Hanuman and Arjuna

While the Pandavas were living in exile, Arjuna was on a pilgrimage covering various shrines all over India. He, as a part of his pilgrimage visited Rameshwaram.

     He visited the temple where the Shivlinga that was made by Lord Rama before starting for Sri Lanka in the Ramayan Era was kept. After seeking blessings from Lord Shiva, Arjuna went near the ocean and saw the remains of the Ram Setu Bridge built by monkeys and squirrels and other animals. Wondering at the looks of the bridge, Arjuna thought, “Lord Rama is God. He is a great archer than anyone. Why did he rely on monkeys and other animals, even tiny squirrels to build a bridge across the vast ocean? That too a bridge made out of stones! He, being the greatest archer, could have instead built the bridge with arrows in a blink of the eye. Why didn’t he do that?”

     Pondering with his queries, Arjuna was looking at the bridge for a long time trying to find the answer on his own. At that time, a monkey came near him and spoke, “Why are you staring at the bridge for a long time?”

Unsuccessful in acquiring the answer on his own, Arjuna placed his question in front of the monkey. Listening to Arjuna’s words, the monkey laughed and replied, “A bridge made out of arrows!? You are a prince! You are an archer and yet you don’t know what will happen to a bridge made out of arrows when mighty monkeys like Sugriva, Neela and Angadha step on it?!? And, not to forget the entire army of monkeys. They are the loyalists of Lord Ram! Greatest devotees of Lord Ram. Do you think an arrow bridge could hold them? The bridge will collapse. Even if the bridge is made by Lord Ram, it wouldn’t be able to hold us. Why them? Even a bridge made out of arrows won’t be able to hold my weight. No arrow bridge can hold this puny weak monkey. Then how can it hold them?”

Arjuna looked up at the monkey with an amaze and spoke, “You are a tiny monkey! A weaker one, in fact. You look old! Don’t you know who I am? Do you even know what my talent is? I, Arjuna, the disciple of Dronacharya, challenge you. Let us have a wager. I will build an arrow bridge that will have the strength to hold you. And, if I fail in it, if the bridge collapses, I will fall into pyre and kill myself.”

The monkey agreed to Arjuna’s trial. Arjuna, with the help of his Gandiva laid down an arrow bridge across the ocean while the monkey was sitting beside and chanting ‘Sri Ram… Jeya Ram’. After completing the bridge Arjuna asked the monkey to cross it. The monkey still chanting Lord Ram’s name, just placed its tail on the edge of the bridge and the bridge collapsed.

     Arjuna was startled. He looked at the monkey and asked for one final attempt. The monkey too agreed and sat beside, chanting Lord Ram’s name. Arjuna, this time built a bridge with the arrows closer to each other.  He asked the monkey to cross again anticipating that the bridge won’t plunge this time. Chanting Lord Ram’s name the monkey started walking on the bridge. Not even ten paces the monkey had walked, the bridge collapsed.  The monkey laughed at Arjuna-“See…Just as I told you!”

    Arjuna was speechless and felt ashamed for losing to a monkey. He felt awful to fail to a monkey and also felt that his knowledge in archery was of no use to him as he was not even able to build a bridge that can hold a monkey. As per the challenge, he prepared a pyre and was about to step on it when a young Brahmin who was passing by stopped him.

    The Brahmin enquired what the reason was for Arjuna to step on a pyre and Arjuna explained the challenge between him and the monkey. Hearing to Arjuna’s words on the challenge and the humiliating loss of Arjuna, the Brahmin looked around and spoke, “You people are having a trial. If there’s a trial then there should be someone to judge, right? Someone neutral has to be there to judge and to see whether both of you are playing fair, right? It’s meaningless and not valid when there’s no common judge. Construct another bridge and ask the monkey to walk on it. This time I will be the judge.”

     Arjuna and the monkey accepted the Brahmin’s argument and got prepared for one more round. Arjuna took his Gandiva and with a fear in him as a result of losing twice to the monkey, before building the bridge, he prayed to Krishna for hope and confidence. With a confidence that he got because of chanting Krishna’s name, he built the bridge using every ounce of his experience and skill. After constructing the bridge, he prayed to Krishna and looked at the monkey and spoke, “It’s done! Cross the bridge now!”

     Monkey was fully confident that anyways the bridge will collapse. After winning twice, it was more confident that the monkey didn’t even chant Lord Ram’s name. Happily the monkey stepped on the bridge. To Arjuna’s and the monkey’s surprise, the bridge didn’t collapse. Anxious, the monkey started walking and jumping on the bridge but yet the bridge stood firm and strong. The monkey was surprised to see the bridge holding him strongly.

  “Let me take my form and see whether the bridge can still hold me.”- Thinking so the monkey transformed into a huge and giant monkey. He, the great Hanuman was looking like a huge rock of mountain now. Arjuna was amazed and astounded to see the great Hanuman as his challenger. Humbled to see Hanuman, Arjuna kneeled on the ground and bowed his head in respect. He realized his imprudence in assuming that a bridge made out of arrow can hold warriors like Hanuman. He anticipated that the bridge would collapse in a matter of minutes succumbing to the strength of Lord Hanuman. But, to his surprise, the bridge was still holding Hanuman. 

   Baffled and furious, Hanuman started jumping on the bridge. It was looking like a huge mountain is falling on a piece of wood. He started stamping and hopping furiously. The bridge stood without even a scratch on it. Arjuna was puzzled to see what was happening in front of his eyes. He was unable to believe his eyes. Unable to grasp on what is happening and unable to find out an explication, Hanuman stood nonplussed and stumped, eyeing Arjuna and the young brahmin.

   While Hanuman was looking at the brahmin, he observed that the brahmin was smiling at him while Arjuna was full of surprise. There was no surprise or baffle or fear in the eyes of the brahmin. ‘Something is wrong. Only after his arrival, the bridge is strong. After seeing all those that I was doing on the bridge, no normal brahmin could stand like this. This kid is different. He is not a normal kid.’- Thinking so, Hanuman came down towards the brahmin.

Hanuman spoke in an intrigued voice, “I accept my defeat. But, who are you? How is it you are able to do this?”

     Still smiling, the brahmin revealed himself. Arjuna and Hanuman were both startled to see Lord Vishnu. They both fell at Lord Vishnu’s feet. Smiling at his devotees, Lord Vishnu spoke, “I am Rama and I am Krishna. I believe now you both have got your answers. Arjuna, there is a thin line of difference between ego and over confidence. You should always know where you are standing. And the knowledge to know where you are can be acquired only by understanding the truth and reality. In your first two attempts to build the bridge, you were full of pride. You thought that as a great archer you can achieve anything. There was more “I”. Pride and ego will bring no good to men. Hanuman was chanting my name those times and so there was no ego in him. With Ram’s power on his side, he won. This is a lesson for humble and modesty, Arjuna.”

     He turned towards Hanuman and spoke, “Beloved Hanuman, with winning twice, egoism went inside your head. Chastened by his loss twice, Arjuna was thinking of Krishna right from the moment he started building the bridge for the third time and he never stopped chanting Krishna’s name in his heart. So Krishna made him win. You were so sure that you will bring the bridge down by yourself and you even failed to chant Lord Ram’s name and so you failed. Neither of you failed. It’s only god’s power that won.”

Both Arjuna and Hanuman realized the truth and asked for forgiveness from Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu smiled at both and blessed them. “Lord, forgive me for what I have done. I should not have driven Arjuna to the extent of giving up his life. As an act of remorse, I will be present in the flag on Arjuna’s chariot and will protect him.”

Lord Vishnu too accepted Hanuman’s wish and thus made sure Arjuna’s chariot remains indestructible in the Kurukshetra war that was about to come.