Newsletter from Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple

In the last newsletter, we learned that the great warrior Kunjara and his wife Vindhyavati performed penance to beget children and were blessed by Lord Shiva to become parents through an adopted daughter.

While we will return to Kunjara, let's learn more about the other vanaras. Lord Brahma had created a most perfect woman named Ahalya which means one who is flawless. All the Devas were captured by her beauty - especially Indra, the Lord of the Heavens and Surya, the Lord of the Sun. Brahma sent Ahalya to stay with Sage Gautama until she was of marriageable age. Pleased at the Sage's self-restraint and adherence to his duty of caring for her during that time, Brahma gave Ahalya in marriage to Sage Gautama. In time, Ahalya and the Sage had a son, Shantananda, and a daughter, Anjana.

Sage Gautama ever engaged in severe penance would be away from home for long periods of time. Indra, still unable to forget Ahalya, approached her disguised as Sage Gautama and lead Ahalya in his embrace. Their union resulted in the birth of a vanara child who was named Vali. Surya, observing Indra's ruse, approached Ahalya similarly. The child born of their union was a vanara named Sugriva.

After finishing his penance the real Sage Gautama returned home and saw two small vanara children in the ashram. Since Ahalya was not home at that moment, the Sage asked Anjana about the vanaras. She told him they were her brothers. Sage Gautama then saw what had occurred through his divine vision and cursed his wife Ahalya to become a stone for her transgressions. She would be released from the curse only by the divine touch of Lord Rama's feet and could then return to her husband. Having heard their mother being cursed by Sage Gautama, Vali and Sugriva ran into the forest fearful of a similar fate.

Sage Gautama had no one to help care for the remaining children, Shantananda and Anjana. One day Vali saw his sister Anjana. Still angry at having lost his home and blaming her for his fate, he cursed Anjana to become a vanara like him. She was transformed into a vanara instantaneously!

All this made Gautama very worried about his daughter's future. At that time, Sage Narada visited Gautama's ashram and related to Gautama that as a vanara kanya, Anjana was already at the marriageable age. He also gave Gautama some suggestions on what to do for Anjana now.

Following Sage Narada's advice, Sage Gautama took Anjana and offered her as an adopted daughter to the great vanara King Kunjara. King Kunjara was extremely happy to take Anjana as his daughter and thanked Sage Gautama. Lord Shiva's blessings had been realized!

Then Sage Gautama sent his son Shantananda to the great King Janaka's kingdom in order to make him a scholar and eventually rise to being a royal priest.

To be continued.....