44. Hanuman and the Redemption of Manidhwaja
Manidhwaja, the king of Manipur, was not only a brave ruler but also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. A hundred times he had thrown himself into holy fire, and ten times he had beheaded himself but had come back to life by virtue of his unshakable faith in his God. Pleased with him, Lord Shiva appeared before him and granted him a number of boons.
The Tyrant King
At Manidhwaja’s need, Shiva’s trident came to his aid and destroyed his enemies. He was rewarded with the sacred Pasupata weapon, and Shiva promised to fight on his behalf if necessary. No wonder that Manidhwaja began to believe he was invincible and felt proud of this notion.
However, there was a dark side to his devotion. He had driven out of his kingdom all those who worshipped other gods and even destroyed their shrines. As a result, a large number of his subjects, oppressed by his tyranny, fled to Ayodhya, where they received cordial treatment from Rama’s officers. Rama himself assured them that Manidhwaja would soon be humbled.
The Encounter with Rama’s Horse
One day, Rama’s wandering horse galloped into Manipur, and Manidhwaja quickly captured it. Lakshmana, who was escorting the horse, sent a message to Manidhwaja, urging him to surrender the horse to gain Rama’s friendship. “That would do you good,” he wrote.
But Lakshmana’s messenger received an unexpected fate at the hands of Manidhwaja. The king branded the messenger with a heated trident and declared, “Go and tell your master that I have no need of Rama’s friendship. Rama has killed numerous devotees of Shiva, like Ravana. Hence, I deem it my duty to kill him. And know this: even a hundred Ramas together can do no harm to me.”
The Fierce Battle
Never had Lakshmana anticipated such an insult. He, along with Bharata and Shatrughna, prepared to free the horse by force. Their soldiers, answering Lakshmana’s call, launched a fierce attack.
Their valour and war cries alarmed Manidhwaja. He invoked Shiva’s trident, which emerged from Shiva’s temple like a flash of lightning, racing towards Lakshmana. Just then, Hanuman arrived on the scene and seized the trident effortlessly, as an elephant would pluck sugarcane!
The Revelation of Hanuman
The sudden and solemn appearance of Hanuman astounded Manidhwaja, who mistook him for Shiva and nearly bowed down. But Hanuman laughed, declaring, “Be sure, I’m no Shiva. I’m Hanuman, merely a servant of Shri Ramachandra.” He then raised his mace and charged at Manidhwaja. In time, Manidhwaja escaped to safety, watching Hanuman in wonder. Never had he seen such a luminous figure, with eyes that sparkled like flames.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Manidhwaja meditated on the Pasupata weapon. The weapon reached his hand, and he aimed it at Hanuman.
The Power of Devotion
The supernatural weapon, glowing ominously, flashed across the region. Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, and their soldiers swooned at the sight. Yet Hanuman stepped forward, defiantly chanting Rama’s name. The weapon touched Hanuman’s breast but then absorbed into his body. Wasting no time, Hanuman smashed Manidhwaja’s chariot with his mace. Manidhwaja fled to his temple, praying to Shiva.
A Lesson in Humility
“What is this, Manidhwaja! Had you not declared that even a hundred Ramas could not stand against you? Why do you seem helpless before a mere servant of Rama? Get up and face your enemy again. I shall be with you,” Shiva told him as he appeared on his bull.
Both advanced toward Hanuman. “You may be the great God, but I have no reason to fear you!” shouted Hanuman, springing forward. The bull grew terrified and bucked Shiva off, allowing him to escape.
Shiva explained, “You could tame my trident, and the Pasupata weapon was lost on you. If you are not myself, you must be Vishnu.” To which Hanuman replied, “I am a mere devotee of Rama. My strength comes solely from Rama’s Grace. How can Manidhwaja, who claims to be your devotee, act like a tyrant?”
The Transformation of a King
Shiva smiled and warned Hanuman, “Be cautious, for I am about to open my third eye.” “Please do so quickly, O Lord, that your blind devotee’s eyes may open!” answered Hanuman eagerly.
Upon opening his third eye, a volley of bright fire shot out towards Hanuman. However, he merely directed the flames into his mouth, saying, “I offer this to Rama!” He consumed the fire, reminiscent of Shiva swallowing poison during the churning of the ocean.
Shiva turned to Manidhwaja, stating, “Do you see? I cannot harm Hanuman because he is an emanation of myself. My weapons fail to affect him. You must understand this; otherwise, how can you claim to be my devotee?”
The Path to Redemption
Shiva disappeared, and Hanuman flew to the Dronagiri hills, retrieving a medicinal herb that revived Rama’s brothers and their soldiers. Manidhwaja, realizing his folly, prostrated before Hanuman.
“Ego and arrogance rendered my devotion ineffective. One cannot seek spiritual help for personal ambition indefinitely. Because of people like me who misuse their power, many lose faith in God. Truth becomes distorted. However, it is never too late to turn to the right path,” Hanuman advised. “You must now focus on the true welfare of your subjects and let your devotion be matched with humility.”
Manidhwaja, humbled, exclaimed, “I could have remained foolish had you not taught me this valuable lesson. I must hurry to meet Rama and apologize for my behavior, hoping he will count me as one of his friends.”
A New Beginning
Manidhwaja surrendered the horse to Lakshmana. The horse was freed, and Lakshmana and his party followed it. Manidhwaja bid them a warm farewell.
He took his charming twin daughters, Shobha and Shubha, along with him to Ayodhya. After sincerely apologizing to Rama, he presented his daughters for marriage to Lava and Kusha, to which Rama gladly consented. The marriage was scheduled to be performed after the Yajna.
Those subjects of Manipur who had fled to Ayodhya returned at Manidhwaja’s request, and he lifted all restrictions on the freedom of worship.
The Celebration
Soon, the wandering horse returned to Ayodhya, and preparations for the Yajna gathered momentum. Kings from Kiskindhya, Lanka, and Manipur, including Manidhwaja, arrived with valuable gifts for Rama. Vibhishana brought bagfuls of pearls, Sugriva a vast quantity of gold, and Manidhwaja a collection of jewels and a large load of silk, as other kings vied to present their offerings to Rama.
Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna returned after experiencing warm receptions at various courts. They were joined by Hanuman and seers like Bharadwaja, Gautama, Atri, and Agastya.
Eventually, the great sage Viswamitra arrived, who had taught Rama the secrets of wielding weapons, and he was warmly welcomed.
The Yajna was performed with great enthusiasm, and gifts were distributed among the households of Ayodhya. Subjects marked for meritorious service received rewards and honors.
At Manidhwaja’s invitation, the royal guests proceeded to Manipur, where Shubha married Kusha and Shobha married Lava. Manidhwaja generously gifted his kingdom to his sons-in-law and retired into the forest for penance. (To be continued)