Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.596

c7.596

3) Education. Being born of Śiva and on account of the Śivaśakti in him, Hanūmān reached boyhood immediately. To learn the four Vedas and the six śāstras he chose Sūrya mentally as his preceptor, and approached him with the request to be taught the Vedas etc. Sūrya agreed to have Hanūmān as his disciple subject to the condition that the latter would not be permitted to sit with the Bālakhilyas in his (Sūrya's) chariot and study. Hanūmān agreed to the condition to learn from Sūrya walking in front of him. With book opened in his hand and concentrating all his attention on the face of Sūrya Hanūmān traversed the sky and within a short period of sixty hours he mastered all the Vedas and the śāstras thoroughly well. Though Sūrya said that he would consider the great interest Hanūmān took in his studies as dakṣiṇā (tuition fee) Hanūmān wanted Sūrya to accept something more by way of dakṣiṇā, and Sūrya said as follows :— "If you are so very particular about offering me something more as dakṣiṇā I shall tell you. My son Sugrīva is living on earth with Bāli and he is not as strong and powerful as Bāli. You be of help to Sugrīva as his minister and constant companion."