Puttugam2

We have discussed earlier that sorrows do not afflict persons who serve Hanuman as he drives away their sorrows and instills courage into them. In addition, He solves their problems and ensures that they emerge victorious. Their desires also get fulfilled.

A long time ago, in the city of Varanasi there lived a poor devotee by name Dharmika. He resided within the Rama vatika (garden), by the banks of the River Ganga. He was contented with whatever meager food he could fetch and supported his family with it. He had a son by name Dharmakeerti. True to his name this noble boy possessed many great traits. He was well educated and served his elders in all humility.

The dire poverty faced by the father and the struggle he went through to procure even the basic needs caused great distress to Dharmakeerti. He felt very sorry that they had to face such hardships. He resolved that he should support and sustain his family through some means or the other. With this intention, one day, without informing anyone, he silently left home.

He traversed through the country on foot. During this travel he reached the sacred pilgrimage centre Gokarna. Strange! While he was having the darshan of Lord Gokarneshwara (Lord Shiva), the subtle tendencies from his past births enveloped him completely and he was immersed in devotion towards this Lord.

Quite a few people experience this. When they visit certain sacred pilgrim centres, the impressions of their past births magnetize them towards the deity. Dharmakeerti completely forgot all about his family. Even forgetting himself, he began to earnestly worship and serve Lord Gokarneshwara. He turned out to be an ardent devotee of this Lord.

Days passed into months. Dharmakeerti was completely involved in this service to the Lord and was totally oblivious to everything else. Here, at Kashi, his father began to worry about him. All his efforts to trace his son were futile. It appeared as if he had disappeared forever. This grieving father began to enquire the whereabouts of his son from every person he came across.

Once it so happened that a great Mahatma by the name of Sutapta approached Dhaarmika. Understanding the anguish of the father, Sutapta advised him to worship Hanuman. Dhaarmika was told that there is a mantra of Hanuman, the recitation of which reveals the past, as well as the future happenings. It is known as the Swapna Anjaneya mantra. Sutapta continued, “I will initiate you into this mantra. Keep your goal solely fixed on Hanuman. Lord Hanuman himself will bring your son back to you.”

Dhaarmika was initiated into this Swapna Anjaneya mantra. While leaving, Sutapta reassured him that Lord Hanuman himself will inform him the whereabouts of his son and the time period as to when he would return.

With a firm resolve, fixing his mind totally on Lord Hanuman, Dhaarmika began his mantra japa. After a certain period of time, one night, Hanuman appeared in his dream and said, “Dharmika, do not grieve. Your son Dharmakeerti is healthy and he is in the sacred place of Gokarna. He is happily immersed in offering services to Lord Shiva. I am appearing before you only to give you this good news about your son. Please understand that I am Swapna Hanumanta.  May good befall you” so saying, Hanuman disappeared.

Dharmika woke up and shared this joyful news with everyone around him. Exactly at this time, in Gokarna, Lord Gokarneshwara reminded Dharmakeerti of his family back home. He was asked to return to them. By this time, Dharmakeerti had totally washed away all his bad karmas.

In accordance with the order of Lord Gokarneshwara, Dharmakeerti returned home and brought joy to all his family members. He lived happily thereafter.

Ardent worship of Hanuman ensures that the person gets back the lost items. It brings peace. In addition, the person also brings joy to all people around him. Such are the results obtained through the worship of Swapna Anjaneya swamy.

For successful completion of different tasks, there is a procedure of worshipping different mantras of Hanuman.

Om Namo Hanumate Namah

The frightened citizens agreed to vacate the village by the next day and returned to their homes. That night they fasted completely and prayed earnestly to Lord Hanuman to protect them from the demon. ‘We have no other refuge apart from you Lord Hanuman’ they prayed. Hanuman heard their pleas. He appeared in the dream of one of the Brahmins and said, “Tomorrow morning go to Durmukha and preach to him. Tell him that many great warriors of limitless reputation tried to subdue and play pranks with this earth, but none of them could emerge successful. One day everyone has to bid goodbye to this land. It is inevitable. Say to him, ‘Where now will we go leaving this land? Anyway, you too have to leave it one day’. If he does not heed this good advice, then I will take appropriate action. Do not be scared”.

Next morning the Brahmins preached the same to Durmukha. Hearing this, Durmukha was further enraged. His face turned even more ugly. He roared once again, “Who are you to preach me thus? I want you to vacate the city right now.” He thus continued to threaten the villagers. The villagers were absolutely terrified and they ran back into their village. They continued to pray to Hanuman earnestly.

Hanuman understood the happenings at the village and took on the form of a very large monkey. It was a gigantic monkey and it was moving about the vicinity of Durmukha’s army.             The demon’s army shivered upon seeing this enormous monkey and ran to their king and said, “O King, there is an oversized large monkey hovering around this place. Suppose it brings a large mountain and places it over us, we will all be smashed under it. Let us please save our lives. Let us leave these Brahmins and not trouble them anymore. After all, they have not caused us any harm, have they?”

To reassure his army, Durmukha shifted the army camp from that place to another place close by. The next morning as the army was approaching Hanumatpura, they realized that the large monkey had carried a mountain and placed it exactly at the spot where their army had camped on the previous day. Durmukha shivered seeing this sight. This brought a major transformation in him. He revered the Brahmins of that village and gave away many more villages as gifts to those Brahmins. He became a great devotee of Lord Hanuman.

This story when read with a casual attitude will not have any great effect upon us. We should realize that Durmukha had with him a vast army of mighty powerful demons. The sight of this large monkey could bring about fear in them. Tell me, is it possible to lift and shift a mountain? If someone were to really do this, then what can be said about his might and prowess? Can such a feat be performed using demonic energy? Even using the power of mantra, one cannot achieve this feat. Being the life force (prana), Hanuman could accomplish this. The Brahmins of the village had placed their complete faith in Him. To them, he was their God and saviour and hence he would never let them down.

Hanuman eternally protects those, who have placed their implicit faith in Him, at every step of their life. There are many such stories which teach to us the greatness of this Lord. How many ever are told, they always fall short.

Om Namo Hanumate Namah