Short Story of Hanuman the Monkey God in English for Kids

Introduction to the Hanuman Story

Indian mythology is a Pandora’ Box. The level of magical and surrealism that stories derived from Indian epics possess is spellbinding, indeed. In addition, they also offer great learning material for young minds. The Hanuman Story, for instance, aptly illustrates the grandeur of Indian epics and provides a unique trajectory for children to learn new things. Moreover, kids also get an opportunity to expand their horizons, develop their moral compass, and color their imaginations more vividly with short stories having mythological connotations. In this article, we will discuss one of the tales from Hanuman’s life, wherein he was a child and got embroiled in a sticky situation because of some innocent mischief. The article is presented in a simple tone, and graspable language for the better understanding of children.

Origin of the Hanuman Story

As we all know, Hanuman the Monkey God is a Hindu deity and a divine ‘vanara,’ (monkey) companion and devotee of Lord Rama. He is also one of the central figures of the epic Ramayana, written by Maharishi Valmiki. In addition, Hanuman also appears in Mahabharata, and the various Puranas. The story of Hanuman trying to eat the sun as a baby is detailed in Valmiki’s Ramayana. It continues to reverberate even today in different media, such as cartoons, storybooks, etc. Apart from the tale of the naughtly Hanuman trying to gulp in the sun, Ramayana also iterates other fascinating adventures of the Monkey God such as his efforts in finding Sita Devi, lifting a mountain to bring Sanjivani Booti for the injured Laxman, and much more.

Summary of the Hanuman Story

Hanuman the Monkey God was the son of Wind-God Vayu, and the celestial nymph named Anjana. Thus, Hanuman is also known as ‘Vayuputra,’ as an extension of his father’s title. However, you must be wondering how the son of a God and an angel become a monkey! The answer is a curse. Lord Hanuman’s mother Anjana angered a sage, who cursed her to be born as a monkey. But, Anjana begged and pleaded for pardon, the sage calmed down and said that she would regain her original form after she bore a son who would achieve many accolades.

Hanuman was a very mischievous child, but was also very mighty and powerful. One morning, he saw the sun rising and thought that it was a yellow ball. He wanted to play with it, and decided to chase after the sun and eat it. Indra – the King of Gods – was observing everything from heaven, and he started getting furious with each passing minute. He decided to stop the child, and thus, threw his weapon, the Vajra (thunderbolt) onto Hanuman. The Monkey God then passed out and fell on earth, wounded.

Hanuman’s father – Vayu – was enraged by the incident and vowed that he would go on a strike until the one who struck his child came forward. Vayu’s strike made life on earth difficult as there were no winds, animals could not breathe, and everything came to a standstill. The Gods in heaven realized that they had to pacify Vayu as soon as possible. Thus, they offered baby Hanuman with a plethora of boons. For instance, Lora Brahma said that no weapon would ever hurt Hanuman, and he could shapeshift at his own will. Likewise, Lord Indra’s boon was the weapon Vajra would never hurt the child. Varuna, the God of Oceans, offered Hanuman protection from water, and Agni, the Fire-God, blessed the child to be immune from flames. Consequently, baby Hanuman was blessed with other powers by different deities. Equipped with all the boons, Hanuman became a mighty and righteous warrior, and played a crucial role in Ramayana and in defeating Ravana.

Graphical representation of Hanuman chasing the sun

Moral of the Hanuman Story 

The moral of the story is that adults should always be mindful while dealing with children. Young kids can be naughtly and mischievous, but being overly aggressive is never the way to deal with a child. For instance, Hanuman’s attempt to eat the sun came from a place of innocence, and the abrupt action from Lord Indra was unwarranted to say the least. Likewise, the various Hanuman stories in English also teach us to use our powers and influence for good, and try to trump evil whenever we can.

Note to Parents

Indian mythology is as interesting as it is profound. Brimming with wondrous descriptions, otherworldly stories, and moral lessons, short stories from Indian epics, such as Mahabharata or Ramayana, have a lot to offer to both children and adults. The tales of Hanuman history help young minds to get acquainted with Ramayana, and also develop essential ethical values. Likewise, children also learn to respect the cultural diversity of India and its rich literary tradition. Therefore, parents and teachers should ensure that their children are not missing out on mythological short stories