This story takes place after Lord Rama’s coronation — when everyone had returned to their respective kingdoms. Some became kings, some princes, and some retreated into hermitages. But Hanuman did not leave Ayodhya.
Lord Rama noticed that Hanuman simply refused to go. Since Rama himself could not bring himself to say anything to Hanuman, he sought the help of Mother Sita. Late at night, Rama said to her,
“Hanuman has served me immensely, performed countless deeds. Perhaps it is time to reward him — maybe grant him a kingdom or a royal position. You speak to him tomorrow, so that he may retire from his service and move on.”
Hearing this, Sita instantly replied,
“My lord, please do not assign me this task. I would never ask Hanuman to leave Ayodhya. You know, in jest but with deep meaning, Sita added — ‘It might be a tradition in your lineage to send your sons to the forest without fault, but not in mine. So I will not ask him to leave.’”
Rama smiled at her taunt and went to sleep.
The next morning, Rama met Bharata. At that time, Bharata was the chief minister of Ayodhya and handled all state affairs. Rama told Bharata,
“Find an honorable position for Hanuman and let him leave gracefully.”
Folding his hands, Bharata said,
“Brother, I had already prepared my funeral pyre when you left — I had lost all hope of your return. It was Hanuman who revived me with the Sanjeevani of faith, giving me life again. How then can I ever ask Hanuman to leave? I have known what separation from a brother means — for fourteen long years I suffered it. Now I cannot live through another separation, that too from Hanuman. So forgive me, I cannot tell him to go.”
Rama then turned to Lakshmana and said,
“Then you go and speak to Hanuman.”
But Lakshmana bowed and replied,
“After you and Mother Sita, the one dearest to me is Hanuman. When I was unconscious on the battlefield and you had no hope left, it was Hanuman who brought me back to life. Without him, I would not even be standing here. So how can I, to whom he gave life, ask him to leave?”
Then Rama approached Shatrughna.
Shatrughna said respectfully,
“Brother, Hanuman is not a guest anymore — he is part of our family. How can one ask a member of his own house to go away? It is beyond me to say such a thing.”
Finally, Lord Rama called a royal assembly in Hanuman’s honor. He praised Hanuman greatly and said,
“For every service rendered to me, I have rewarded those who helped. Yet you, Hanuman, never asked for anything. I too have struggled to decide what to give you — for the debt I owe to Sugriva is great, but yours is twice that. So, today, I ask you to claim a position or reward of your choosing.”
Then the ocean of wisdom and devotion, Hanuman, humbly replied,
“Prabhu, you just said that I have served twice as much as Sugriva — then I deserve not one, but two positions!”
The entire court was stunned — “Hanuman, greedy? Asking for two posts instead of one!”
Rama smiled and thought, If he’s asking for two positions, what harm could it do? So he said,
“Very well, Hanuman. You shall have two positions.”
No sooner had Rama said this than Hanuman immediately held both of Lord Rama’s feet and said,
“Then, my Lord, from this moment, these two ‘padas’ (feet) are mine! And no one can take them away from me — not even you, for you have already granted them to me.”
Hearing this, Lord Rama was overwhelmed. He embraced Hanuman and said,
“Indeed, you are the vast ocean of knowledge, wisdom, and strength, Hanuman. May your glory be eternal. From this day forth, you shall forever hold these two divine ‘padas’ — my eternal devotion and my eternal grace.”
