Lord Shiva and Sri Rama Bhakta Hanumanji

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The Mystery of Hanuman - Inspiring Tales from Art and Mythology

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Once Shiva and Parvati, ever the adventurous lovers, decided to

transform themselves into monkeys and indulge in amorous games in the

dense Himalayan forests. During a climactic moment, the seed of Shiva

found its mark and impregnated Parvati. Since they were in simian form

it was but natural that the offspring born of such a union too would

be a monkey. Not desiring to go against the laws of nature, Shiva

directed the wind god Vayu to carry his semen from Parvati's womb, and

deposit it into that of Anjana - a female monkey, who at that very

moment was praying for a male child.

 

Another slightly variant version of this story in the Shiva Purana

states that when Vishnu once disguised himself as the heavenly beauty

Mohini, her charms so impressed Shiva that he could not restrain his

seed. Vayu then carried the seed and deposited it into Anjana's womb.

There was no question of Shiva's potent discharge resulting in an

offspring less than extraordinary and the child conceived under such

exceptional circumstances was bound to be especial, and so it was. The

resulting bundle of joy was none other than Hanuman, one of the most

celebrated and worshipped figures in Indian thought.

 

Two exceptional traits further marked his birth. The first was that

unlike ordinary children, Hanuman was born wearing a loincloth. This

was an early pointer to his life-long pursuit of a celibate, almost

ascetic lifestyle. The other significant occurrence was the presence

of elaborate earrings adorning his ears. The latter has an interesting

piece of legend explaining it:

 

At the time of Hanuman's birth, the undisputed leader of the

monkey-world was Vali, a strong and powerful ape. When Vali came to

know that Anjana was pregnant with a child who was bound to develop

into a powerful rival, he decided to end matters in Anjana's womb

itself. He created a missile using five metals: gold, silver, copper,

iron and tin. When the unsuspecting mother was asleep, he directed the

missile into her womb. A normal child may have succumbed to this

dastardly attack, but not one born of Shiva's fiery seed. The missile

as soon as it touched Hanuman's body melted, and transformed into a

pair of earrings. Thus wearing the trophies of his first battle,

fought while still in his mother's womb, Hanuman gloriously entered

this world.

 

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Jaya Sri Radhey!