Jai Shree Hanuman – the Chiranjeevi

Jai Shree Hanuman – the Chiranjeevi
“ॐ हनुमते नमः”

Shree Hanuman is one of the most revered deities across India. The worship of Hanuman cuts across sects and communities of Hindus. Vaishnavas worship Garuda and Hanumān alike as the mounts of Vishnu. Shaivas worship Hanuman as an incarnation of Shiva or the eleventh Rudra. Hanumān is also a manifestation of Shakti. The tantrikas worship one-headed, five-headed and eleven-headed Hanuman for spiritual attainment. Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of Vaishnava philosophy, called himself the incarnation of Hanuman. Hanuman ji is one of the Chiranjeevis (immortals) who lives in all four ages.
 
Besides being a popular deity in Hinduism, Hanuman is also found in Jainism and Buddhism. Outside of India, Hanuman is known in countries which were influenced by the Hindu culture such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
 
Hanuman as Chiranjeevi:
Tulsidas ji has mentioned that splendor of Hanuman ji fills all the four ages and his glory is famed throughout the world (चारों जुग परताप तुह्मारा । है परसिद्ध जगत उजियारा ॥२९॥ Hanuman Chalisa)

1. Vedic Roots: Hanuman finds mention in ancient scriptures such as in Vedas (hymn 10.86 of the Rigveda), in Purans (Mahabhagvata Purana, the Skanda Purana, the Brhaddharma Purana and the Mahanataka etc.).
2. Hanuman ji is worshipped with Vaishno Devi. As per scriptures, Hanuman ji guarded at the cave entrance, where Vaishno Devi was meditating for nine months, before she came out of cave. There is a stream called Ban Ganga (Ban literally means an arrow), where Devi used her arrow to take out a stream of water from the hill, to quench the thirst of Hanuman when he became thirsty. Hanuman also fought with Bhairavnath before Vaishno Devi asked him to leave Bhairavnath to her. 
3. Treta Yug: Hanuman is central character in Ramayana.  
4. Dwaper Yug: Hanuman finds mention in Mahabharata.
5. First mention of Shri Hanuman was during the exile of Pandava. Bhima meets shri Hanuman in the forest while Shri Hanuman took a form of an old monkey. Basically the whole incident happened to remove the pride of Mighty Bhima. Bhima enters a field where Hanuman is lying with his tail blocking the way. Bhima, unaware of the monkey's identity, told him to remove it; in response, Hanuman tells him to remove it himself. Bhima tries with all his might but is unable to separate the tail from its owner. Being the mighty warrior that he was, Bhima quickly comes to the conclusion that this monkey must be much more powerful than him. Hanuman reveals his identity, and the two brothers embrace one another.
6. Second time the Shri Hanuman meets Arjuna when the later questions the strategy of Shri Ram to use monkey for constructing bridge to cross the sea. It is during this encounter that Shri Hanuman promised to protect Arjuna in the war. This incident was precipitated by an earlier encounter between Hanuman and Arjuna wherein Hanuman appeared as a small talking monkey before Arjuna at Rameshwaram, where Sri Rama had built the great bridge to cross over to Lanka and rescue Sita. When Arjuna wondered out aloud as to why Sri Rama's accepted the help of monkeys rather than building a bridge of arrows by himself, Hanuman (in the form of the little monkey) challenged him to build one capable of beating him alone, and Arjuna, unaware of the monkey's true identity, accepted. Hanuman then proceeded to destroy the bridges Arjuna created one after another, and as a result Arjuna became depressed, deciding to take his own life. Vishnu then appeared before them both, chiding Arjuna for his vanity and Hanuman for making the accomplished warrior Arjuna feel incompetent. In another version, when Arjuna becomes suicidal, Lord Krishna places his Sudarshana Chakra (Discus) below Arjuna's final bridge of arrows, preventing Hanuman from breaking the bridge. As an act of penitence for his behavior, Hanuman decides to help Arjuna by fortifying his chariot before the imminent battle. Accordingly, legend suggests that Hanuman is one of only three people who heard the Gita from Lord Sri Krishna himself, the other two being Arjuna and the poet Sanjaya.
7. Third mention of Shri Hanuman in Mahabharata was during the War. Shri Hanuman was present in the flag of the chariot of Arjuna. Shri Hanuman presence on the chariot protected the chariot from turning into ashes.

 

1. Kali Yug: A few learned and wise people have reported seeing him. Sage Madhavarcharya was said to have been graced with Lord Hanuman’s visit in 13th Century AD. In early 1600s, Lord Hanuman apparently visited Tulsidas and inspired him to write the Hindi Ramayana entitled Ram Charit Mans. Samarth Ramadas Swami (17th Century), Raghavendra Swami and Swami Ramdas were all have been said to have got the darshan of Lord Hanuman as well.

The legends about the Birth, Birth places, forms  of Hanuman ji is mentioned hereunder:
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Birth
There are four different myths about divine birth Hanuman. He was born to Anjana and father Kesari, from union of Shiva & Vishnu, Vayu’s role (wind god) in his birth, eating of divine pudding by mother Anjana (prasada of Putrakama yajna performed by King Dashratha).
 
Birth place
Multiple places in India are claimed as the birthplace of Hanuman such as Anjaneya Hill, located near the Risyamukha mountain on the banks of the Pampa in Hampi, Karnataka;  Anjan, a small village about 18 km away from Gumla; Anjaneri mountain, located 7 km from Trimbakeshwar in the Nasik district; Gokarna, situated in west coast of Karnataka.
 
Forms of Hanuman

1. Hanuman ji assumed tiny form when appeared before Mata Sita, in awesome guise burned Lanka and took dreadful form to slaughter demons.
2. One of the very rare forms of Hanuman, he assumed it only once to kill the demon Ahiravan was that of Panch-mukhi Hanumna. Ahiravan was the brother of Ravan, who had kidnapped Ram and Lakshman and taken them away to the Nether world. The only way to kill Ahiravan was to extinguish 5 lamps in 5 different directions, which he did with this form. The 5 faces of Hanuman, apart from himself are that of Narasimha (lion), Garuda (eagle), Varaha (boar) and Hayagriva (horse).
3. To counter ten faces of Ravana, Hanuman ji assumed a rare form of Ekadashi Mukh (eleven faces).   

Festival:
Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in different dates as per regional beliefs. However, Hanuman Jayanti falling in the month of Chaitra (Chaitra Purnima – March,April) is having great significance and widely celebrated across India, especially in North Indian states. On the day, devotees observe the following:

1. A day long fasting is performed.
2. Visit Hanuman temple and have his darshan.
3. Devotees donate red vermillion i.e., Sindoor to God Hanuman.
4. The main ritual on this day is ‘Shodashopachara Hanuman Puja’
5. Devotees meditate on Bajarangbali and his God Rama.
6. Memorialize Hanuman Chalisa
7. Devotees spend the whole day in repeating his adventures and glories.

 
 
Reference:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman
2. www.hindupedia.com/en/Hanuman
3. https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/just-sharing-hanuman