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| Jai Hanuman |
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Once, while the son of Anjana was an infant, he was put in a cradle. She went out of the house on some errand. The child probably felt hungry or saw the sun in the sky and considered that to be a toy. He began to jump and leap up to get the sun. He, being the son of God Vayu, had immense energy. He leapt up and started flying into the sky. The God Vayu saw it and accompanied his son to protect him from the heat of the sun. He turned the hot air into a cool breeze.
Rahu, a demigod, was also heading towards the sun to eclipse him as that was a day of Amavasya. He saw the child going in the direction of the sun but did not think of him. When the son of the Vayu found Rahu within his reach, he pounced upon Rahu and grasped him in one of his hands.
Rahu was non-plussed. He did not know what to do. He was merely dumb-founded. Having caught Rahu by the hair and head, Hanuman stood there fearlessly for some time. He stood cross-legged with the tip of his mace resting on the earth. Rahu exerted his full might to free himself from Hanuman's clutches.
The grip was very strong. With great difficulty, he freed himself and ran to Indra. The king of Gods, for rescue. He said, "O Lord of Gods! As commanded by you, when today I was going to eclipse the sun, another Rahu rushed to eat me up. It cannot be without your permission or order. Why have you put me in such a distress?"
Indra was non-plussed at what Rahu had said, "Who has the courage to eclipse the sun or eat Rahu?" He rode his divine elephant Airavat and rushed towards that child. Indra was frightened and shaken to find the child ready to attack him. He threw Vajra, Indra's heavenly weapon, bolt. The bolt did not do the child much harm. He was injured and a bone of his chin was broken. This is how he came to be called "Hanuman".
Due to injury to his chin, Hanuman fell unconscious on the ground. His father, the God Vayu, took him to a cave and was greatly grieved. This resulted in the stoppage of air in the atmosphere. No living being could breathe. All the Gods, including Indra, led by Brahma, the Creator, approached God Vayu in the cave.
No one can live without air even for a moment. But as long as the air blows, nobody understands the importance of air. The moment it stops blowing, every creature feels suffocated.
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