Panchamukha Hanuman

Panchamukha Hanuman

Panchamukha Hanuman

Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman is represented as the Lord Hanuman with Panchamukh or 5 faces in 5 different directions.

Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman can be traced to a story in Ramayana. In the war between Lord Rama and Ravana, Ravana took help of Ahiravana, the king of Pathala.

In order to protect Lord Rama and Lakshman, Lord Hanuman formed a fortress with his tail. Ahiravana assumes the form of Vibhishana, the noble brother of Ravana and took Lord Rama and Lakshman to Pathala loka.

Hanuman went to pathala loka to search Lord Rama and Lakshmana. There he found that the life of Ahiravana was hidden in the five lamps which were placed in different directions.

He could be killed only by extinguishing all five lamps the same time. To kill Ahiravana, Lord Hanuman had to take the form of Panchamukha Hanuman the Hanuman with five faces. Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda and Varaha are the four other faces along with Hanuman’s face. Panchamukha Hanuman using the five faces in different directions blows air to extinguish the lamps there to kill Ahiravana.

According to Hanumath Prakaranam in Sri Vidyarnavatantram, Sri Panchamukh Anjaneya has five faces and ten weapons. Hanuman is a great yogi having transcended the five senses or Pancha Indriyas.

Hanuman was born on the full moon day (Purnima) of the month Chaithra on Tuesday. That is why, every year when Chaithra month’s full moon day arrives, his birthday is ceremonised, which is called Shri Hanuman Jayanti and Tuesday is considered very auspicious day to worship Lord Hanuman.

Significance of Panchamukhi Hanuman , The origin of Sri Panchamukhs Hanuman can be traced to a story in Ramayana.