Chapter 3.14 - The story of Anjana (Women characters, part 1)

Women characters are very less in the group of bird and monkey identities. These characters are didn’t get much importance in the epics. Only Tara got places in more than one situation.

Of the 11 important Devakanyakas, one was Punjikasthala. These devakanyakas are supposed to be important courtesans.^[1] This apsara was the servant of Brihaspati. Once, when she was collecting flowers in a garden, she saw the sexual acts of some youths. She was stunned by the pleasing sights. Soon she stopped the work and returned to the home of Brihaspati with a sorrowful face. She was sad because she had no lover or husband. Overcome by her sexual desires, she caught the hand of Brihaspati and begged for lovemaking.

Angered by her impudent behaviour Brihaspati cursed her to become a monkey woman. She was sorry for what she did and pleaded for a release from the curse. Brihaspati told her that she will be released from her curse when she gets a child from “Shiva Caitanya”. After that she will re-enter the heavens. She then started living in the jungle under the name Anjana and married a monkey king named Kesari. She prayed to Shiva for the gift of a child. The embryo that came from the power of Shiva was deposited in Anjana by the Vayudeva. Bali came to know about this from Narada and he tried all he could to destroy the baby in the womb, but he did not succeed.^[2] In due course Anjana gave birth to Hanuman and, thus was liberated from the curse, re-entered the heaven.^[3]