Greetings, I am Tu Na Rin, a Sanatani.
Today, I am sharing with you the story of the birth of Hanuman Ji (Anjananandan Hanuman).
Long ago, in the Kishkindha region, there lived a great Vanara named Kesari. He was courageous, righteous, and a devotee of Shiva. His wife was Anjana. According to legend, Anjana was an apsara in her previous life who, due to a curse, was born as a Vanari (monkey woman). The curse would only be lifted when she gave birth to a radiant and divine son. Both Anjana and Kesari were devoted to God and wished for a child who could serve the welfare of the world.
At the same time, in another part of the story, King Dasharatha performed the Putreshti Yajna, and as a result, a divine kheer (sweet rice) appeared from the fire. This kheer was divided and given to Kaikeyi, Kausalya, and Sumitra. From this divine offering, Lord Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna were born. Some versions of the story say that a small portion of this divine kheer was carried by Garuda, the king of birds, or by Vayu (the wind god) to reach Anjana, thus giving Hanuman his divine essence. This is why Hanuman Ji is also called Vayuputra—the son of the wind god.
The Valmiki Ramayana does not describe Hanuman’s birth in detail but refers to him as “Marut-suta” (son of the wind) and “Kesari-nandan” (son of Kesari), making it clear that his earthly father was Kesari and his spiritual support came from Vayu. Later Puranas and devotional texts expand this story, mentioning that Anjana performed penance to Shiva, and Vayu infused her womb with divine energy, resulting in the birth of Hanuman. Some texts even describe Hanuman as an aspect of Shiva.
When the time came, Anjana gave birth to a radiant Vanara child—Hanuman. His appearance, strength, agility, and brilliance immediately revealed that he was no ordinary monkey child. Hanuman’s mind was extremely playful and fearless.
One famous childhood story describes how young Hanuman once saw the rising sun in the morning and, mistaking it for a ripe red fruit, leaped towards it, saying, “What a beautiful red fruit! I will eat it.”
He jumped into the sky, flying toward the sun with incredible speed. The Sun God and even Indra were astonished by his rapid ascent. Fearing interference, Indra struck Hanuman with his thunderbolt. The blow hit Hanuman on his chin (hanu), causing him to fall unconscious. This incident is one reason he is called Hanuman.
Seeing this, Vayu became furious and withdrew all the air from the universe. All beings—gods, humans, animals—became restless. The gods, including Brahma and Indra, intervened and pacified Vayu. Hanuman was restored to life and blessed:
- Indra gave him protection from the thunderbolt.
- Brahma granted him fearlessness.
- Varuna ensured water could not harm him.
- Agni gave him immunity from fire.
- Yama gave him longevity.
- Kubera gave him freedom from fear of wealth.
- Most importantly, Vayu granted him strength, speed, and indomitable energy.
Thus, from childhood, Hanuman was blessed by multiple gods. These boons prepared him to become the greatest devotee and mighty hero in the service of Lord Rama.
Hanuman’s childhood was full of mischief and playfulness. He would sometimes disrupt the penance of sages by lifting mountains, sun, or objects from ashrams. The sages, out of love and to maintain order, gave him a special blessing—he would forget his immense strength until someone reminded him. Later, during the Ramayana, Jambavan reminded Hanuman of his power, awakening his latent strength and enabling him to leap across the ocean.
Thus, Hanuman’s birth is not just the story of a monkey child but a divine convergence of blessings, Vayu’s energy, Shiva’s essence, and preparation for the great Ram Lila. Anjana’s penance, Kesari’s strength, Vayu’s touch, the gods’ blessings, and his role in Ramayana all combined to make Hanuman not just a character, but a living symbol of devotion, strength, humility, and service.
References:
- Valmiki Ramayana – Kishkindha and Sundara Kanda, where Hanuman is referred to as “Marut-suta” and “Kesari-nandan.”
- Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana, Ninth Skanda – references Hanuman’s role in Ram Lila and his connection to Vayu.
- Shiva Purana and other texts describe Anjana’s penance, Vayu’s infusion of divine energy, and Hanuman as a partial incarnation of Shiva.
- Later Puranic texts and Hanuman Mahatmya elaborate on Hanuman’s childhood deeds, the Sun incident, Indra’s thunderbolt, and the blessings of various gods.
This divine story of Hanuman’s birth shows how devotion, strength, and humility together form the foundation of protecting dharma. If you want to explain the playful and heroic deeds of Anjananandan Hanuman to children, youth, or devotees, sharing this story in simple language will inspire them deeply.
Author / Writer: Tu Na Rin 🔱
Published By: Sanatan Samvad
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