What was the activity of Sri Hanuman due to which he got the name Hanuman?

 

Sage Valmiki mentioned the name given to Shri Rama by his parents, as rAma.

However, he did not mention as to the name given to their son by Anjana and Kesari. While talking to Sita (Sundara Kanda), Shri Hanuman says that by his activity alone, I am renowned as Hanuma in this world.

तस्य अहम् हरिणः क्षेत्रे जातो वातेन मैथिलि |
हनूमान् इति विख्यातो लोके स्वेन एव कर्मणा || ५-३५-८२

"O Seetha! I am born in the womb of the wife of that Kesari the monkey, by the grace of the wind-god. By my activity alone, I am renowned as Hanuma in this world."

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So Hanuman is not the name given by his parents, but a status or title attained by him, through his activity.

Interestingly, sage Valmiki did not mention explicitly, anywhere in the Ramayana, as to Shri Hanuman’s activity, which brought him that status or title.

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Shri Hanuman was introduced ONLY in the Kishkinda Kanda of Ramayana. And, that entire Kanda did not mention any of the exploits of Shri Hanuman.

Then, what was the activity of Shri Hanuman, due to which he got the name Hanuman?

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The prevalent version as to how Hanuman, who is Vaayuputra, got the name Hanuman, is as follows;

Hanuman's name originates from the Sanskrit hanu, meaning “jaw,” and man, meaning “prominent” or “disfigured.” Legend claims he received his name in childhood when Indra, the king of the gods, struck him in the jaw for attempting to leap up and grab the sun.

However, Shri Hanuman did not say to Sita that as his jaw was broken by the Vajra of Indra, he got the name Hanuman.

He was saying that by his activity alone, he is renowned as Hanuman in this world."

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The story goes as follows:

In the penultimate Sarga of Kishkinda Kanda, Jambavan briefly narrates the birth story of Sri Hanuman.

When Sri Hanuman was a boy, he has seen the just risen sun in the vast of forest, and deeming it to be a just ripen reddish fruit, and thinking it to be a best catch, he hopped up and flew towards sun on the sky.

Even on his flying up three hundred yojana-s,  and even when sun's radiation puffed and blown him down, he did not get into any anguish as was indefatigable.

Even on seeing him, who is coming near the vault of heaven, Indra is captivated by anger and by his effulgence he catapulted his Thunderbolt at Sri Hanuman.  

Then, his left cheekbone, is broken and the impact of the thunderbolt made Hanuman unconscious. Then on observing that he is mutilated, highly infuriated is that Air-god and that tempestuous Air-god has not physically circulated throughout the triad of worlds.

When the triad of worlds is being roiled with breathlessness, all the administrative gods of universe are bewildered, and they started to supplicate the Air-god for his grace.

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The following slokas from Ramayana are worth reading. 

Slokas and translations were taken from valmikiramayan.net.  Similar  translated versions can be observed in many other authors' texts.

1st sloka 

तदा शैलाग्र शिखरे वामो हनुर् अभज्यत |
ततो हि नाम धेयम् ते हनुमान् इति कीर्तितम् || ४-६६-२४

 "Then, your left cheekbone, zygomatic arch, is broken when you fell down on a highest mountaintop, from thereupon your name-phrase is indeed averred as Hanumaan..

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2nd sloka

ततः त्वाम् निहतम् दृष्ट्वा वायुः गन्ध वहः स्वयम् |

त्रैलोक्यम् भृश संक्रुद्धो न ववौ वै प्रभंजनः || ४-६६-२५

"Then on observing that you are mutilated, highly infuriated is that scent-wafter Air-god and that tempestuous Air-god has not physically circulated throughout the triad of worlds...

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3rd sloka

प्रसादिते च पवने ब्रह्मा तुभ्यम् वरम् ददौ |
अशस्त्र वध्यताम् तात समरे सत्य विक्रम || ४-६६-२७

"Oh, chivalric warrior at war, while the Air-god is being supplicated, oh, dear boy, Brahma gave you a boon decreeing your "indestructibility by any missile"..

 

4th Sloka

वज्रस्य च निपातेन विरुजम् त्वाम् समीक्ष्य च |

सहस्र नेत्रः प्रीत आत्मा ददौ ते वरम् उत्तमम् || ४-६६-२८
स्वच्छंदतः च मरणम् तव स्यात् इति वै प्रभो |

 "On scrutinising that you are unhurt even after hit by Thunderbolt, oh, ablest Hanuma, the Thousand-eyed Indra kind-heartedly gave you a choicest boon saying that your death occurs only by your own volition... 

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vajrasya nipaatena = of Thunderbolt, falling - on you, hit by it; tvaam = you; vi rujam = without, hurt;

Here, the word nipaata has the same meaning as nihata,ie., destroyed or killed.

And, the word virujam - विरुजम् has the meaning destroying.

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Now, the following questions can crop up:

• According to the sloka 4-66-24 (४-६६-२४), after Sri Hanuman was hit by Vajraayudha of Indra and after his left cheekbone was broken, he got the name Hanuman.  However, a question crops up, as to what the activity of Sri Hanuman here, due to which he was called as such?
• If Sri Hanuman's left cheekbone only was broken, then why should Brahma give a big boon like "indestructibility by any missile" -अशस्त्र वध्यताम्?
• If Sri Hanuman was unhurt even after hit by Vajraayudha of Indra (Thunderbolt), as mentioned at Sloka 4-66-28 (४-६६-२८), then why Sage Valmiki said in sloka 24 that his left cheekbone was broken?

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The following are my inferences:

1)  In the 2nd sloka under reference.

   त्वाम् निहतम् दृष्ट्वा - tvaam nihatam dR^iSTvaa = you, mutilated, on observing

 Here, the translator adopted the meaning of mutilated for the Sanskrit word nihatam.   

However, nihata got other meaning also - destroyed or killed.

2)  Hence, the conclusion is that Sri Hanuman was actually killed by the impact of Vajraayudha of Indra.  That was why Vayu got infuriated and withdrew air from all the 3 worlds.  In order to make peace with him, Brahma gave him the boon "indestructibility by any missile" -अशस्त्र वध्यताम्

3)   In the 4th Sloka.

As Indra observed that Sri Hanuman was killed by the impact of Vajraayudha, he gave the greatest boon death occurs only by your own volition-  स्वच्छंदतः च मरणम्

4)  Now, coming to main question - What was the activity of Sri Hanuman  due to which he got the name Hanuman?

The word hanu - हनु has another meaning, apart from the known meaning, ie., jaw or cheekbone.  The other meaning is death.

5)   Sri Hanuman actually experienced the death, and returned to life.  Apart from obtaining various boons, he is a dvija or twice born or a SELF REALISED soul or Jnani, even at a tender age.  He had the Supernatural powers right from his childhood.

This is what Sage Valmiki wants to convey.

6)   Hanuman means, the person, who experienced death and born again. 

 This was activity of Sri Hanuman, which gave him the title "HANUMAN".