* Hanumanji saves baby Shree Hari from the hands of Krityas (child devouring women)
Hanuman protects Shri Hari, Kidnapped by Krityas (child devouring women)
Suvrat said:-
O King, due to the sudden indications like throbbing of heart, quivering of left parts of the body, the demons in multitude came to know that their enemy has taken birth. Hence they created many occultist charms. They resorted to many dreadful acts. 1.
The infuriated Kalidatta produced a herd of terrible demonises having weapons, led by Kotara, made them rapidly approach the Chhapaiya town, and at the house of Shri Hariprasad, in the midnight. They entered aiming maternity room in particular, where the birth of the child occurred six days before, when people were asleep. 2 -3.
He saw their many Brahmin women including some grey-haired old ladies sleeping deeply. The wife of the great Brahmin, Bhakti was sitting on the bed staring at the face of the child. She was wakeful after performing the ritual of worship of the great goddess of the sixth day, with other gods Gajanana, group of six Kruttikas constellation, six-faced Kartikeya and Vishnu also. 4 -5.
To snatch the lustrous child shining like flames, from the lap of his mother, one of the dreadful Kotara, approaching her from sides, uttered some words. 6.
She was naked, raised hand with a spear, wearing a garland of skulls and holding a bloody skull on the other hand. She was black as charcoal with scattered hair, and with reddish big round orbit eyes and projected ferocious teeth. The demons said to the mother: 7.
‘O the ignorant one! I’m the queen of child-snatchers, now I eat away your son, recall your beloved god the real protector who is eager to save him from my molars.’ 8.
Having said thus, the demons suddenly opened her mouth caught hold off the child’s throat with her ferocious sharp tongue, from the lap of the mother, who was firm and fearless. 9.
There gathered those awkward ferocious looking child-snatching devils in hundreds screaming loudly ‘kill him, tear him, break him,’ gradually disappeared. 10.
As the child - killers went holding the child on his throat Bhakti began to cry loudly. Hearing the cry, the Brahmin came there remembering Vishnu. 11.
That lady (Bhakti), due to her deep love for the child, fainted crying for him. Thinking that his son was lost, the Brahmin also fainted, and people in the house began to cry. 12.
Having seen them fainted, Hanuman, who was adored by them before, in various ways, quickly presented himself there, regained the couple’s consciousness. 13.
‘O goddess Bhakti, why are you sleeping? Wake up ! O Brahmin Hari Prasad, wake up’! Hearing the calls made by Hanuman, they got up with tears in eyes. 14.
Being awakened they became confused, when they saw the divine monkey-god, looking very pleasant due to the smearing of oil and red-lead and wearing the garland of Akda flowers. 15.
Hanuman asked, ‘Why both of you are crying and being despondent? ’, to which Bhakti replied, `O! Born of monkey, you are the cause of happiness; your words are real nectar, O pity-personified! 16.
‘I am crying at my kidnapped son, by child-killing devils whom we obtained through austerities’, Maruti said to thus replied Bhakti, who now seemed to be gaining courage, seeing him. 17.
‘I am the servant-devotee of Shri Rama and my name is Hanuman. I know you both have firm faith in me. Hence, knowing that you are in difficulty, I came here to take away your misery. The child-killer deities or even the terrible murderous demons cannot kill your baby. In fact, your baby is the fear incarnate even to the god of deaths’. 18.
Consoling her thus Maruti took the form of a human on his own will, and went swiftly to release the god, who attracts the minds of devotees, Narayan, from the hands of child-killing demons. 19- 20.
Having taken the child they flew up and went out of the town with a craving to eat up the child, but all of a sudden they left the child as his blazing look, began to burn their whole enormous bodies. 21.
The quickly thrown child by the devils, hardly ten days old, falling on the earth, slept there well soothed and enveloped by the cool-rays of the moon. 22.
Then she raised sharp spear to kill, wildly staring at him, stayed in mid-space, gnawing her lips with irregular sharp teeth. 23.
As she stayed above in space, she was puzzled to see the fire of apocalyptic proportion rising in him, engulfing her, she became terrified, began to tremble, not even able to see the child. 24.
She began to sweat and the piercing stake dripped down from her trembling hand, she ran away with her herd, screaming loudly that she would never come again there. 25.
In the mean while, Maruti came there flying in the sky, from the house of Dharma, with his mouth widely opened, showing his long terrible molars, making fierce sound like a thunder. He came there as speedily as an arrow shot from the bow. 26.
Being angry at those, who afflicted his beloved, sincere, child, he tied the escaping herd with his long tail as though a bundle of grass and stroked them with his legs. 27.
Leaving that herd nearly dead, which had still some breath, saved by the little positive deeds of the past, Hanuman becoming pleasant looking, took in his arm the child, with love. 28.
Looking at the gentle smiling baby, he brought it slowly, carefully back to Bhakti. Having obtained the child from the jaws of death, she said to the great monkey; 29.
‘O God, you saved this child from death, so you have given me my life. I know you have given the life to the brother of Rama (i.e. Laksman) (by bringing Sanjivini plant), so it was not impossible for you.’ 30.
Having heard the mother of god, Bhakti, the all-knowing Hanuman told her ‘O auspicious one, you should know the real truth, that this baby of yours is divine, and not a human being. He is the protector, from the afflicting worldly life. Hence, you ought to save this divine wonderful baby and give your utmost affection to him alone’. 31-32.
Saying thus to her, he saw the face of the baby. At that time the pleasing beautiful baby made a laugh. Knowing that Shri Hari himself wishes to play the role of an ordinary child, Maruti disappeared. 33.
Seeing the competency of Hanuman, both of them were astonished. As common person think, they thought that their son had a rebirth indeed. 34.
They told people, excitedly, about their son being saved by Hanuman from the herd of devils. 35.
From then on, they both became devoted to Hanuman, and began to tell his greatness to all the relatives. They took a vow to worship and visit him on every Saturday, with adoration. 36-37.
O King! To keep off evil misery, Dharma performing required rituals of pacification as mentioned in the Vedas appeased the Brahmin people with worthy offerings and involved in chanting ‘’Narayaniy Kavacham”. 38
O King! Thus has been narrated, the child Narayan’s competence, thrashing the ocean of sins of the teller and the listener. The holy-story (sacred-history), of the supreme-soul, told by me to dedicated one like you, ought to be adored. 39.
Thus ends the twenty-third chapter entitled ‘Hanuman protecting Shri Hari’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 23