Amazing Facts about Lord Hanuman

Hanuman is always remembered as an ardent devotee of Rama, and an epitome of piety. He is a manifestation of Shiva and one of the important deities in the Hindu pantheon who is worshipped with a lot of fervor. Reading or listening to his stories brings many benefits for devotees. There are several legends and amazing facts about him.

1. He was a staunch devotee of Rama and was instrumental in helping Rama rescue Goddess Sita. In the Mahabharata epic, he appeared before the Pandava prince, Bheema, and was also present on the flag of the chariot in which Prince Arjuna was seated when the Kurukshetra war began. He is also worshipped in several other faiths under other names.
2. He is a God portrayed as a monkey. The word ‘Hanuman’ is a compound name, derived from two Sanskrit words. The word ‘Hanu’ means ‘jaw’ in Sanskrit, and ‘man’ means ‘disfigured’. It is also evident from the ancient texts that his jaw was disfigured during his childhood days.
3. As a young child, Hanuman flew straight to the sun and tried to swallow it, thinking that it was a fruit. When Indra tried to attack him with Vajra, his weapon, he fell on earth and his jaw got disfigured.
4. It was because of a curse that the mother of Hanuman named Anjana was born as an ape. She was originally a celestial nymph named Punjikasthala. She was also a beautiful maiden whose appearance could mesmerize people. She was cursed by a sage who was offended by her rude comments.
5. It is believed that he is one of the four people who heard the divine recital of Bhagwad Gita directly from Krishna when he was advising Arjuna during the war. He has also seen the Vishwarupa form, the gigantic manifestations of Lord Krishna, during the great Kurukshetra war. The other three people who also listened to Bhagwad Gita are Arjuna, Sanjaya and Barbarika, son of Ghatotkacha.
6. Hanuman also created his version of Ramayana, which is considered superior to Sage Valmiki’s composition.
7. He is considered as one among the seven Immortals, who are called “Chiranjeevi”.
8. Once when Sita offered him a pearl garland, he refused to accept it as he was unable to find the presence of Rama. When he opened his chest, to everyone’s astonishment, Rama was visible there.
9. Agni or the Fire God granted a wish that fire would not burn him. Thus, he set fire to entire Srilanka to rescue Sita.
10. Suvarchala, daughter of Surya, is believed to be the consort of Hanuman, though many of them believe that he is a “Brahmachari”, or a bachelor.

Thus, the chronicles of Lord Hanuman are magnificent. His benevolence would always be available to his devotees who request him to shower his grace upon them.