HANUMAN

Hanuman is said to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Pavanputra, Bajrangbali and Anjaneya are a few names given to him. He was the son of Anjana and Vayu, the God of Wind.

Soon after Hanuman was born, he felt very hungry. On looking up at the sky, he saw the sun. Mistaking the red sun for a fruit, he flew up towards it.

Lord Indra, fearing that the sun would be caught by Hanuman, hit his terrible weapon Vajrayudha at him. Hanuman was hurt and his left cheek was swollen.

At this, Hanuman's father Vayu was very angry. To calm Vayu, all the gods gave boons to Hanuman. Indra blessed the boy and said, "You shall not be afraid of death."
Brahma, the creator of the Universe, granted him immortality and said, "No weapon would have the power to kill you. You will be protected even against the Brahmastra."

Various other gods blessed the baby Hanuman, and these blessings made him invincible.

When Hanuman grew, he asked Surya, the Sun God, to accept his as his pupil.

Surya refused, "How can I teach you" I always have to be on the move in my chariot."

Hanuman replied, "With my face towards you, I shall move with the same speed as that of your chariot."

Seeing Hanuman's determination Surya finally agreed to teach him.

Within a short time, Surya gave the knowledge of the Shastras and Vedas to Hanuman. He also made him well-versed in various skills of warfare. As Guru dakshina (fee paid by a student to his teacher), Surya asked Hanuman to protect Sugreev, who was born of his own part.

Keeping his promise, Hanuman joined Sugreev and became his minister.

Sage Vashistha

Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughana were taught the the scriptures, morals, ethics and various sciences by the great Sage Vashistha. They also learnt warfare skills from their Guru.

By the age of sixteen, they had already mastered the art of archery and sword fighting. The four princes had also attained great skills in guiding and leading an army.

The princes respected their elders and were kind to everyone. They were honest and always tried to follow the part of righteousness. They were forever ready to help the needy.

Although the four brothers loved each other a lot, Lakshmana's love and devotion towards Rama was exceptional and Bharata and Shatrughana were very close to each other.