Week 5 Story: The Exclusive Interview of Hanuman

Hanuman mistaking the sun for a fruit (Wikimedia Commons)

The Exclusive Interview of Hanuman

Interviewer:  First I would like to thank you Hanuman for agreeing to meet with me for this exclusive interview.

Hanuman:  Not a problem, I always enjoy a good conversation.

Interviewer:  May we begin with your formative years?  Although your adventures with Rama during the war with Ravana, not many know about your childhood.

Hanuman:  Sure thing, I have very fond memories.  However, depending on who else you ask you may get different answer.

Interviewer:  It is well known that your father is the god of wind Vayu, and your mother is the monkey Anjana.  In your known opinion who do you take after more?

Hanuman:  Both of my parents are a huge influence on me.  My powers and immortality of course came from my father.  However, my wit and cleverness I inherited from my mother.  She always told me that there will always be someone stronger and faster than me and told me not to rely on my powers only.  My father agreed and said that the mind is the most powerful tool.  There is no limit to what I can achieve when I put my mind to it.

Interviewer:  It is true you showed your cleverness, and quick thinking when you infiltrated Lanka.  Is there anyone other than your parents to who helped with your education as a child?

Hanuman:  Oh yes of course there is!  Although I got my tenacity from my parents.  The strategic, decisive, and unorthodox think came from my teacher.  Well, to be honest he is more than my teacher, mentor would be a better word.  Surya was my instructor for most of my childhood.  Although, he did not care for me at first.

Interviewer:  How so?  Do you care to elaborate?

Hanuman:  Well, when I was a toddler, maybe two or three, I looked up at the sky and thought the sun was a nice juicy mango.  So, pushing my fledging powers to the limit, I grew large and jumped as high as I could, so I could eat it.  To say the least, Surya did not enjoy the experience, and he took it personally.

Interviewer:  Ha- Ha!  I dare say one would enjoy that!  So how did you convince him to take you on as a pupil?

Hanuman:  Well, at first, he refused.  He claimed he was too busy traveling all day, then resting all night.  However, I did not accept that answer.  I decided to train my strength and endurance at the same time Surya educated my mind.  So, I pushed my mass manipulation abilities to the maximum, by increasing my size to where I had one leg in the east and the other in the west.  I held that shape all day, and I always faced Surya, giving him my undivided attention.  Fortunately, he changed his mind and tutored me since I did not keep him from his daily travels.

Interviewer:  How long did he tutor you?

Hanuman:  Well, it is difficult to say, I have a lot of foggy gaps in my memory. 

Interviewer:  Could you take a guess?

Hanuman:  I guess I would have been about eleven or twelve.  I can definitely say the lessons stopped when my powers were bound by the sages and monk’s.  There spell was so complete I forgot that I had powers.  Let alone even using them to continue my education with Surya.

Interviewer:  Oh my.  That must have been so tragic for you.

Hanuman:  Not at all!  You can’t miss what you don’t know you possess.  Besides they did not permanently separate me from my powers.  They allowed me to regain them when someone reminded me that I had them.  Can’t say that I blame them.  All they wanted was peace and quiet to meditate.  I never allow them either one as a child.  My powers are fully restored now.  So, I say no harm no foul.

Interviewer:  Well Hanuman, I am afraid that that is all the time we have today.  I was wondering if we could do this again?  I and my readers would love to hear your firsthand account of your adventures with Rama.

Hanuman:  Of course!  I would enjoy that as well.

Interviewer:  Thank you for your time.

Hanuman:  No problem, anytime.

Authors Note:
I chose to use an interview format instead of a prose style for this weeks story.  Without a doubt, Hanuman is my favorite character in the Ramayana.  He is just so cool.  So for the reading this week I read the graphic novel The Triumph of Hanuman.  I really liked it, but I wanted to know more about what Hanuman was thinking.  So I thought an interview with him would be the easiest way to do that. Also, I enjoyed the last pages in the book the best because it give me more background information about Hanuman.  I focused on that information so that way people who have only read the Ramayana would learn more about Hanuman.

Source:

Tulsidas Sundarkaand, The Triumph of Hanuman