25 - Up, Up and Away!

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India', host Narad Monei explores the mythological tale of Hanuman, a central figure in the Ramayana. The story delves into Hanuman's extraordinary powers, his origins, and his adventures, including his first recorded space flight and the consequences of his encounter with the sun god Surya. The episode also touches on Hanuman's wisdom and his similarities to Superman, highlighting his humility despite his superhuman abilities.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'Stories from India' narrates myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge.
• 🦸 Hanuman, a central figure in the Ramayana, is compared to Superman for his extraordinary powers and intriguing origin story, including the first recorded space flight.
• 🍉 Anjana, a fairy (upsera), loses her beauty and is turned into a monkey due to a curse after she ridicules a meditating Rishi disguised as a monkey.
• 🙏 Anjana prays to Shiva, who helps her regain her form and gives birth to Hanuman after consuming divine porridge delivered by a bird, influenced by the god of wind, Vayu.
• 🌞 Hanuman is endowed with superpowers by various gods as a result of an incident where he was struck by Indra's thunderbolt, attempting to reach what he thought was a mango, but was actually the sun.
• 📚 Hanuman seeks knowledge from Surya, the sun god, who teaches him everything under the sun, demonstrating Hanuman's wisdom and thirst for knowledge.
• 🎓 Hanuman's 'tuition fee' for learning from Surya is to help and protect Surya's son, Sugri, which leads to significant events in the Ramayana.
• 🎉 The podcast episode coincides with the celebration of Hanuman Janti, emphasizing the cultural and religious importance of the character.
• 👶 Both Hanuman and Superman share similarities such as being abandoned as babies, possessing super strength, the ability to fly, and living among humans without a superior attitude.
• 🏛 The story also touches on Mullah Do Paza, a clever figure from Emperor Akbar's court, illustrating the use of flattery to escape an embarrassing situation.
• 🎵 The podcast features music from Purple Planet and encourages listeners to engage with the show through comments, reviews, and social media.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about discussing myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

Who is the host of 'Stories from India' podcast?

The host of the podcast is Narad Mone, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge.

What is the significance of Hanuman in the story discussed in the podcast?

Hanuman is a central figure in the story discussed in the podcast. He is compared to Superman and is known for his extraordinary powers and interesting origin story.

What is the role of an 'upsera' in the story?

An 'upsera' is a fairy who lives in heaven and is skilled in dancing and has limited magic, including the ability to teleport to Earth and back.

What happens when Anjana, the upsera, throws a fruit at a monkey during her picnic?

The monkey turns out to be a disguised Rishi who curses Anjana, turning her into a monkey until she bears a child, preventing her from returning to heaven.

How does Anjana regain her upsera form?

Anjana regains her upsera form after giving birth to Hanuman, who was conceived from divine porridge that was brought to her by a bird with the help of the god of wind, Vayu.

What are some of the superpowers Hanuman is gifted with?

Hanuman is gifted with superpowers such as the ability to fly, walk on water, change his size at will, shape-shift, immunity to drowning, burning, and nonplatonic love, and eternal happiness and contentment.

Who teaches Hanuman everything he knows?

Hanuman is taught by the sun god, Surya, who agrees to teach him in exchange for Hanuman's help and protection for Surya's son, Sugri.

What is the significance of Hanuman Janti?

Hanuman Janti is a celebration that honors Hanuman, and it is mentioned in the podcast as being celebrated on a Wednesday, six days after Rahu's birthday.

What is the connection between Hanuman and Superman as discussed in the podcast?

Both Hanuman and Superman are abandoned as babies, have super strength, can fly, and live among people without superpowers without assuming a superior attitude.

What is the story of Mula Do Paza mentioned in the podcast?

Mula Do Paza is a character from the court of Emperor Akbar, known for his cleverness. The podcast mentions an anecdote where he uses flattery to escape an embarrassing situation involving a lost coin with the emperor's face on it.