Folk Lore Notes. Vol. I—Gujarat

by A. M. T. Jackson

CHAPTER II.

HEROIC GODLINGS

Several stories, in addition to the legend of the Rāmāyana, are related of the birth of the god Hanumān. Dasharatha, king of Ayodhyā, being childless, once performed a sacrifice with the hope of thereby obtaining male issue. On the completion of the ceremony a heavenly being rose out of the sacrificial fire and presented the king with a celestial preparation, called pāyas, which he directed the king to give to his wives if he desired a son. The king divided the divine gift among his three queens; but the share of one of them was snatched away by an eagle. It was dropped into the hands of Anjanī, who was herself childless, and was practising austerities for the sake of obtaining a son. On partaking of the pāyas, Anjanī conceived, and the son born to her was afterwards known as the god Hanumān.

Another story relates how Anjanī was one of those persons who helped Indra in his evil designs on Ahalyā, the wife of Gautama. She had on that account been cursed by Gautama, and threatened with the birth of a fatherless child. To prevent the curse from taking effect, Anjanī buried herself in the ground as far as her waist, and began to observe religious austerities in the hope of propitiating Shiva. The latter was pleased with her devotion, and sent her a mantra through Nārada, who was ordered to deliver it in her ear. Vāyu, the god of wind, forced the mantra into her womb, and she conceived a son named Hanumān. This son had the form of a monkey, because, at the time of conception, Anjanī happened to behold a monkey, named Keshi, on a neighbouring tree.

Hanumān is a chiranjīva, i.e., one of those seven[1] persons who are to live for ever and are therefore considered to be immortal. He is represented as possessed of miraculous strength, and his body is vajramaya, i.e., adamantine. When Sītā was carried off by Rāvana, it was he who crossed the sea and brought news about her to Rāma. When Ahi and Mahi, two cousins of Rāvana, carried off Rāma and Lakshmana by magic and decided to offer them as victims to their favourite goddess Panoti, Hanumān entered the temple of Panoti, crushed her under his feet, and released Rāma and Lakshmana. Hence he is known as the conqueror of Panoti. After the death of Rāvana, Hanumān was left to guard the kingdom of Lankā, which was conferred by Rāma on Bibhīshana, the brother of Rāvana.[2]

Hanumān is an incarnation of one of the eleven Rudras,[3][4] is a brahmachāri (i.e., one who has taken the vow of celibacy), a powerful and benevolent deity, and a giver of many blessings. At the same time, he is considered to be the master-deity of all bhuts, prets, pishāchas, (ghosts, goblins, fiends), of dākans (witches), shakans, chudel, vantri, of the forty-nine virs (male fiends), of the fifty-two vetāls, of yakshas and yakshinis and of all evil spirits in general, who are believed to obey his commands.[5] Vows are observed in honour of Hanumān if a person is possessed by a bhut or a pret, or if he is scared by a jhapat (sudden encounter) with a devil, or if he happens to step inadvertently within the kundalan[6] of an utār. Persons who are possessed by evil spirits are exorcised by the bhuvas by reciting the zanzira mantra in honour of Hanumān.[7]

Kāli-Chaudas, i.e., the 14th day of dark half of Ashvin[8] is considered to be the most favourable day for practising the black art; and the god Hanumān is accordingly worshipped with much ceremony by bhuvas on that day.[5]

All bhuts, prets and spirits are thus believed to obey the commands of the god Hanumān. In the course of a sādhana (i.e. the process of procuring the fulfilment of certain desires through the favour and by the agency of spirits) the latter are conjured in the name of Hanumān, so that the sādhana may not prove inefficacious. For this purpose the Hanumān raksha mantra is repeated one hundred and eight times before the image of the god, the devotee remaining standing all the time. A lamp of clarified butter is also lighted, and frankincense is burnt. The mantra runs as follows:—‘Om namo Hanumān bālā ghatapīdam, pānikā rakhavālā, lohaki kothadi, bajarkā tālā, deva-dānava-kumār, nikal Hanumān āsan, Mahādev bāsan, Hanumān hathēla, bajarkā khīlā.’ It is neither pure Sanskrit, nor Gujarāti, nor Hindustāni, but roughly it means:—‘Bow to the young Hanumān, the tormentor of ghata, the guardian of water, the iron-safe, the lock of vajra, the son of the gods and the demons. Take your seat, the receptacle of Mahadev, O stubborn god, O Nail of adamant.’ After the repetition of the mantra, four nails are driven into the four corners of the seat of the votary, and it is believed that the sādhana is thus rendered sure of success.[9]

The god Hanumān is sometimes worshipped when a serious epidemic is to be warded off. The usual mode of propitiating him in such cases, and also in exorcising spirits, is to pour red lead and oil over his image, to make an offering of udad seeds (Phaseolus radiatus) and molasses, and to invest the image with a wreath of one hundred and eight flowers of ānkadā[10] or of as many leaves or berries of the same plant.[11]

The influence of the god is believed to be so powerful in some places that it is said that a bhut or a pishācha is at once exorcised from the body of a person who observes certain ceremonies there. In some places the mere sight of the image of the god has the same effect, and it is believed that ghosts shriek and fly from the bodies of possessed persons, if these visit the images of Hanumān. In Kodolia, about half a mile to the west of Lilapur in Gujarāt, there is a temple of Hanumān where persons suffering from fever go on a Saturday, and take a meal before 2 p. m. at which time the god goes out to graze his cows. This proceeding is believed to work a cure in cases of fever and is called anagah.[12] A mere glance at the temple of Hanumān at Khandia and Saranghur, or of that image which is known as ‘Bhīd-bhanjan,’ is sufficient to drive out evil spirits from the bodies of possessed persons.[13] The same virtue is attributed to the images of Hanumān at Bhurakhia, near Lathi and at Nariana, near Dhrangadhra, in Jhalavar,[14] Kathiawar.[14]