Question & Answer sessions with HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – 2015
Why did Hanuman attempt to swallow the Sun god?
Question :
Why did Hanuman attempt to swallow the Sun god?
Answer :
He was hungry and he tried to eat the Sun. This is a superficial meaning. Swamiji won’t accept this because He is making us all chant the Hanuman Chalisa. We have to go deeper.
Hanuman was born in the aspect of Siva, whose three eyes are Sun, Moon, and Fire. To consume what is like his eye is not remarkable. Hanuman played this trick to let us know that even as a child he knew that he was Siva. This incident is pivotal in the story of Hanuman. It took a crucial turn here. Indra feared that Hanuman was going to swallow the Sun. He wounded him with his Vajra weapon. With that blow, Hanuman fell unconscious. His father Wind god kept him in a cave, angry at this assault. He deprived Creation of the movement of air. This created much tumult. All the gods including Indra came down and showered powerful boons on Hanuman. They proclaimed him as the future Brahma. These extraordinary situations had to occur, and that is why Hanuman acted as he did. This is important.
Hanuman was hungry. Mother was away. He was not fed. If mother and father do not help, whom does one approach? Guru. Hanuman went to his Guru to ask him to satisfy his hunger. In the meantime, the gods misconstrued, and reacted against him violently. His intention was not to eat the Sun, but to seek his help to ease his hunger.