Sarga 36

Then, Vayu, distressed by the injury to his son, having seen the grandfather Brahma, picked up that child and stood up in front of the creator.

Vayu, adorned with his moving earrings, crown, garlands, and golden ornaments, approached Brahma and prostrated himself at his feet.

Brahma, the knower of the Vedas and adorned with dangling ornaments, raised Vayu and then stroked the child (Hanuman) with his hand.

As soon as the child was playfully touched by Brahma, he regained life, just like a plant revived by water.

Seeing the child alive, Vayu, the wind god, joyfully circulated among all beings as he had done before, having previously been restrained.

Released from the obstruction of Vayu, all creatures became joyful, just like lotus plants in ponds are revived when freed from extreme cold and heat.

Then, Brahma, who is associated with three pairs, three peaks, and three abodes, and is worshipped by the gods, spoke to the deities out of a desire to please Vayu.

Brahma addressed the gods, including Mahendra, Ishvara, Varuna, Prajeshvara, and Dhaneshvara, stating that even though they might already know, he would speak to them about something beneficial, which they should hear.

Brahma declared that this child (Hanuman) would perform a great task for them, and therefore, all the gods should grant boons to him for Vayu's satisfaction.

Then, Indra, the thousand-eyed god, filled with joy and having an auspicious face, lifted up a lotus garland and spoke these words.

Indra declared that because this child's jaw was struck by the thunderbolt released from his hand, he would indeed be known by the name Hanuman, the tiger among monkeys.

I will grant him a supreme and wonderful boon: from this moment forward, he will be invulnerable to my thunderbolt.

There, the revered Sun-god, dispeller of darkness, then declared, "I bestow upon him a hundredth part of my own radiance."

And when he gains the ability to study scriptures, I will then impart knowledge to him by which he will become eloquent.

No one will be his equal in understanding scriptures, and Varuna also granted a boon that his death will not occur even by a hundred thousand years of water, nor from Varuna's noose or from water itself.

Yama, being pleased, declared, "I grant him the boon of invulnerability from my mace, perpetual freedom from disease, and freedom from dejection in battle."

Then, Kubera, the bestower of boons, declared that his mace would not kill this child in battles.

In this way, even by Shankara (Shiva), a supreme boon was granted to him, declaring that he would not be killable by Shiva or his weapons.

Brahma then spoke, declaring that this child would be immune to all of Brahma's curses and would be long-lived and great-souled.

And Vishwakarma, the great-minded and foremost of artisans, having seen the child who resembled the rising sun, granted him a boon.

Vishwakarma's boon declared that the child would attain invincibility against all divine weapons made by him and would thus be long-lived.

After seeing Hanuman endowed with boons from the gods, Brahma, the preceptor of the world, with a pleased mind, spoke to Vayu.

Brahma declared to Vayu that his son, Hanuman, would be a terror to enemies, a protector to friends, and unconquerable.

Hanuman will possess the ability to assume any form, move anywhere at will, be the foremost among leapers, have unhindered movement, and achieve great fame.

In battle, Hanuman will perform awe-inspiring deeds that will lead to the destruction of Ravana and be pleasing to Rama.

Having spoken thus and taken leave of Vayu, all the gods, led by Brahma, returned to their respective abodes.

The wind-god, having taken his son, brought him home and, after departing, informed Anjana that the child was a boon.

O Rama, this Hanuman, having obtained and being endowed with boons, was filled with strength residing within him, just like the ocean.

Then, even as he was filled with immense might, the fearless best of monkeys began to commit offenses in the hermitages of the great sages.

This Hanuman would break, tear, and destroy the sacrificial ladles, sacred fires, and collections of bark-garments and deer-skins belonging to the peaceful sages.

The mighty Hanuman engaged in such deeds because he had been made immune to all curses of Brahmins by Lord Shiva.

The sages, knowing his immense power, indeed tolerated his actions.

Just as this son of Anjana, though forbidden by Kesari and Vayu, indeed transgresses all limits.

Then, O best of Raghu's lineage, the great sages born in the lineage of Bhrigu and Angiras, though not excessively angry or wrathful, cursed him.

O monkey, because you harass us relying on your strength, you will not know that strength for a long time, deluded by our curse; your strength will only increase when your fame and deeds are recalled.

Then, this Hanuman, having lost his splendor and vigor by the power of the great sages' words, attained a gentle state and wandered only in those hermitages.

Then, there was a king named Ṛkṣarajas, the father of Vali and Sugriva, who was the king of all monkeys and shone with the radiance of the sun.

Having ruled the kingdom of monkeys for a long time as their lord, Ṛkṣarajas eventually succumbed to the law of time.

After Ṛkṣarajas passed away, the wise ministers then placed Vali in his father's position, and Sugriva in Vali's position.

Indeed, his (Vali's) friendship with Sugriva was undivided and without flaw from childhood, just like the inseparable bond between wind and fire.

O Rama, it was due to a curse that Sugriva did not know his own strength when the enmity between Vali and Sugriva arose.

O Rama, indeed, this Sugriva, even when being tossed about by Vali, is not the one (who is unaware of his own strength).

O Lord, indeed, this son of Maruta (Hanuman) does not know his own strength, because he is the best of monkeys whose power was taken away by a sage's curse.

This fragment describes a lion, either obstructed by an elephant or standing accompanied in battle, likely as part of a simile for Hanuman's strength.

Who in the world is superior to Hanuman in valor, enthusiasm, intelligence, prowess, good conduct, charm, policy, imprudence, profundity, cleverness, great courage, and fortitude?

Moreover, this immeasurable king of monkeys (Hanuman), desiring to learn grammar and with a mind to question, went from the rising mountain to the setting mountain, facing the sun and bearing a great treatise.

The chief of monkeys, Hanuman, indeed masters scriptures with their aphorisms, commentaries, meanings, and words, along with their summaries, and truly, no one is his equal in knowledge, skill, or prosody.

Indeed, he rivals the preceptor of the gods (Brihaspati) in all branches of knowledge and in the practice of austerities, and this knower of the nine grammars and their meanings will even become Brahma by your grace.

Who indeed will be able to stand before Hanuman, who is like the ocean wishing to overflow, like fire wishing to burn the worlds, or like Yama at the end of an eon?

This Hanuman, along with other great monkey chiefs like Sugriva, Mainda, Dvivida, Nila, Tara, Tareya, Nala, and Rambha, were indeed created by the gods for your sake, O Rama.

All that you asked me has been told, and this deed of Hanuman in his childhood has been recounted by me.

Having heard what Agastya narrated, Rama, Lakshmana, and also the monkeys along with the Rakshasas, were filled with great astonishment.

Agastya then said to Rama, "All this has been heard by you, O Rama; you have seen us and conversed with us, now we depart."

Having heard this speech of Agastya, who possessed mighty ascetic power, Rama, with folded hands and bowing down, spoke this to the great sage.

Rama declared that today his deities, ancestors, and great-grandfathers, along with their relatives, were always pleased merely by the sight of Agastya.

Rama then stated that the request he was eagerly making should indeed be fulfilled by Agastya out of compassion for him.

Having settled the citizens and country-dwellers in their respective duties, I have come here and shall indeed perform sacrifices by the power and influence of you, the virtuous ones.

You, who are of great prowess and desire my favor, shall always indeed be the members of the assembly in my sacrifices.

Having resorted to you, whose sins have been purified by penance, I shall be blessed by my ancestors and thus become greatly contented.

Therefore, you should constantly come here assembled together; and Agastya and other sages of firm vows, having heard that (request)...

...and having said "So be it" to him, they began to depart.

Having spoken thus, all those sages departed the way they had come, and Rama, astonished, pondered over that very matter.

Then, when the sun had set, having dismissed the kings and monkeys, the best among men, Rama, performed his evening prayers according to ritual, and when night had truly begun, he entered his inner apartments. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः ।। 36 ।। Thus ends the thirty-sixth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.