The Tale of Panchmukhi Hanuman – Unveiling the Narrative of Lord Hanuman's Five Faces
The Narrative of Panchmukhi Hanuman: Exploring the Five-Faced Lord Hanuman. Discover the Significance of Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman’s Five Heads. Delve into the Genesis of Panchmukhi Hanuman and the Mantra Associated with It.
Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman
Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman manifests as Lord Hanuman with five distinct visages. Panchmukhi Hanuman represents the awe-inspiring virata roopa of Lord Hanuman, a colossal embodiment that showcases his magnificence.
Panchmukhi Hanuman manifests in two distinct forms. In the first form, all five faces of Panchmukhi Hanuman bear the resemblance of Hanuman himself, while in the alternate form, these five heads take on the features of Hayagriva, Narasimha, Hanuman, Varaha, and Garuda. Notably, Hayagriva, Narasimha, and Varaha are all incarnations of Lord Vishnu. This amalgamation bestows Panchmukhi Hanuman with the dual essence of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Hanuman. Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman holds the significance of being a Tantric representation of Lord Hanuman.
Significance of Lord Hanuman's Five Faces
The significance of the five faces of Lord Hanuman is as follows:
- Anjaneya facing the East, bestows Ishta Siddhi upon mankind.
- Karala Ugraveera Narasimha facing the South, grants Abhista Siddhi to humanity.
- Mahaveera Garuda facing the West, offers Sakala Sowbhagya to mankind.
- Lakshmi Varaha facing the North, blesses humanity with Dhana Prapthi.
- Urdhva Mukha, situated atop, embodies Hayagriva, granting Sarva Vidya Jaya Prapthi to humanity.
In another narrative, these five faces symbolize five facets of devotion – Naman, Smaran, Keerthanam, Yachanam, and Arpanam.In another narrative, these five faces symbolize five facets of devotion – Naman, Smaran, Keerthanam, Yachanam, and Arpanam.
The Genesis of Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman
The tale of Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman’s origin is rooted in a narrative from the Ramayana. According to this account within the Ramayana, amidst the battle, Ravana sought the aid of Mahiravana, the ruler of the netherworld known as Patala Lok, in his pursuit of victory. Mahiravana, in turn, abducted Lord Ram and Lakshman and transported them to Patala Lok. Witnessing this, Lord Hanuman swiftly intervened to safeguard Lord Ram and Lakshman, ultimately venturing into the depths of Patala Loka.
A fierce combat unfolded between Lord Hanuman and Mahiravana, yet victory eluded Hanuman’s grasp. It was then that Lord Hanuman uncovered a crucial truth: to vanquish Mahiravana, he had to simultaneously extinguish five lamps positioned in five distinct directions. Mahiravana’s life essence was intricately linked with these lamps corresponding to specific directions. In order to quench the flames of these five lamps in perfect synchrony, Lord Hanuman assumed the form of Panchmukhi Hanuman – embodying the faces of Hanuman, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda, and Varaha.
In this remarkable manifestation, Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman successfully doused the five lamps, resulting in the defeat and demise of Mahiravana.
Within the Tamil Kamba Ramayana, the importance of Lord Hanuman’s five faces is described as:
- The lineage of Lord Hanuman traced back to the wind element, one of the quintessential five components.
- Lord Hanuman navigated the vast ocean (Water) in pursuit of Devi Sita, mirroring the presence of another fundamental element.
- Lord Hanuman’s aerial feats traversed the realm of the sky (Akasha), another integral element among the five.
- At the heart of Lord Hanuman’s quest lay the mission to locate Devi Sita, the Earth-born, linking him with the very element she arose from.
- In an elemental convergence, Lord Hanuman set ablaze Lanka through the force of fire, the final element within the quintet.
The Five Elements or Pancha Bhutas are:
In the reverence of Lord Hanuman, it is deemed propitious to circumambulate His idol either five times, fourteen times, twenty-three times, or any number where the sum of its digits equals five. The devotion to Lord Hanuman encompasses five distinct modes of prayer: Naman (salutation), Smaran (meditation), Keerthanam (chanting), Yachanam (entreaty), and Arpanam (offering).
