Añjanā

Añjanā was the daughter of a rākshasa named Kesarī, who was a devotee of Bhagavān Śiva. She became the wife of the great kapi (vānara) Kesarī. The Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya praises her as the bhakta (devotee) whose tapas of a thousand years at Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha (holy bathing place) on Veṅkaṭādri won Vāyu’s vara (boon) that he would be born as her son, Hanumān.

She was born in a rākshasa family, yet her whole life was marked by deep devotion, many vratas (vows), and at last great tapas (austerity). In the Māhātmya, Vyāsa himself speaks to her about the supreme greatness of Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha on the Caitra paurṇamī (full-moon day).

Birth and background

Añjanā’s father was the rākshasa Kesarī, a devoted bhakta of Bhagavān Śiva. He wanted a son and did hard tapas for Bhagavān Śiva. Bhagavān Śiva appeared with Pārvatī on his bull (vṛshabha-vāhana) and gave a vara: “You will have no son in this birth, but your daughter will be famous in the three worlds, and her son will bring you great joy.” So Añjanā was born, and as Bhagavān Śiva had said, her name became known in all three worlds.

In time a great kapi named Kesarī came to her father and asked for Añjanā’s hand. Her rākshasa father agreed. He gave Añjanā in marriage with a very large dowry: ten koṭi cows, one lakh elephants, ten thousand horses, ten thousand chariots, gems, garments, thousands of servants, and skilled musicians and dancers. Añjanā and the kapi Kesarī lived in Kishkindhā and had every happiness, but they had no children. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

Her vratas and dānas

In her longing for a son, Añjanā took up a long series of vratas and dānas (gifts) over many years. In the months of Māgha, Vaiśākha and Kārtika at Kishkindhā she performed:

  • Pradakshiṇas (circling a holy place)
  • Śālagrāma-dāna
  • Anna-dāna (giving food)
  • Dīpa-dāna (giving lamps)
  • Go-dāna (giving cows)
  • Tila-dāna (giving sesame)
  • Vastra-dāna (giving cloth)
  • Bhū-dāna (giving land)
  • Jala-dāna (giving water)
  • Pushpa-dāna (giving flowers)
  • All the vratas connected with Bhagavān Vishṇu, on the śravaṇa and other nakshatras (lunar stars)

She gave away all the fruits she could find. She kept the whole round of monthly vratas of Bhagavān Vishṇu with sincere heart. After all this long effort she still had no son. Deep grief then moved her to begin tapas. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

Mataṅga points her to Veṅkaṭādri

While she was in tapas, the ṛshi Mataṅga, a great devotee of Bhagavān Vishṇu, met her and asked what she wanted. After hearing her story, Mataṅga told her clearly to go to Veṅkaṭādri: “To the south, ten yojanas from Ghanācala (the Narasiṃha mountain), east of the river Svarṇamukhī, is Vṛshabhācala with Svāmi Pushkariṇī. Go there, bathe, bow to Varāha Svāmī, and bow to Veṅkaṭeśvara. Then, at the tīrtha called Viyaddhaṅga, north of the temple, drink the water of the tīrtha, face the tīrtha, and do tapas fixed on Vāyu. You will then receive a son who cannot be beaten by any being or any weapon.” (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

Tapas at Ākāśagaṅgā

Añjanā climbed Veṅkaṭādri with her husband Kesarī, exactly as Mataṅga had told her. She bathed first at Kapila tīrtha. Then she climbed to Svāmi Pushkariṇī and bathed there. She bowed to Varāha Svāmī on the west bank, went to the temple of Veṅkaṭeśvara and offered namaskāra (a bow), and finally came to Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha. She drank its pure water, turned to face the tīrtha, and began tapas aimed at Vāyu.

Her tapas went through three stages, each harder than the last. First she ate only fruits. Then she took only water. Then she took nirāhāra (no food at all). She fixed her gaze on the tip of her nose (nāsāgra-dṛshṭi) and stayed perfectly still. Her companion Vipulā served her all the while. This great tapas went on for one thousand years. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

The vara of Vāyu

At the end of the thousand years, Vāyu-deva appeared before Añjanā and said: “On the day the sun enters Mesha (Mesha saṃkrānti), on the Caitra paurṇamī, I shall fulfil your wish.” Añjanā asked only for a son. Vāyu answered: “I myself shall be born as your son, and he will bring you glory.” This was the wonderful vara: Vāyu himself agreed to be born as Añjanā’s son, the future Hanumān. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

The gathering of the whole cosmos

When Vāyu gave this vara, the whole cosmos gathered to see it. Brahmā, Śiva, Indra and all the divine hosts came. So did all the lokapālas (guardians of the worlds), Vasishṭha and the saptarshis (the seven ṛshis), Sanaka and the yogīs, and Vyāsa and the best of the brāhmaṇas. Bhagavān Jagannātha came with Lakshmī. All the devīs, the wives of the ṛshis and their families also came, each on their own vāhana (mount), to see the result of Añjanā’s wonderful tapas. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 39)

Vyāsa’s words to Añjanā

In Chapter 40 Vyāsa himself spoke to Añjanā. He gave her the full dāna-vidhi (rules of giving) for Veṅkaṭādri. He declared the supreme puṇya (merit) of Ākāśagaṅgā tīrtha on the Caitra paurṇamī. He also declared that the son she would receive would have the greatest courage in all three worlds. The whole last chapter of the Māhātmya is addressed to Añjanā, so she is the last and final person to receive the teachings of the text. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapter 40)

Sources

  • Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya, Chapters 39–40