Here are 10 interesting facts about Lord Hanuman:
1. Hanuman had five brothers, all of whom were married. This is mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana, which describes Hanuman's father, Kesari, and his lineage. Hanuman's brothers were named Matiman, Shrutiman, Ketuman, Gatiman, and Dhritiman, and they all had offspring, extending their lineage for many years.
2. Hanuman is considered an avatar of Lord Shiva. Anjana, a celestial nymph, was once cursed to be born on Earth as a monkey. Seeking redemption, she performed intense prayers to Lord Shiva, who blessed her with a son, Hanuman.
3. The name "Hanuman" in Sanskrit means "disfigured jaw." In his childhood, Hanuman's name was "Maruti." Once, as a child, he mistook the sun for a fruit and tried to catch it, causing darkness to spread over the world. Angered by this, Indra, the king of gods, struck Maruti with his weapon, which disfigured his jaw. Since then, he was called Hanuman.
4. Despite being celibate, Hanuman was the father of a son named Makardhwaja. After burning down Lanka, Hanuman plunged into the sea to cool his body. Some sweat drops from his body were swallowed by a fish, which gave birth to Makardhwaja.
5. Hanuman and Bhima, the second Pandava brother in the Mahabharata, were both brothers. Bhima was also born due to the blessings of Lord Vayu, the wind god, making him Hanuman's brother.
6. Hanuman authored the Ramayana. After the coronation of Lord Rama, Hanuman went to the Himalayas and inscribed the story of Lord Rama on the mountain walls with his nails. When Sage Valmiki heard about this, he was saddened as he felt his own version of the Ramayana would not be appreciated. To respect Valmiki's work, Hanuman erased his version.
7. Hanuman was also known as "Bajrangbali" because of an incident with Sita. When Hanuman questioned Sita about why she applied sindoor (vermilion) on her forehead, she replied that it was for the long life of Lord Rama, her husband. Hanuman then decided to apply sindoor all over his body, believing it would prolong Rama's life.
8. Hanuman was present when Lord Rama decided to leave his human form. When Rama decided to end his human life, he ordered Hanuman to find his ring, which he intentionally dropped into a crack in the floor. While Hanuman was away searching for the ring, Rama left his human form.
9. Hanuman rejected the gift given by Sita after Rama's coronation. After Rama's coronation, Sita gave gifts to everyone. She gave Hanuman a beautiful pearl necklace. Hanuman broke each pearl to check for Rama's presence. When he did not find Rama in any pearl, he rejected the gift, stating that anything in which Rama's presence is not felt is of no value to him.
10. Hanuman was unable to find Rama's ring but was able to find a murti (idol) of Rama and Sita together. When Hanuman returned after failing to find Rama's ring, he found a murti of Rama and Sita and realized that Rama was present in everything and everywhere.
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