The holy month of Sawan has begun. According to religious scriptures, this is the month to worship Lord Shiva, who fulfills people’s wishes. There are many stories of Lord Shiva mentioned in our religious scriptures. The religious scriptures also mentions about many avatars of Lord Shiva. One of these avatars is still wandering on earth for mukti. The second one has been blessed to be alive forever.
This avatar is Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthama who always remains angry. The other avatar is Lord Hanuman. To know why Ashwatthama is still alive, Just scroll down. Ashwatthama was one of the prominent characters of Mahabharata. He was the son of the teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas, Guru Dronacharya. According to Mahabharata, Ashwatthama was the avatar of Kaal, Krodh, Yam and Lord Shiva. Ashwatthama was extremely powerful warrior. During the war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama had helped the Kauravas too.
Among the eight immortal people like Lord Hanuman, Ashwatthama is one. There is a verse written in this regard:
अश्वत्थामा बलिव्र्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषण:।
कृप: परशुरामश्च सप्तएतै चिरजीविन:॥
सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्।
जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जित।।
This means that Ashwatthama, king Bali, Vyasji, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya, Parasuram and sage Markandeya are eight immortal people.
According to Shiva Mahapuran, Ashwatthama is alive even today and lives near River Ganga.Acharya Drona, meditated for Lord Shiva to please him and asked for a wish for his son that will be born to be an avatar of Lord Shiva. Later, Lord Shiva was born as Ashwatthama to Acharya Drona.
After the war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama cheated with the sons of the Pandavas and killed them. In shock of their sons death when the Pandavas along with Lord Krishna followed Ashwatthama, he fled away. Even them when Arjuna didn’t stop following Ashwatthama, he threw a Brahmastra on him. In return, Arjuna too used Brahmastra on Ashwatthama.
Maharshi Vedvyas asked Arjuna to call the Brahmastra back and he agreed. But Ashwatthama did not know how to bring back Brahmastra, so he turned it towards Abhimanyu’s wife stomatch who was pregnant. Lord Krishna got extremely angry and removed the mani from Ashwatthama’s forehead. He also cursed him to keep wandering on earth till the end of Kalyuga.
This avatar of Lord Shiva gives us a message that we should learn to keep a control on our anger because anger can become a huge reason for our problems. One more thing that we learn here is that one should never learn anything half. If knowledge is gained it has to be gained fully unlike Ashwatthama.
Lord Hanuman is considered an ideal of force, power, energy, wisdom, service and devotion to God. That is why in religious scriptures, he is also called as Sakalgunnidhan. Simply put, Lord Hanuman is immortal.
In Shri Hanuman Chalisa, Goswami Tulsidas has written -
Charo Jug Pratap Tumhara, Hai Prasidh Jagat Ujiara.
It is clear from this line that Lord Hanuman has been present as a troubleshooter in every age in some form or the other to protect the universe. These things about Lord Hanuman create people’s faith and reverence in him.
Scoll down to know how Hanuman came in different forms in different ages and in which form he has come in this yuga….
Sat Yuga Lord Hanuman is believed to be the avatar of Lord Shiva. It is believed that in Satyuga, Lord Hanuman took the form of Rudra for the welfare of the world.
Treta Yuga In this era, Lord Hanuman is understood to be the ideal of devotion service and dedication. In this era, the world was being protected by Lord Vishnu’s avatar Rama and Lord Shiva’s Avatar Hanuman.
Dwapar Yuga In this era, Hanuman appeared in the form of Nar and Narayan and remained with Krishna and Arjun in Mahabharat war. It is symbolic that Lord Hanuman was present in this era as the protector of religion.
Kal Yuga As per mythological beliefs, Lord Hanuman’s residence in this era is on Gandmadan Mountain (presently near Rameshvaram Dham). Not just that, it is believed that whenever anywhere people recall Lord Rama, Hanuman is present, but invisible to humans.
Scriptures have been written in praise of their properties saying
यत्र-यत्र रघुनाथकीर्तनं तत्र-तत्र कृत मस्तकांजलिं’.
In every age the remembrance of Srihanuman individually created as a troubleshooter with the world powers are Ubarte from troubles.