Parva 50
Hanuman's Battle and Reunion with His Grandfather, King Mahendra
Hanuman defeats his grandfather Mahendra, who once spurned Anjana, then reconciles with him and sends him to serve Rama.
Part of Sita's Abduction and Hanuman's MissionSummary
Flying toward Lanka, Hanuman sees the mountain city of his grandfather Mahendra, who had refused shelter to his daughter Anjana in her distress, and resolves to humble his pride. He defeats and captures first his uncle Prasannakirti, whom even Indra of Rathanupura had never beaten, and then Mahendra himself, who embraces him in admiration and accepts his apology. Hanuman flies on to Lanka, while Mahendra, his queen and Prasannakirti are joyfully reunited with Anjana and then go to Kishkindhapura, where Rama receives them with honour.
What happens
5 points
Flying toward Lanka like Bhamandala going to fetch his sister, Hanuman sees King Mahendra's city on a mountain peak and remembers that this grandfather gave no refuge to his daughter Anjana in her hour of sorrow, so that she wandered from forest to forest, was consoled by Muni Amitagati and bore Hanuman in a cave with no kin beside her. Declaring such conduct unworthy of a Kshatriya, he has the war drums and conches sounded to humble Mahendra's pride.
Mahendra rides out in his chariot under a royal parasol with his bow drawn, but Hanuman shatters his chariot and bow and, when he goes for another bow, sets his horses loose, leaving him wandering beside his chariot. Mahendra's son Prasannakirti, Hanuman's maternal uncle, attacks from a vimana, but none of his weapons touches Hanuman, as Kama's arrows cannot touch a muni, and Hanuman breaks them all by vidya and seizes him as Garuda seizes a snake.
Enraged at his son's capture, Mahendra attacks as Sahasagati once attacked Rama, and grandfather and grandson trade taunts and fight with saws, axes, swords, maces, cudgels and even uprooted shala and banyan trees, Hanuman destroying everything by the power of his vidyas. At last Hanuman leaps from his own chariot into Mahendra's, seizes him like an elephant's trunk and carries him to his own chariot amid cries of victory.
Mahendra praises Hanuman: his son Prasannakirti, glorious among the Vidyadharas of Vijayardha, had never been beaten, not even by Indra of Rathanupura, yet Hanuman has captured him; Hanuman has lit up the whole clan and, being in his final body (charama-sharira), will surely become a great yogi. With tears of love Mahendra kisses his head and embraces him, Hanuman asks pardon for the disrespect of his childish mind, tells of Rama's arrival in Kishkindhapura and his own mission, and asks his grandfather to go and serve Rama.
As Hanuman flies on toward Lanka, Mahendra, his queen and Prasannakirti go to Princess Anjana, and she is joyfully reunited with her mother, father and brother. Mahendra then comes to Kishkindhapura, where Sugriva, Viradhita and others escort him to Rama, who welcomes him with honour, and the text teaches that gods, Vidyadharas and men alike serve those like Rama who earned great merit by charity, vows and austerity in past lives.