Maruti and Bajrang Bali are two of the most popular names of Lord Hanuman, but do you know why is he called Bajrang Bali? The word “Bajrang” is a corrupted version of the word “Bajrang,” which means “the one with a body like Vajra”.
Lord Hanuman is one of the most popular Hindu gods. He is the Rudravatar of Lord Shiva. Bajrang Bali helped Lord Rama defeat Ravana and bring back Goddess Sita to Ayodhya. He has at least 108 different names. Bajrang Bali is one of his most popular names.
Why is Lord Hanuman Known As Bajrang Bali?
Hanuman Tries to Eat the Sun:
Lord Hanuman is the son of Lord Vayu (Air God); hence, he was born with some superpowers. When he was a kid, he was very mischievous. Once, he was very hungry, and his mother Anjali was not around. He saw the Sun in the sky and confused it with a red-colored fruit and wished to eat it. Immediately, he jumped into the sky and flew toward the Sun.
Indra Hits Hanuman with Vajra:
Lord Indra, the king of heaven, understood his intentions and decided to prevent him from doing so because it would have resulted in the cessation of life on Earth. Without a second thought, he hurled his weapon, Vajra, toward him. Vajra is one of the most powerful divine weapons. A person struck by Vajra does not survive most of the time. When it hit Hanuman, it dented his chin and made him unconscious. The unconscious Maruti started falling toward Earth.
Vayu Threatens to Cease the Life on Earth:
When Vayu saw this, he caught Hanuman in the air and brought him down safely. He was infuriated by Indra’s reckless act and started sucking all air from the world. All the gods became fearful because living beings could not survive without air. Therefore, they approached Lord Brahma and asked him to interfere.
Lord Brahma then asked Indra to apologize to Vayu for his reckless act and revive Hanuman. Indra revived Hanuman and apologized for his action. Seeing revived Hanuman, Lord Vayu’s anger subsided, and he restored air in the world.
Gods Bless Lord Hanuman:
After this, Indra blessed Maruti with immunity to all kinds of weapons. He also gave the name Hanuman after the imprint on his chin. Surya gave him extreme speed and brilliance. Kubera blessed Hanuman with a perfect mace, which Hanuman carries to date. Lord Yama blessed Hanuman to be freed from the fear of death. Brahma gave Hanuman eight superpowers and nine kinds of devotion. He granted him immunity from Brahmastra and other divine weapons. Thus, Hanuman became a very powerful and strong person when he was a kid.
Thus, even after being struck by a powerful weapon like Vajra, Hanuman did not receive much damage. Therefore, he is called Vajranga, “the one with a body like Vajra”. After receiving different boons, he became one of the most powerful gods. Hence, he is called Bajrang Bali, which means “the one with a body like Vajra and having immense strength”. The word “Bali” means “the one with immense bodily strength”.