Why did Lord Hanuman bring two mountains from Himalayas?

Question

As every TV show and common man say Lord Hanuman went to Himalayas to bring Herbs and brought One Mountain.

SCRIPTURE :
As stated in Valmiki Ramayan : Yuddha Kanda(Chapter Sarga 74)

After having been struck by Brahma's missile released by Indrajit, Rama and Lakshmana became unconscious. Sixty-seven crores of monkeys fainted. Hanuma and Vibhishana, however in consciousness, roared about in the battle-front with torches in their hands, making a search of Jambavan. They find Jambavan. Jambavan requests Hanuma to proceed to Himalayas, by crossing over the ocean and to bring four important herbs, viz. Mrita Sanjivani, Vishalya karani, Suvarna karani and Sandhani; so as to bring succour to the fainted army of monkeys. Hanuma begins his journey to Himalayas and reaches Mount Rishabha, where the wonderful herbs exist. Hanuma searches for the four wonderful herbs. But the herbs appear invisible for him. Hanuma uproots the mountain clothed with the four celestial herbs and carries it along with him. Inhaling the odour of those herbs, Rama, Lakshmana and all the monkeys regain their normal health.

As stated in Valmiki Ramayan : Yuddha Kanda(Chapter Sarga 101)

Rama laments over the uncertain condition of Lakshmana. He calls Sushena, the monkey-physician. Sushena tests Lakshmana and says he is still alive. Sushena then requests Hanuma to go all the way to Himalayas and bring the required herbs to treat Lakshmana. Hanuma proceeds to Mount Mahodara and failing to identify the herbs there, carries the mountain-peak itself and brings it to Sushena. Lakshmana regains consciousness, after getting treated with that herb by Sushena.

QUESTION:

• Why did Lord Hanuman bring two mountains or mountain peaks as the first mountain he brought could be used to cure them ?
• Are there any other scriptures referring the reason for bringing two mountains ?

Answer 1

When Rama, Lakshmana and crores of monkey warriors fell down due to the wrath's Brahmāstra of Indrajeet, Jambavan asked Hanuman to bring four herbs from the herbal mountain named Oushadhi mountain. They were:

1. Mrita Sanjivani (capable of restoring the dead to life)

2.Vishalyakarani (capable of extracting weapons and healing all wounds inflicted by weapons)

3.Suvarnakarani (restoring the body to its original complexion) and

4.Sandhani, the great herb (capable of joining severed limbs or fractured bone)

Hanuman uprooted that herbal mountain with required herbs for the first time, after Rama, Lakshmana and the other monkey warriors came to consciousness, he restored back the mountain to its original place.

In the chapter 74 of Yuddha Kanda,

तावप्युभौ मानुषराजपुत्रौ |
तं गन्धमाघ्राय महौषधीनाम् |
बभूवतुस्तत्र तदा विशल्या |
उत्तस्थुरन्ये च हरिप्रवीराः || ६-७४-७३

By inhaling that fragrance of those great herbs, both Rama and Lakshamana became healed of their wounds then and there. Other monkey-warriors rose up.

सर्वे विशल्या विरुजाः क्षणेन |
हरिप्रवीराश्च हता श्च ये स्युः |
गन्धेन तासाम् प्रवरौषधीनां |
सुप्ता निशान्तेष्विव संप्रबुद्धाः || ६-७४-७४

By the fragrance of those most powerful herbs, all those monkey-warriors who were earlier dead were healed momentarily of their wounds, relieved of their pain, even as those who are asleep fully get up at the close of night.

ततो हरिर्गन्धवहात्मजस्तु |
तमोषधीशैलमुदग्रवीर्यः |
निनाय वेगाद्धिमवन्तमेव
पुनश्च रामेण समाजगाम ||६-७४-७७

Then, Hanuma the son of wind-god, with a great speed, carried away that mountain of herbs quickly back to the mountains of Himalayas and again joined Rama.

When Lakshmana was struck with the sakthi weapon of Ravana and felt consciousness, Sushena asked Hanuman to bring the same herbs again. This is mentioned in the chapter 101 of Yuddha kanda.

सौम्य शीघ्रमितो गत्वा शैलमोषधिपर्वतम् || ६-१०१-३१
पूर्वन् हि कथितो योअसौ वीर जाम्बवता शुभः |
दक्षिणे शिखरे तस्य जातामोषधिमानय || ६-१०१-३२
विशल्यकरणी नाम विशल्यकरणीन् शुभाम् |
संजीवकरणीं वीर संधानीं च महौषधीम् || ६-१०१-३३
संजीवनार्थं वीरस्य लक्ष्मणस्य महात्मनः |

Proceeding from this place with full speed, O gentle one!, to the mountain called Oushadhi (Mahodaya), which was already described to you previously by Jambavan, O brave one! Bring here for restoring the great-souled and heroic Lakshmana to consciousness, the precious herb Vishalyakarani by name which was sprung up on its southern peak, Savarnakarnani , Samjivakarani and the precious herb, Samdhanakarani.

He brought the mountain in the same way just like he did during the first time i.e., by uprooting the whole mountain.

So it is not two different mountains. It is the same mountain with same medicinal herbs twice.

Answer 2

There is general consensus that the first mountain is from present-day Dronagiri in Uttarakhand state.

I am adding a few points to the nice answer by @Sarvabhouma, since I think the second mountain was not the same as the first one:

1. God Hanuman is unsure of the whereabouts of herb Vishalyakarani [Valmiki Ramayana 6.101.37], though this same herb was carried back earlier with the first mountain.

2. He has to violently shake the (second) Oushadi mountain 3 times to uproot it [Valmiki Ramayana 6.101.38-39], which implies it was a newer peak.

3. Valmiki Ramayana 6.101 does not mention the Himalayas, unlike in Valmiki Ramayana 6.74.

4. Sri Lankans believe fragments of the mountain fell at Dolu Kanda. So, if it was the same mountain both times, there may not have been any need to get another mountain.

5. The (second) Oushadi mountain is like a dark rainy cloud [VR 6.101.40]. Sri Lankans believe that fragments of a mountain fell at Ritigala (which has a cloud cover and an evergreen forest in a dry region) and Rumassala (vegetation is similar to that of the Western ghats).

Therefore, I feel the second Oushadi (Mahodaya) mountain was from the western ghats. Based on folklore, a likely candidate is the Sanjeevi hill from Rajapalayam range in Tamil Nadu also because the herb was sanjeeva-karani in the second trip, and mrita-sanjeevani in the first trip.

Further, local folklore also associates Tamil Nadu's Sirumalai and Sathuragiri mountains with this epic incident.

Yes, Oushadi (second) mountain was earlier described to God Hanuman by Jambavanta [Valmiki Ramayana 6.101.31]. Can we explain that it was described on some other occasion (may be during their trek from Kishkindha to Rameshwaram), and not when He went to fetch the first mountain?