The Weaver Who Loved a Princess

In the Molasses Belt is a city called Sugarcane City. In it lived two friends, a weaver and a carpenter. Since they were past masters in their respective crafts, they had earned enough money by their labours so that they kept no account of receipt and expenditure. They wore soft, gaily coloured, expensive garments, adorned themselves with flowers and betel-leaves, and diffused odours of camphor, aloes, and musk. They worked nine hours a day, after which they adorned their persons and met for recreation in such places as public squares or temples. They made the rounds of the spots where society gathered - theatres, conversaziones, birthday parties, banquets, and the like - then went home at twilight. And so the time passed.

One day there was a great festival, an occasion when the entire population, wearing the finest ornaments that each could afford, began sauntering through the temples of the gods and other public places. The weaver and the carpenter, like the rest, put on their best things, and in squares and courtyards inspected the faces of people dressed to kill. And they caught a glimpse of a princess seated at the window of a stucco palace. The vicinity of her heart was made lovely by a firm bosom with the curve of early youth. Below the slender waist was the graceful swell of the hips. Her hair was black as a raincloud, soft, glossy, with a billowy curl. A golden earring danced below an ear that seemed a hammock where Love might swing. Her face had the charm of a new-blown, tender water-lily. Like a dream she took captive the eyes of all, as she sat surrounded by girl friends.

And the weaver, ravished by lavish loveliness, since the love-god with five fierce arrows pierced his heart, concealed his feelings by a supreme effort of resolution, and tottered home, seeing nothing but the princess in the whole horizon. With long-drawn, burning sighs he tumbled on the bed (though it had not been made up), and there he lay. He perceived, he thought of nothing but her, just as he had seen her, and there he lay, reciting poetry:

"Virtues with beauty dwell:
So poets sing,
This contradiction not
Considering:

"That she, so cruel-sweet,
Far, far apart,
Tortures my body still,
Still in my heart.

"Or does this explain it?

"One heart my darling took;
One pines as if to die;
One throbs with feeling pure:
How many hearts have I?

"And yet

"If all the world from virtue draws
A blessing and a gain,
Why should all virtue in my maid,
My fawn-eyed maiden, pain?

"Each guards his home, they say;
Yet in my heart you stay,
Burning your home alway,
Sweet, heartless one!

"That these - her bosom's youthful pride,
Her curling hair, her sinuous side,
Her blood-red lip, her waist so small -
Should hurt me, is not strange at all:

"But that her cheeks so clear, so bright,
Should torture me, is far from right.
Her bosom, like an elephant's brow,
Swells, saffron-scented. How, ah, how
May I thereon my bosom lay,
When weary love is tired of play,
So, fettered in her arms, to keep
A vigil waking half, half sleep?

"If fate has willed
That I should die,
Are there no means
Save that soft eye?

"You see my love, though far apart,
Before you ever, O my heart!
Should vision cease to satisfy,
Oh, teach your magic to my eye:

"For even her presence will distress,
If bought by too great loneliness,
Since none - the merciful are blest -
Of selfishness may stand confessed.

"She stole his lustre from the moon -
The moon is dull and cold;
The lily's sheen is in her eyes -
No charge of theft will hold;

"The elephant's majesty she seized -
Nothing knows he of her art;
From me the slender maiden took,
Ah, strange! a feeling heart.

"In middle air I see my love,
On earth below, in heaven above;
In life's last hour, on her I call:
She is, like Vishnu, all-in-all.

"All mental states, the Buddha said,
Are transient; he was wrong:
My meditations on my love
Are infinitely long.

In such lamentation, his thoughts tossing to and fro, the night dragged drearily away. On the next day at the customary hour, the carpenter, wearing an elegant costume, came as usual to the weaver's house. There he found the weaver with arms and legs sprawled over the unmade bed, heard his long-drawn, burning sighs, and noticed his pallid cheeks and trickling tears.

Finding him in this condition, he said: "My friend, my friend, why are you in such a state today?"

But the poor weaver, though questioned repeatedly, was too embarrassed to say a word. At last the carpenter grew weary and dropped into poetry:

"No friend is he whose anger
Compels a timid languor,
Nor he whom all must anxiously attend;

"But when you trust another
As if he were your mother,
He is no mere acquaintance, but a friend."

Then, after examining the weaver's heart and other members with a hand skilled in detecting symptoms, he said: "Comrade, if my diagnosis is correct, your condition is not the result of fever, but of love."

Now when his friend voluntarily introduced the subject, the weaver sat up in bed and recited a stanza of poetry:

"You find repose in sore disaster
By telling things to clear-eyed master,
To virtuous servant, gentle friend,
Or wife who loves you to the end."

Then he related his whole experience from the moment he laid eyes on the princess. And the carpenter, after some reflection, said: "The king belongs to the warrior caste, while you are a business man. Have you no reverence for the holy law?"

But the weaver replied: "The holy law allows a warrior three wives. The girl may be the daughter of a woman of my caste. That may explain my love for her. What says the king in the play?

"Surely, she may become a warrior's bride;
Else, why these longings in an honest mind?
The motions of a blameless heart decide
Of right and wrong, when reason leaves us blind."

Thereupon the carpenter, perceiving his determined purpose, said: "Comrade, what is to be done next?"

And the weaver answered: "I don't know. I told you because you are my friend." And to this he would not add a word.

At last the carpenter said: "Rise, bathe, eat. Say farewell to despondency. I will invent something such that you will enjoy with her the delights of love without loss of time."

Then the weaver, hope reviving at his friend's promise, rose and returned to seemly living. And the next day the carpenter came bringing a brand-new mechanical bird, like Garuda, the bird of Vishnu. It was made of wood, was gaily painted in many colours, and had an ingenious arrangement of plugs.

"Comrade," he said to the weaver, "when you mount the bird and insert a plug, it goes wherever you wish. And the contrivance alights at the spot where you pull out the plug. It is yours. This very night, when people are asleep, adorn your person, disguise yourself as Vishnu - my wit and skill are at your service - mount this Garuda bird, alight on the maidens' balcony of the palace, and make whatever arrangements you like with the princess. I have ascertained that the princess sleeps alone on the palace balcony."

When the carpenter had gone, the weaver spent the rest of the day in a hundred fond imaginings. He took a bath, used incense, powders, ointments, betel, scents for the breath, flowers, and so forth. He put on gay garlands and garments, rich in fragrance. He adorned himself with a diadem and other jewellery. And when the night came clear, he followed the carpenter's instructions.

Meanwhile, the princess lay in her bed alone on the palace balcony bathed in moonbeams. She gazed at the moon, her mind idly dallying with the thought of love.

All at once she spied the weaver, disguised as Vishnu and mounted on his heavenly bird. At sight of him she started from her bed, adored his feet, and humbly said: "O Lord, to what end am I honoured by this visit? Pray command me. What am I to do?"

To the princess' words the weaver, in dignified and sweetly modulated accents, made stately answer: "Yourself, dear maiden, are the occasion of this visit to earth."

"But I am merely a mortal girl," said she.

And he continued: "Nay, you have been my bride, now fallen to earth by reason of a curse. It is I who have so long protected you from contact with a man. I will now wed you by the ceremony used in heaven."

And she assented, for she thought: "It is a thing beyond my fondest aspirations." And he married her by the ceremony used in heaven.

So day followed day in the enjoyment of love's delights, each day witnessing a growth in passion.

Before dawn the weaver would mount his mechanical Garuda, would bid her farewell with the words: "I depart for Vishnu's heaven," and would always reach his house undetected.

One day the guards at the women's quarters observed indications that the princess was meeting a man, and in fear of their very lives made a report to their master. "O King," they said, "be gracious and confirm our personal security. There is a disclosure to be made."

And when the king assented, the guards reported: "O King, we have used anxious care to forbid the entrance of men. Yet indications are observed that Princess Lovely has meetings with a man. Not unto us does it fall to take measures. The king, the king alone is prime mover."

Upon this information the king pondered with troubled spirit:

"You are worried when you hear that she is born;
Picking husbands makes you anxious and forlorn;
When she marries, will her husband be a churl?
It is tough to be the father of a girl.

"Again:

"At her birth she steals away her mother's heart;
Loving friends, when she is older, fall apart;
Even married, she is apt to bring a stain:
Having daughters is a business full of pain.

"Again:

"When a poem or daughter comes out,
The author is troubled with doubt,
With a doubt that his questions betray;

"Will she reach the right hands?
Will she please as she stands?
And what will the critics say?"

Having thus considered the matter from every point of view, he sought the queen and said: "My dear queen, pray give careful attention to what these chamberlains have to say. Who is this offender whom the death-god seeks today?"

Now when they had related the facts, the queen hastened in great perturbation to the maiden's apartments and found her daughter with lips sore from kissing and with telltale traces on her limbs. And she cried: "You wicked girl! You are a disgrace to the family! How could you throw your character away? Who is the man that comes to you? The death-god has looked upon him. Dreadful as things are, at least tell the truth."

Then the princess, with shamefaced, drooping glances, recounted the whole story of the weaver disguised as Vishnu.

Thereupon the queen, with laughing countenance and thrilling in every limb, hastened to the king and said: "O King, you are indeed fortunate. It is blessèd Vishnu who comes each night in person to our daughter's side. He has married her by the ceremony used in heaven. This very night you and I are to hide in the window niche and have sight of him. But with mortals he does not exchange words."

On hearing this, the king was glad at heart, and somehow lived through the day, which seemed a hundred years. When night came, the king and queen stood hidden in the window niche and waited, their gaze fixed on the sky.

Presently the king descried one descending from heaven, mounted on Garuda, grasping the conch-shell, discus, mace, marked with the familiar symbols. And feeling as if drenched by a shower of nectar, he said to the queen: "There is none other on earth so blest as you and I, whose child blessèd Vishnu seeks with love. All the desires nearest our hearts are granted. Now, through the power of our son-in-law, I shall reduce the whole world to subjection."

At this juncture envoys arrived to collect the yearly tribute for King Valour, monarch of the south, lord of nine million, nine hundred thousand villages. But the king, proud of his new relationship with Vishnu, did not show them the customary honour, so that they grew indignant and said: "Come, King! Pay-day is past. Why have you failed to offer the taxes due? It must be that you have recently come into possession of some unanticipated supernatural power from some source or other, that you irritate King Valour, who is a flame, a whirlwind, a venomous serpent, a death-god."

Upon this the king showed them his bare bottom. And they returned to their own country, exaggerated the matter a hundred thousand fold, and stirred the wrath of their master.

Then the southern monarch, with his troops and retainers, at the head of an army with all four service branches, marched against the king. And he angrily cried:

"This king may climb the heavenly mount,
May plunge beneath the sea;
And yet - I promise - it the wretch
Shall soon be slain by me."

So Valour reached the country by marches never interrupted, and ravaged it. And the inhabitants who survived the slaughter besieged the palace gate of the king of Sugarcane City, and taunted him. But what he heard did not cause the king the slightest anxiety.

On the following day the forces of King Valour arrived and invested Sugarcane City, whereupon hosts of counsellors and chaplains interceded with the king: "O King," they said, "a powerful enemy has arrived and invested the city. How can the king show himself so unconcerned?'"

And the king replied: "You gentlemen may be quite comfortable. I have devised a means of killing this foe. What I am about to do to his army, you, too, will learn tomorrow morning."

After this address, he bade them provide adequate defense for the walls and gates. Then he summoned Lovely and with respectful coaxing said: "Dear child, relying on your husband's power, we have begun hostilities with the enemy. This very night pray speak to blessèd Vishnu when he comes, so that in the morning he may kill this enemy of ours."

So Lovely delivered to him at night her father's message, complete in every particular. On hearing it, the weaver laughed and said: "Dear love, how little a business is this, a mere war with men! Why, in days gone by I have with the greatest ease slain mighty demons by the thousand, and they were armed with magic; there was Hiranyakashipu, and Kansa, and Madhu, and Kaitabha, to name but a few. Go, then, and say to the king: 'Dismiss anxiety. In the morning Vishnu will slay the host of your enemies with his discus."

So she went to the king and proudly told him all. Whereat he was overjoyed and commanded the doorkeeper to have proclamation made with beat of drum throughout the city, in these words: "Whatever any shall lay hands on during tomorrow's battle in the camp of Valour slain, whether coined money or grain or gold or elephant or horse or weapon or other object, that shall remain his personal possession."

This proclamation delighted the citizens, so that they gossiped together, saying: "This king of ours is a lofty soul, unalarmed even in the presence of the hostile host. He is certain to kill his rival in the morning."

Meanwhile the weaver, forgetting love's allurements, took counsel with his brooding mind: "What am I to do now? Suppose I mount the machine and fly away, then I shall never meet my pearl, my wife, again. King Valour will drag her from the palace after killing my poor father-in-law. Yet if I accept battle, I shall meet death, who puts an end to every heart's desire. But death is mine if I lose her. Why spin it out? Death, sure death, in either case. It is better, then, to die game. Besides, it is just possible that the enemy, if they see me accepting battle and mounted on Garuda, will think me the genuine Vishnu and will flee. For the proverb says:

"Let resolution guide the great,
However desperate his state,
However grim his hostile fate:

"By resolution lifted high,
With shrewd decision as ally,
He grimly sees grim trouble fly."

When the weaver had thus resolved on battle, the genuine Garuda made respectful representations to the genuine Vishnu in heaven. "O Lord," he said, "in a city on earth called Sugarcane is a weaver who, disguising himself as my Lord, has wedded a princess. As a result, a more powerful monarch of the south has marched to extirpate the king of Sugarcane City. Now the weaver today takes his resolution to befriend his father-in-law. This, then, is what I must refer to your decision. If he meets death in battle, then scandal will arise in the mortal world to the effect that blessèd Vishnu has been killed by the king of the south. Thereafter sacrificial offerings will fail, and other religious ceremonies. Then atheists will destroy the temples of the Lord, while pilgrims of the triple staff, devotees of blessèd Vishnu, will abstain from pious journeyings. Such being the condition of affairs, decision rests with my Lord."

Then blessèd Vishnu, after exhaustive meditation, spoke to Garuda: "O King of the winged, your reasoning is just. This weaver has a spark of divinity in him. Therefore he must be the slayer of yonder king. And to bring this about, you and I must befriend him. My spirit shall enter his body, you are to inspire his bird, and my discus, his discus."

"So be it," said Garuda, assenting.

Hereupon the weaver, inspired by Vishnu, gave instructions to Lovely: "Dear love, when I set out for battle, let all things be made ready that bring a benediction."

He then performed auspicious ceremonies, assumed ornaments seemly for battle, and permitted worshipful offerings of yellow pigment, black mustard, flowers, and the like. But when the friend of day-blooming water-lilies, the blessèd, thousand-beamed sun arose, adorning the bridal brow of the eastern sky, then to the victorious roll of the war-drums, the king issued from the city and drew near the field of battle, then both armies formed in exact array, then the infantry came to blows.

At this moment the weaver, mounted on Garuda, and scattering largess of gold and precious gems, flew from the palace roof toward heaven's vault, while the townspeople, thrilling with wonder, gazed and adored, then beyond the city he hovered above his army, and drew from Vishnu's conch a proud, grand burst of martial sound.

At the blare of the conch, elephants, horses, chariots, foot-soldiers, were dismayed and many garments were fouled. Some with shrill screams fled afar. Some rolled on the ground, all purposive movement paralyzed. Some stood stock still, with terrified gaze fixed unwavering on heaven.

At this point all the gods were drawn to the spot by curiosity to see the fight, and Indra said to Brahma: "Brahma, is this some imp or demon who must needs be slain? For blessèd Vishnu, mounted on Garuda, has gone forth to battle in person."

At these words Brahma pondered:

"Lord Vishnu's discus drinks in flood
The hostile demons' gushing blood,
And strikes no mortal flat:

"The jungle lion who can draw
The tusker's life with awful paw,
Disdains to crush a gnat.

"What means this marvel?"

Thus Brahma himself was astonished.

That is why I told you:

Not even Brahma sees the end
Of well-devised deceit:
The weaver, taking Vishnu's form,
Embraced the princess sweet.

While the very gods were thus pondering with tense interest, the weaver hurled his discus at Valour. This discus, after cutting the king in twain, returned to his hand.

At the sight, all the kings without exception leaped from their vehicles, and with hands, feet, and head drooping in limp obeisance, they implored him who bore the form of Vishnu: "O Lord, An army, leaderless, is slain. Be mindful of this and spare our lives. Command us. What are we to do?"

So spoke the whole throng of kings, until he made answer who bore the form of Vishnu: "Your persons are secure henceforth. Whatever commands you receive from the local king, King Stout-Mail, you must on all occasions unhesitatingly perform."

And all the kings humbly received his instructions, saying: "Let it be as our Lord commands."

Thereupon the weaver bestowed on Stout-Mail all his rival's wealth, whether men or elephants or chariots or horses or stores of merchandise or other riches, while he himself, having attained the special majesty of those victorious, enjoyed all known delights with the princess.

And that is why I say:

The gods befriend a man who climbs
Determination's height:
So Vishnu, discus, bird sustained
The weaver in the fight.

Source
http://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Tantra

Of Crows and Owls

Once upon a time, all the birds - the swans, cranes, parrots, cuckoos, owls, peacocks, doves and the rest of them - decided to meet. They had to discuss a subject of most importance. Unfortunately, no crow had joined yet, but they could not wait any longer.

They debated, "Garuda, who is the king of all birds, is always busy in serving his master. He has neither the time, nor the interest to bother about us! There is no point in having a king who does not protect and remains at the position of the king only as a namesake."

And so the birds discussed, "Let us choose a king amongst us!"

On this, they started looking at each other; suddenly the features of owl attracted everybody. He was powerful, had impressive features, and most importantly he could see at night, when they were most unsafe. They agreed that the owl would be an apt king for themselves.

They shouted, "The owl should be our king! Let us prepare for the coronation at once!"

As decided, the birds collected 108 holy roots, water from the holy rivers, and prepared a lavish and highly decorated throne. They even spread the ground in front of the throne with tiger skin. The Brahmins, they had invited, started chanting from holy books, while the birds beat drums, and beautiful maidens blew conches and sang songs of joy. With a map of all the continents and oceans drawn, the owl was prepared to be crowned.

At the moment the owl was being accompanied to the throne to be crowned, a crow arrived. He asked curiously, "Please let me know the reason of this great gathering, and lavish celebration!"

The crow was indeed known for his smartness, and the birds decided to explain and take his opinion.

The birds explained, "O Crow, Garuda has no time to bother about us. So, we have decided to denounce him as our king and have elected the owl to be our new king. Since, you have just joined, please provide us with your opinion also."

The crow smiled and replied, "In my opinion, I should advise against crowning the owl as our king!"

He continued to explain, "The owl is blind by the day. And look at him. Why have an ugly king, when the birds are known for their beauty. We have the peacocks, swans, nightingales, pigeons and so many more who look so beautiful. And look at him, he looks so cruel with his crooked nose and squint eyes. How would he look if he was angry? I certainly advise against crowning him."

The other birds started considering his points, and the crow continues with his arguments, "And what do we gain from electing him as our king? We already have Garuda as our king. The mere mention of his name would keep our enemies away! It is not necessary at all, for us to elect a new king and denounce Garuda!"

On hearing his logic, the birds started pondering, "His arguments are right. The entire reason of our meeting serves no purpose. Let us think awhile and meet some other time."

One by one, the birds started flying away. Even the Brahmins and beautiful maidens started to leave. The crow was still sitting on the branch of a tree. Unable to understand the commotion, the owl and his wife were still waiting to be crowned king and queen.

The owl asked his wife, "What is happening? Why is the crowning ceremony yet to begin? Why have all the birds left?"

His wife replied, "As I understand, the crow put an obstacle in the crowning ceremony. He persuaded all the other birds to fly away. Only he, with ulterior motives, stayed behind. We should return home, too."

On hearing this, the owl got very disappointed. He shouted to the crow, "You are a wicked bird. I did not harm you in any way, and yet you put obstacle to my crowning ceremony. From today, I end all friendly relationship with you. From now onwards, our kind and your kind will be nothing but enemies."

The owl left with his wife, to return to his home. The crow was left alone.

With everybody else gone, he decided to leave too. While flying off, he thought, "Why did I speak my mind? My advice to the birds was not required. It is because of my advice, that crows will always have the mighty owls as their enemies."

The wise indeed say:
Keep your counsel to yourself and thus stay away from trouble.

Source
http://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Tantra

The Bird Pair and the Sea

A pair of Tittibha birds, husband and wife lived on seashore. The female Tittibha bird was expecting to lay eggs and raise a family.

When the time to lay eggs came, she asked her husband to look for a safe place to lay her eggs, "My dear, please look for some good and safe place for me to lay eggs as it is almost time for me to lay the them."

But the male Tittibha bird said, "Dearest, where in the world could be a better place than this seashore? Please lay your eggs here."

She disagreed, "The waves of sea on full moon nights are so high that they can drag even an elephant into it. No, please find a place away from here."

The male Tittibha bird laughed and insisted, "The Sea would not even dare to do any harm to my children! Do not fear unnecessarily and lay eggs here without any worries."

All the time, the Sea had been hearing this, and thought, "From a small bird as he, such impudence is not expected. I'll certainly take away his eggs to see what he does after that and teach him a lesson."

Within a few days, the female Tittibha bird laid her eggs in the seashore. Shortly afterward, when the birds went away in search of food, the Sea started making waves. The waves became higher and higher, till it swallowed the eggs into it.

The birds returned later to find the nest empty. The female Tittibha bird started weeping bitterly, "See for yourself that the waves of the sea has swallowed our eggs. You are a fool not to listen to me when I asked you to find a safe place to lay eggs."

The male Tittibha bird continued its stupidity, "Dear, don't you worry. I will prove to you how brilliant I am. I will dry the sea, and force it to return our eggs."

The female Tittibha bird wondered, "How can you dry this enormous sea?"

The male Tittibha bird explained, "Even small beings can overcome the strongest opponents if they are zealous. And so, I plan to dry up the whole sea by sucking its water with my beak."

The wife argued, "How can you suck the sea dry, when rivers like the Ganges and Indus, and hundreds of other rivers flow into it. There is no good in this babbling". While the husband argued, "I'll work day and night to suck all the water from the sea with my beak, which is as solid as iron. Man can succeed only after putting efforts".

The female Tittibha bird understood that she will not be able to convince him, "Dear, there is no point in arguing. If you want to conquer the sea, please call for your friends to help you". The husband agreed, "All right, I will do this with the help of my friends".

Now, all the friends of the male Tittibha bird were called and when they all gathered together, the male Tittibha bird explained his problem with the sea, and how it had insulted him, and how he plans to dry the sea to seek revenge.

All the birds, the swan, crane, peacock and other unanimously agreed that the task was impossible, "There is no good in this babbling. It is impossible for us to suck the sea to dry it up completely. Instead, let us visit our king, Garuda (Lord Vishnu's vehicle, and the king of birds according to Hindu mythology). When he comes to know that we have been harassed by the sea, he will get angry and seek revenge. Even if we merely pay him a visit to seek his advice, we shall feel relieved."

As decided, they all went to their king, Garuda, and explained the reason of them being so sad, "O King, the sea has robbed the eggs of the good Tittibha birds even after the fact that you are our protector. If this is allowed to continue, our entire race shall perish."

Garuda realized that the birds were in grave circumstances, and agreed to go and dry the entire sea. Just as he was leaving, a messenger arrived from Lord Vishnu who needed his assistance at once, for some divine task.

Garuda explained to the messenger that he was unable to serve his master at this time, "I am such a common servant to the Lord for him to need me. The sea, which is the resting place of the Lord, has swallowed the eggs of the Tittibha birds. I refuse to serve him if he will not force the sea to return the eggs at once. This is my firm resolution. Please let him know of it."

When Lord Vishnu came to know of Garuda's resolution from his messenger, he thought, "I can understand his behaviour and need to pacify him. He is the king and protector of all the birds. I must meet Garuda at once."

As Lord Vishnu visited Garuda, he bowed in respect and explained, "O Master, the sea, which is your resting place has insulted me by swallowing the eggs of my humble servant, the good Tittibha birds. It is out of the respect that I have for you that I have not taken any step for revenge."

Lord Vishnu considered his plea, "Come with me Garuda. You are right. The sea should not have done such a thing on purpose. Let us go and return the eggs to the Tittibha birds. After that we will leave, as I need your assistance."

They all went to the seashore where Lord Vishnu reprimanded the sea. Taking a thunderbolt in his hand, he warned, "O Sea, you have been wicked. Return the eggs of the Tittibha birds at once or dare to face my anger."

When the sea heard the warning from the Lord Vishnu himself, it was terrified. It apologised at once, and returned the eggs to the Tittibha birds.

The wise indeed say:
Do not underestimate the power of the timid.

Source
http://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Tantra

Porridge

When Dasarat, the ruler of Ayodhya performed the Yagna sacrifice seeking issues to succeed him on the throne, a pot of porridge emerged from the fires. This was shred in three cups among the three queens of Dasarat. The third one namely Sumitra had placed it on the terrace wall, which was lifted and carried away by an eagle.

To compensate the loss, the two other queens Kausalya and Kaikeyi shared the porridge from their cups with Sumitra. Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi mothered Bharat and Sumitra bore two children Lakshman and Shatrugna.

At the behest of Lord Shiva, the third portion of the porridge that was carried away by the eagle was directed by the force of wind god (Vayu) to the place where Anjana was deeply engaged in the worship of Shiva.

Anjana got to eat the porridge and then gave birth to Hanuman. Thus, we can say that in a way Hanuman was one of the brothers of Rama. This is the reason why Hanuman was so powerful and mighty on par with the other four brothers.

https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/how-did-hanuman-get-his-name