One day, while Hanuman was still an infant, an incident occurred that astonished even the devas.

Añjanā Devī had gone into the forest to gather fruits, leaving her little son asleep in a cave upon Mount Sumeru. After some time, the child awoke and felt hungry. Looking around in search of food, his eyes fell upon the sky.

At that moment, Sūrya Deva was rising above the mountains. To the hungry child, the reddish orb of the rising Sun appeared like a ripe fruit.

Verse: abhyutthitaṁ tataḥ sūryaṁ bālo dṛṣṭvā mahāvane | phalaṁ ceti jighṛkṣuḥ tvam utplutyābhyutpato divam ||

Translation: While still a young child, Hanuman saw the newly risen Sun and mistook it for a fruit. Thinking it to be a fruit, he sprang upward and soared through the sky.

Verse: śatāni trīṇi gatvātha yojanānāṁ mahākape | tejasā tasya nirdhūto na viṣādaṁ tato gataḥ ||

Translation: Even after traversing three hundred yojanas and drawing near the radiant Sun, Hanuman did not lose courage and continued onward fearlessly.

Vāyu Deva lovingly accompanied his son through the sky. Seeing the extraordinary child approaching, Sūrya Deva withheld his scorching rays and allowed him to come near.

On that very day, Rāhu had arrived to seize the Sun. Seeing another being rushing towards Sūrya Deva before him, Rāhu became frightened and hurried to Indra Deva.

Approaching the king of the devas, Rāhu said, "O Lord of the Devas! You granted me the Sun and the Moon as my share, yet today another has come to seize the Sun before me."

Desiring to see who had dared approach the Sun before Rāhu, Indra Deva mounted Airāvata and proceeded towards Sūrya Deva.

When Hanuman saw Airāvata approaching, he innocently thought, "Another fruit is coming towards me!"

Stretching out his hands, he leapt towards the mighty elephant.

Seeing Hanuman rushing towards Airāvata, Indra Deva struck the child with his vajra.

The vajra struck Hanuman upon his left jaw, and the child fell from the sky onto a mountain peak.

Verse: tadā śailāgraśikhare vāmo hanur abhajyata | tato hi nāmadheyaṁ te hanumān iti kīrtitam ||

Translation: When Hanuman fell upon the summit of a mountain, his left jaw was injured. Because of this, he became renowned by the name Hanuman.

Seeing his beloved son lying unconscious, Vāyu Deva was overcome with grief and anger. Carrying the child into a mountain cave, he withdrew his life-giving winds from the worlds. Without air, living beings began to suffer. The devas, sages, gandharvas, yakshas, and all creatures became distressed. Unable to bear the suffering of creation, the devas approached Brahmā Deva and sought his help.

Accompanied by the devas, Brahmā Deva came to the cave where Vāyu Deva sat holding the injured child in his arms. At the touch of Brahmā Deva, Hanuman regained consciousness and opened his eyes. Seeing Hanuman restored to life, Vāyu Deva became pleased. Then, one by one, the devas approached the child and blessed him.

Varuṇa Deva said, "I grant this child the excellent Varuṇāstra. My pasha shall never bind him, and the waters shall never have power over his body."

Yama Deva said, "My daṇḍa shall never affect him. He shall remain free from disease and untouched by sin."

Kubera said, "I grant this child a divine gadā. In battle he shall destroy his enemies and shall never know exhaustion."

Vishwakarma said, "None of the weapons made by me shall ever harm this child."

Bhagavān Shiva also blessed Hanuman.

Verse:  īśānaḥ ca varo dattaḥ śūlena api na hanyase | iti devaḥ paśupatiḥ śivaḥ sarva-jagad-guruḥ ||

Translation: Bhagavān Shiva, Lord Pashupati and teacher of all the worlds, granted a boon, saying, "You shall not be harmed even by My trident."

Then Brahmā Deva spoke these words.

Verse: prasādite ca pavane brahmā tubhyaṁ varaṁ dadau | aśastra-vadhyatāṁ tāta samare satya-vikrama ||

Translation: After Vāyu Deva had been pacified, Brahmā Deva granted a boon to Hanuman, saying, "O mighty child, no weapon shall ever be able to slay you in battle."

Brahmā Deva further said, "O son of Vāyu, you shall live long, remain fearless, assume forms according to your will, and accomplish every task successfully."

Then Indra Deva became pleased on seeing that Hanuman remained unharmed even after being struck by the vajra.

Verse: vajrasya ca nipātena virujaṁ tvāṁ samīkṣya ca | sahasranetraḥ prītātmā dadau te varam uttamam || svacchandataś ca maraṇaṁ tava syād iti vai prabho |||

Translation: The thousand-eyed Indra Deva joyfully granted Hanuman an excellent boon, saying, "Death shall come to you only when you yourself desire it. Since my vajra struck your jaw, you shall become renowned in all the worlds by the name Hanuman, and from this day onward my vajra shall never again cause you harm."

Finally, Sūrya Deva granted Hanuman a portion of his tejas and said, "When the proper time arrives, I shall teach him all branches of knowledge."

Receiving these blessings, Vāyu Deva became pleased and once again allowed his life-giving winds to flow through the worlds. The devas rejoiced, and all beings regained their strength and happiness.

Having offered their blessings to the child, the devas returned to their respective abodes.

Moral

Hanuman's attempt to swallow the Sun reveals the boundless curiosity, fearlessness, and energy of childhood. Even as an infant, he possessed immeasurable strength, yet his innocence led him to see the radiant Sun simply as a ripe fruit.

The blessings given by the devas remind us that great abilities are gifts meant to be protected, guided, and dedicated to righteous purposes. Hanuman's life teaches us that true greatness does not lie merely in possessing strength, wisdom, or power, but in dedicating them with humility and devotion in the service of dharma.

A Note to Readers

This account is based primarily on Jāmbavān's narration in the Valmiki Ramayana (Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa, Sarga 66). Some details, such as Rāhu approaching Indra, Sūrya Deva's affectionate treatment of the child, and Sūrya Deva later becoming Hanuman's teacher, are preserved in Purāṇic and devotional traditions and have been included to present a continuous narrative of Hanuman's childhood.