Why ghosts are afraid of Lord Hanuman

The battle between Lord Hanuman and Ravan’s brother Ahiravan is one that is not often talked about. But, the reason it should be is that this battle was a major turning point in the war of Lanka, and Lord Hanuman’s ‘Panchmukhi roop’, or 5-faced Hanuman, was first seen during this battle. Ahiravan was the brother of Ravan, the demon king of Lanka. And while Kumbhkaran is the more ‘popular’ brother of Ravan, Ahiravan was not just Ravan’s brother but also the King and master of Pataal, the underworld. He was a sorcerer and a skilled master of dark magic, and was feared by all for his mystical powers, face-shifting abilities, and his experience in manipulating the supernatural. And while Ravan wanted to overpower Lord Ram in the battle, Ahiravan just wanted him to lose by using deceit and trickery.

As the war between Lord Ram’s army and Ravan’s went on, at multiple points Ravan was on the verge of defeat. Seeing this, Ahiravan wanted to intervene and help his brother win. And so, as Hanuman was protecting Lord Ram and Lakshman’s tent, Ahiravan converted himself into Vibhishan, to trick Hanuman and others, and went into the tent without any worries or questions. As the war stopped during nighttime, Ahiravan went to Lord Ram and Lakshman’s space and abducted them without making a sound. He took them to his underground kingdom in Patal Lok, where he planned to sacrifice both brothers to the goddess Mahamaya as part of a ritual.In a few hours, Lord Hanuman realised that both Lord Ram and Lakshman were missing, and he immediately sensed the trouble they were in. He quickly went to Vibhishana, narrated the story, and Vobhishana then told Lord Hanuman about Ahiravan’s tricks. Filled with rage, Lord Hanuman set out to rescue Lord Ram and Lakshman from the underworld.

Once Lord Hanuman reached Patal Lok, he found Ahiravan preparing for the sacrificial ritual. Lord Ram and Lakshman were bound and unconscious owing to the trance Ahiravan placed on them and were tied to an altar as offerings to the goddess Mahamaya. Lord Hanuman’s presence in the underworld was deeply unnatural as a pure soul like him did not belong there and once Ahiravan sensed it, he quickly wanted to finish Lord Hanuman as well. Being the master of dark magic, Ahiravan was not proving easy to defeat. Lord Hanuman and Ahiravan fought an intense battle where it seemed like there was no real winner. Ahiravan was fueled with his dark magic abilities and the will to finish Lord Ram and Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman found his strength in the fact that he could save his Lord. When the battle stopped for a little while, it is said that Lord Hanuman saw a vision where he was told that the 5 litup candles near the altar were fueling Ahiravan’s power and the only way to defeat him was by blowing off all the candles at once. It was then that Lord Hanuman invoked his divine Panchmukhi avatar, the one with 5 faces, each stronger than the other, but all in complete harmony. The Panchmukhi Hanuman has the power and courage of Lord Hanuman, Narsimha, Garuda, Varaha, and Hayagriva. Each of the ‘mukhas’ gave Lord Hanuman a distinct power, making him stronger.

In the battle that followed, Ahiravan used every trick possible. He made up situations, gave Lord Hanuman illusions, used magical weapons, and even summoned the most sinister demons to help him. But, Panchmukhi Hanuman was undefeatable. It is believed that he destroyed Ahiravan’s illusions with his Garuda face, which had the power to dispel all forms of black magic and sorcery. And as his life force depended on the 5 lit-up candles, Lord Hanuman took on a huge form and quickly blew out all the candles. This quickly led to Ahiravan’s defeat and his turning into ashes. As Ahiravan fell down, his trance over Lord Ram and Lakshman broke and they quickly woke up to get back to their tents and resume the battle against Ravan.

The battle with Ahiravan shows how well Lord Hanuman knows how to destroy evil completely. Be it evil tricks, or the most complicated illusions, Lord Hanuman, through his various forms, always emerges victorious. And since then, Lord Hanuman, especially in his Panchmukhi Hanuman form has been invoked to keep away and destroy any evil spirits, demonic influences, and even fear.