Yah katha Valmiki Ramayan mein nahin milti, par poorv aur dakshin ki Ramayanon mein jeevit hai — Krittivaas ki Bangaali Ramayan mein, Tamil lok parampara mein, aur un bhakton ke hridayon mein jo Hanuman ke sabse chatur abhiyaan se prem karte hain. Yah Lanka yuddh ke sabse andhakaarmay dinon ki katha hai, jab Ravan ka paraakrami putra Indrajit Lakshman ke baanon se gir chuka tha.
Hataash Ravan ne ek puraane mitra ki sharan li: Ahiravan, jise Mahiravan bhi kehte hain, Paataal lok ka jaadugar-raja. Ahiravan kaale maaya ka swaami tha aur devi ka ugra bhakt tha, jise vah rakt-bali chadhaata tha. Ravan ne usse Ram aur Lakshman ka naash karne ki vinati ki, aur Ahiravan ne vachan diya ki agle sooryoday se pehle dono bhaai devi ki vedi par bali ke roop mein pade honge.
Us raat sada satark Hanuman ne apni lambi poonchh ko sote hue Ram aur Lakshman ke chaaron or kile ki tarah lapet diya, taaki koi paas na aa sake. Par Ahiravan ka jaadu deevaaron se sookshm tha. Ram ke vishvast mantri Vibhishan ka hi roop dharkar vah har pehredaar ke saamne se bina roke guzar gaya. Phir usne samast vaanar sena par nidra-mantra phoonka, dono achet rajkumaron ke saath prithvi ki ek gupt surang se neeche utra, aur unhein apne Paataal mahal mein le gaya.
Bhor mein shivir bhay se jaaga: Ram aur Lakshman gaayab the. Asli Vibhishan ne jab suna to peele pad gaye. "Yah keval Ahiravan kar sakta tha," unhone kaha. "Din samaapt hone se pehle vah unhein devi ki bali chadha dega. Hanuman hi uska peechha kar sakte hain jahaan vah unhein le gaya hai."
Hanuman prithvi mein dhanse aur ladte hue Paataal lok pahunche. Uske dwaar par unhein ek paraakrami yuva vaanar yoddha mila jisne unka maarg roka aur Hanuman ke aashcharya ke liye ghoshana ki ki vah Hanuman ka hi putra hai. Vah yuvak Makardhwaj tha, Hanuman ke paseene ki ek boond se janma jo samudra mein giri thi jab mahaan vaanar Lanka ki or chhalaang laga rahe the, aur jise ek magar ne nigal liya tha. Aashcharya aur sheeghrata ke beech phanse Hanuman ne apne putra ko paraast kiya, use komalta se baandha, aur aage badhe — lautne ka vachan dekar.
Mahal ke bheetar Hanuman ko ek apratyaashit mitra mili: rajkumari Chandrasena, jise Ahiravan ne bandi bana rakha tha. Usne unhein sab kuchh bataaya — ki bhaaiyon ki bali sandhya ko honi thi, aur ki Ahiravan saadhaaran upaayon se nahin maara ja sakta tha. Uska jeevan, usne phusphusaakar bataaya, paanch pavitra deepon se bandha tha jo paanch alag kakshon mein, paanch dishaon ki or jal rahe the. Keval yadi paanchon ek hi kshan mein bujha diye jaayein to jaadugar marega.
Hanuman madhumakkhi jitne chhote ho gaye aur mandir mein ghus gaye. Vahaan unhone Ram aur Lakshman ko dekha, bandi hokar bhi shaant, daanav ki devi ke saamne sir jhukaane se inkaar karte hue. "Hum rajkumar hain," Ram ne shaantipoorvak kaha. "Hamein jhukna nahin aata." Bali ke liye utsuk Ahiravan swayam mudra dikhaane ke liye jhuka — aur usi kshan Hanuman ne prahaar kiya.
Par pehle ve vah bane jo teenon lokon ne kabhi na dekha tha: Panchmukhi, paanch mukhon wale Hanuman. Unke kandhon se Narasimha, Garud, Varaah aur Hayagreev ke mukh uthe, beech mein unka apna mukh damakta hua, har ek paanch dishaon mein se ek ki or dekhta hua. Apne paanchon mukhon se ek hi prachand shvaas mein unhone paanchon deep ek saath bujha diye. Kaksh andhakaar mein doob gaye — aur jwaalaon ke saath jaadugar ki amarta mar gayi. Hanuman ne jaadugar ko pakda aur uska sir uda diya, uski raakshasi sena ko titar-bitar kar diya.
Phir mahaan bhakt ne apne dono prabhuon ko apne paraakrami kandhon par uthaaya aur jeeviton ke sansaar mein vaapas ude, sandhya se pehle unhein unki harshit sena ko lauta diya. Paataal chhodne se pehle unhone Makardhwaj ko mukt kiya aur Ahiravan ke sthaan par use Paataal lok ka raja banaaya, andhakaar ke rajya ko apne hi putra dwara shaasit lok mein badal diya.
Aaj bhi bhakt Panchmukhi Hanuman ki pooja samast bhayon ke nivaarak ke roop mein karte hain — kyunki paanchon mukh ek saath sabhi dishaon ki raksha karte hain, aur koi andhakaar, chaahe kitna bhi gehra ho, prem se seva karne wale hriday se chhip nahin sakta.
Is katha ke paatra
- Hanuman
- Rama
- Lakshmana
- Ahiravana
- Vibhishana
- Chandrasena
- Makaradhvaja
- Ravana
