the advent of Kali into his kingdom, he set out in search of it, so that he could contain it before it created havoc in his peaceful kingdom. He soon saw an old bull with three broken legs, dragging itself by its fourth leg, while a well dressed, but evil-looking man whipped it to go faster! He tried to stop this atrocity, but the man prostrated himself before the king, saying that he was the age of Kali, and he wanted a place to live.

As a king, Parikshit could not refuse one who begged for mercy, so he allowed Kali to dwell in five places – in gambling dens, in taverns where wine was drunk, in places where women of low characters lived, in slaughtering places (where violence was the norm) and in gold. During the reign of Parikshit, Kali remained true to his word, dwelling in only those places he had been allowed to. It was only later that he started extending his activities to other areas too.

Meanwhile, even Parikshit was not immune to the effect of Kali. He had succeeded in limiting his influence, but forgot that he had allowed the demon a home in gold, and thus, Kali took up abode in the golden crown of the king himself, and brought about his downfall!

 One day, Parikshit went hunting in the forests surrounding Hastinapur, but was unable to bag a single animal. Wandering deep into the forest, he came across an ashram. Hungry and thirsty, he entered the ashram, hoping to get some food and water, but found no one, but a sage deep in meditation. Overcome by his need, he tried to wake the sage, but to no avail. Normally a patient and sensible man, Parikshit was tired after a hard and unproductive day, and not in the best of moods. Moreover, under the influence of Kali, who was on the lookout for a suitable opportunity, he was overcome by anger, and filled with a desire to punish the sage. Looking around, he saw a dead snake on the floor, and picking it up with his sword, put it around the sage’s neck, and went away. 

The sage was the great Samika, who was engaged in deep austerities, and was completely unaware of the events taking place around him. The misconduct of the king came to light only when the sage’s son, Shrungi, himself a sage of the highest order, returned to the ashram and found his father with a dead snake around his neck. He was able to identify the culprit through his powers, and he cursed the king that he would die in seven days, bitten by the king of the snakes, Takshak himself!

Meanwhile, the sage woke up, and regretted the hasty action of his son, which would cause the death of a great and just king. Unable to convince his son to retract the curse, the sage set out for the palace and informed the king of his approaching demise.

Parikshit, meanwhile had also regretted his actions, and was wondering how he could make amends. He apologized to the sage and thanked him for his information, and started making arrangements for meeting his death.

While all his subjects were deep in despair, Parikshit handed over the reigns of his kingdom to his son Janamejaya, and giving up his possessions, took up residence in a hut on the banks of the Ganga, and started fasting and meditating on the Lord.

The king’s advent to the ashram drew crowds of sages to the place, and soon, there arrived on the scene, Sage Suka, the son of Vyasa. Parikshit was thrilled to see the sage, for this was the best opportunity for him to learn the story of Krishna as well as his own forefathers, for the sage had learnt these stories from his father, the man who had composed the epics himself!

It was then that Suka narrated to Parikshit and the other sages, the story of Lord Vishnu – his many forms as well his teachings, his advice to people, and the rules of good living. This is what is today known as the ‘Srimad Bhagavatham’.

Having related the story of the lord in the seven days left to Parikshit, the sage left, blessing the king, saying, “O King, you have been blessed, using your last moments to listen to the name of the Lord. In the age of Kali, where even taking the Lord’s name gives salvation, you have already gained your place in heaven. Go and meet your fate with open arms.”

Soon after, when Takshak arrived to perform his duty of killing the king, he found that Parikshit had already merged with the Krishna he adored. It was only the physical body that he bit and turned to ash.

Parikshit lived a short life, but he attained greatness through his thoughts and actions. He paid dearly for one mistake – giving in to anger. His story reminds us never to give in to negative emotions such as anger, and remain in control of our senses.

Hanuman

Hanuman – just the name of the great Vanara warrior brings to mind his extraordinary strength and his devotion to Rama. Indeed, he is the ultimate superhero of Indian mythology!

Hanuman idol at Navabrindavanam at Anegundi near Hampi.
To know more about this place, click here. 

There are many legends concerning the birth of Hanuman. He was the son of Anjana, an apsara cursed to take the form of a monkey, who married Kesari, a Vanara (a tribe of monkeys) chieftain. But Hanuman was also the son of Vayu, who blessed Anjana with a child who would have his immense strength. It is also said that Hanuman was a form of Lord Shiva, who had appeared on earth to help Lord Vishnu, in his form as Rama, fight the demons. Thus, Hanuman was no ordinary Vanara, but one marked out, by divine will, for great deeds.

As a child, he was known as Anjaneya – the son of Anjana, and was very mischievous, and constantly kept the household on their toes by his antics. One day, he caught sight of the rising sun through the leaves of a mango tree, and mistook it to be a luscious mango. He jumped into the air, trying to catch it, and, with the power of Vayu behind him, soon approached the sun. The sun god, Surya, was alarmed seeing someone hurtling through the air towards him, and summoned Indra, the king of the gods. Indra, without stopping to notice that it was just a child, hurled his Vajra – the thunderbolt, which struck Anjaneya on the chin, making him unconscious. Vayu scooped up his falling son, and attempted to revive him, but with no success. In his anger, he drew all the air from the three worlds, suffocating all forms of life. Brahma and the other gods rushed to Vayu and made amends, reviving his son and giving him special powers. It was then that he earned the name ‘Hanuman’ – the mark of the thunderbolt having been left on his chin (Hanu in Sanskrit).

As he grew older, Hanuman grew even more mischievous, using his special powers to trouble the people around him, having fun at their expense. One day, he troubled a rishi to the extent that the sage cursed him to forget his special powers! However, knowing of the deeds Hanuman was born to perform, the sage added a clause that he would recollect all his powers at the appropriate time, when someone reminded him.

The loss of his powers turned Hanuman to better deeds, and he was accepted by Surya as his pupil. Once Surya had taught him all he could, as Guru Dakshina, he asked that Hanuman go to the aid of Sugreeva (a Vanara king, who was one of the sons of Surya) when the time came. Hanuman promised to do so, and took his leave from his guru.

The time for Hanuman to fulfill his pledge came when Sugreeva was exiled from his own kingdom by his brother, Vali. He joined Sugreeva and his band of Vanaras on the Rishyamukha Mountain, which Sugreeva had made his abode. It was there that he realized his purpose in life, when he met Rama.

Rama had been exiled from Ayodhya for 14 years, and was living in the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. Hearing the beauty of Sita and enamored by her, the demon king Ravana kidnapped her and took her away to his far off kingdom of Lanka.

Rama and Lakshmana wandered around the forests searching for Sita. They were directed to Sugreeva by well wishers, and finally arrived at the Rishyamukha Mountain. Sugreeva was suspicious about all strangers in the vicinity, assuming them all to be spies sent by his brother, so he sent Hanuman to find out their identity. No sooner had Rama introduced himself that Hanuman felt a strange kinship with him, and he gladly took them to Sugreeva.

Sugreeva and the other Vanaras had seen the beautiful woman being carried away by the demon, but had no idea who she was. They, had, however, collected and kept carefully, the pieces of jewelry she had thrown from the skies towards them. Rama identified the jewelry as his wife’s, and wept for her. Steeling himself to avenge her humiliation, he asked Sugreeva’s help in locating and freeing Sita from the clutches of the demon.

Sugreeva agreed to help him, provided Rama helped him get his kingdom back. Accordingly, Rama killed Vali and made Sugreeva the king, and in turn, Sugreeva sent his Vanaras in all the directions to search for Sita.

Hanuman was part of the Vanara group which went south. After much searching, they arrived at the ocean, tired and dispirited. There was no place left to search, yet they had found no sign of Sita. As they prepared to abandon their search, they met an aged vulture, Sampati, who told them that Sita had been taken across the ocean to Lanka, the abode of Ravana.

The Vanaras jumped and shouted in jubilation, but only for a while, for they realized that they still had a long way to go – across the ocean, in fact. Crossing the ocean was an impossible task, but they could not return without news of Sita either!

While the Vanaras argued and discussed amongst themselves, one of them sat apart, deep in gloom. It was Hanuman, who felt even more than the others the responsibility entrusted to him, and had the deep desire to bring Rama news of Sita.

The aged and wise bear, Jambavan, who, along with his army of bears was aiding the Vanaras in their mission, knew that the time had come for Hanuman to realize his abilities, and reminded him of his powers and the curse which had made him forget them.

At once, Hanuman was conscious of a great strength, and the capability of doing the impossible. He willed himself to grow in stature till he stood taller than the tallest hills on the sea shore, and with a thrust which pushed one of those hills into the earth, leaped into the air and flew over the ocean!

He met many obstacles on the way, but he met them all with his strength and intelligence, and landed on the island of Lanka. Overpowering the guardian of the city, he entered the city and after a long search, found Sita imprisoned in the Ashoka Van. He introduced himself to Sita and proved his good intentions by showing her a ring he had brought from Rama. He volunteered to carry Sita back to Rama at once, but this the virtuous lady refused, as it would not be right. She wanted her husband to be the one to free her from the demon. Finally, he reassured Sita that her Lord would soon come to Lanka and defeat Ravana, and avenge her humiliation.

His mission accomplished, Hanuman pondered on a way to reassure Sita further and put the fear of Rama into the hearts of the people, as well as the king of Lanka. He created a disturbance in the gardens, and killed the guards sent to catch him, inviting the army to a fight. He fought bravely and succeeded in killing quite a few demons before allowing himself to be caught and taken to the palace, so that he could meet the demon king.

He warned Ravana to set Sita free at once, for Rama was on his way to redeem his wife, but Ravana laughed at the impertinence of the monkey, and ordered his tail set on fire. With the name of Rama on his lips, Hanuman allowed his tail to be set on fire, but the fire did not scorch him. Instead, he managed to set the city on fire, leaving only the Ashoka van unblemished, before setting out on his return journey.

The good news spurred the army to move faster, and soon the army of monkeys and bears with Rama leading them reached the ocean. A bridge was built of stones, boulders and hills with the name of Rama inscribed on them, and the army crossed the ocean with ease and reached Lanka. Once again, Ravana was offered peace, provided he set Sita free, but Ravana preferred to fight, and so the war began.

Hanuman was one of the bravest warriors, killing many demons with his great strength, and making a name for himself by his valorous deeds. When Lakshmana was fatally wounded by Indrajit, the son of Ravana, the physician Sushena announced that the only herb capable of saving Lakshmana was the Sanjeevani, which grew on the Dronagiri Mountain in the Himalayas. But the Himalayas were far, far away, and the herb had to be brought back before sunrise for it to work! How was it possible?

For Hanuman, nothing was impossible, and he set out for the Himalayas, taking his immense form, and flying through the air. Ravana learnt of his intention and sent his uncle, the dreaded Kalanemi to stop him, but Hanuman killed Kalanemi and reached the mountain. However, here he encountered a problem he had not anticipated. The mountain was covered with herbs, and he was unable to identify the right one. There was no time to lose, so he simply lifted the whole mountain and flew back to Lanka!

The Vanaras were stunned at the sight of Hanuman carrying the mountain, but they set to work, collecting the right herbs and reviving not just Lakshmana, but all the Vanaras who had been wounded. After the war was over, Hanuman made the journey again, to replace the mountain at its rightful place.

Hanuman showed his prowess yet again, when Ravana’s half-brothers Ahi Ravana and Mahi Ravana captured Rama and Lakshmana and took them to the netherworld, Patala. It was Hanuman, who bravely entered the nether regions, and rescued the brothers, after killing the twin demons.

Hanuman had formed a very special bond with Rama, and it was Hanuman who was deputed to go to Bharata and inform him of Rama’s return, since the period of exile was over.

Rama’s coronation was a great and much anticipated event, which was attended by the entire army who had helped Rama. After the coronation was over, Rama and Sita gifted everyone with expensive gifts. When it was the turn of Hanuman, Sita took off one of her own pearl necklaces and handed it to Hanuman.  Everyone was surprised when Hanuman did not show much enthusiasm over the gift, but instead, scrutinized each pearl and appeared unsatisfied. Finally, Sita asked him if he was unhappy with the gift, to which Hanuman replied, “Of what use is something which does not have Rama in it?” This answer stunned everyone, and finally one of them asked flippantly, “If that is so, is Rama inside you too?”  Hanuman did not utter a word, but simply tore his chest open, and there, in plain view to everyone, were Rama and Sita! Such was the devotion and love of Hanuman towards Rama!

When Rama decided to go back to heaven, he asked those who wanted to join him, to come along. While most of the Vanaras and his citizens elected to accompany Rama, Hanuman had a unique request – he wanted to stay on earth till the name of Rama was venerated by the people! Rama granted Hanuman the boon of immortality so that he could forever dwell where the name of Rama was taken with love and reverence.

It is said that Hanuman arrives whenever the name of Rama is chanted, and comes to the aid of those who chant Rama’s name. Such is the devotion of Hanuman!