ବଜରଂଗବଲୀ ହନୁମାନ ସାଠିକା

Sixty verses rather than the forty of a chalisa, given by its own banner and colophon to Tulsidas, and almost all of it is childhood. Born from Anjani's womb to the cheering of the gods and drums sounding deep in the sky, with the fort of Lanka already uneasy at the fear of a monkey. The sages come and bow at his feet and give him his clean name, Hanuman — and then, between them, decide to tell him to eat the red fruit. He takes the rising sun for it and eats it chariot and all, and the world goes dark until Brahma makes him give it back. Brahma then tells him what he is for: Ramachandra will do many things, and you are to help him; for now, go and live in the forest. The play that follows is enormous and aimless — trees pulled down and heaped up, hills split, and whichever hill he sets a foot on goes down to Patala with him.