I read that Sri Rama had ordered Lord Hanuman's execution, I can't remember why, but when the sentence was attempted to be carried out, the weapons didn't affect Hanuman, due to his loyalty to Rama. Even the sacred "Brahmastra" couldn't hurt Lord Hanuman.
Is this story true? I can't remember where I read it.
Is this story true? I can't remember where I read it.No. This story is not found in any canonical text.
In his extensively researched and well-cited book1 - 'Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey', author Philip Lutgendorf says -
- Saved by the Name
This is another story concerning which Pandit Dube observed that, although absent from authoritative Sanskrit texts, it was ‘‘current among enthusiastic devotees and oral storytellers (kathāvācaka)’’ (kalyāṇ 1975:339). Apparently it has remained so, for it is retold in eight Hindi collections.
Although may I add, that originally, Hanuman ji is not the target of god Rāma, and only when Hanuman gets in the way of Rāma (who was adamant about killing the king of Kashi), then Rāma is forced to 'try of kill' Hanuman ji, and not otherwise.
Author Lutgendorf further notes:
Some introduce minor modifications storyteller. One storyteller omits Hanuman’s mother and has Narada advise the king of Kashi to seek shelter with Hanuman himself (H17:4748); another has the showdown occur outside Anjana’s retreat and involve a real battle between Rama and Hanuman, broken up by the arrival of Narada and Vishvamitra, who arbitrate (H12:33–34). In Swami Prem’s version, the offender is the gandharva Chitrasena, who accidentally spits betel juice on the testy sage Durvasas, who complains to Rama; the rest of the story follows the version I have given, except that Rama provides Hanuman with a magic club to be used to defend those who repeat Rama’s name (H18:276–84). In a more significant variant, the king is omitted and Hanuman himself is tricked by Narada into insulting Vishvamitra, the sage’s motive is to prove the superiority of the Name over its bearer (nâma vs. nâmí; H13:216–17). Finally, one elaborate version posits the ill will of Shani (Saturn), as the cause of the crisis. Here, Rama and Lakshmana both pursue the hapless king, and Hanuman is supposed to assist them. But when the king seeks Anjana’s protection, Hanuman is faced with another dharma-saṅkat: to obey his master (and surrogate father) Rama or his mother. Viewers of Hindi films will not be surprised to learn that he chooses the latter course. As in the Ahiravana story, Hanuman then coils his tail into a fortress in which he places the king and before which he seats himself in meditation, chanting the Name. Rama’s and Lakshmana’s weapons prove useless, and ultimately Shiva intervenes to pacify them (H15: 245–47). The storytellers’ usual choice of Vishvamitra as the offended character is significant since he was once an arrogant Kshatriya who, by superhuman effort, transformed himself into a Brahman, hence he remains hypersensitive about receiving all the requisite prerogatives. In all versions, the story celebrates the power of the Rama mantra (being careful to include its three most common variants) and Hanuman’s special relationship to it. Dube notes that the king has been ‘‘initiated’’ (dıkshit) by Hanuman in the mantra and its use (Kalyaṇ 1975:342), and this recalls the Ramanandi doctrine that Hanuman is one of the great preceptors of the spiritual discipline of ‘‘remembrance of the Name’’ (nāma smaraṇa). Indeed, in one recent version, when the king’s voice falters in his repetition, Hanuman enters his throat and takes up the chant (H19:351–54). For his part, Rama— who relentlessly pursues a status-based notion of ‘‘dharma’’ regardless of the cost—here seems to be fading into the cosmic clockwork, to become just another of the adverse forces we humans are likely to find aligned against us. Yet a remedy is at hand, in the form of an intercessor who has managed to wrangle the boon of defending us against adverse fate and even ‘‘God himself.’’
The main aim of this folk-story is to expound on the famous Hindi saying - "Rāma se baḍā Rāma kā nāma" ("राम से बड़ा राम का नाम") i.e., The name of the Lord is greater than the Lord himself.
1: Lutgendorf, Philip. Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2006.
The story can be found in the book "Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey" by Phillip Lutgendorf (pages 162-164):
[T]he king of Kashi (Pratardana), to be journeying to Ayodhya to pay his respects to Rama. En route, he meets the sage Narada, who requests a favor of him. When the king agrees, Narada tells him to show respect to everyone in Rama's court, but to ignore sage Vishwamitra.... The ever-volatile Vishwamitra is enraged by the slight and informs Rama of it, calling it a stain on the honor of his court. Rama's brow darkens; he removes three arrows from his quiver and vows that he will take the life of the king of Kashi before the sun sets.... The king is trembling like a leaf, however, so Narada offers a suggest for how he might yet save himself: "Go to [Hanuman's mother] Lady Anjana and ask for her protection." ... When he then reveals that his would-be executioner is Rama hismelf, Anjana is troubled. "This will be difficult", she says, then adds, "still, I'll try." At this moment Hanuman arrives and bows at his mother's feet.... [S]he makes him, in turn, promise three times to assist her.... His mother reminds him of the great dharma of sheltering the week and of the fact that she has given her word. Hanuman says he will try to find a way out
Hanuman flies back to Ayodhya with the king and brings him to the bank of the Sarayu. He tells him to wade waist-deep into the water and remain there, repeating Rama's name. Meanwhile, Hanuman presents himself at court, bows to Rama, ... [and] asks that henceforth he be permitted to guard those who repeat Rama's name, and further, that as long as he does so, no power in the universe, - "not even God himself" - should be able to cause them harm. Rama readily agrees, whereupon Hanuman ... rushes back to the riverbank[.]... Rama is soon informed of this and becomes furious. He takes one of his arrows, charges it with mantras for the destruction of the king of Kashi, and fires it right from the palace. But the arrow halts in mid-air just in front of the king[.]...
Meanwhile, Vishwamitra too arrives on the scene, brooding over the curious crisis he preciptated. As Rama prepares to fire his arrow, Vashishta ... tells the offending king to throw himself at Vishwamitra's feet. The king does so, still repeating the mantra, and Vishwamitra is pleased and declares his act of repentance to be sufficient.
Its like a folk tale which objective is to shed light on the fact that "The Ram Name being greater than Lord Rama's Arrow (Ram Baam) and Lord Rama himself."
I hope this clarifies your queries.
