Significance of Panchamukhi Hanuman

The origin of Sri Panchamukhs Hanuman can be traced to a story in Ramayana. During the war between Lord Rama and Ravana. Ravana took help of Mahiravanka who is the king of Pathala.

Lord Hanuman in order to protect Lord Ram and Lakshman formed a fortress with his tail. Mahiravana took the form of Vibeeshana and took Lord Ram and Lakshman to pathala loka.

Hanuman entered pathala loka in search of Rama and Lakshmana, He found out that to kill Mahiravana he had to extinguish five lamps burning in five different directions at the same time, so he has taken the Panchamukhi form with Hanuman, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda and Varaha faces and extinguished the lamps and killed Mahiravana.

According to Hanumath Prakaranam in Sri Vidyarnavatantram, Anjaneya has five faces (Pancha Mukha) and ten weapons. The five faces are that of Lord Hanuman, Lord Narasimha, Lord Adivaraha, Lord Hayagriva, and Lord Garuda.

Hanuman is a great yogi (mystic) having transcended the five senses (Pancha Indriyas).

In Kamba Ramayanam (in Tamil), the significance of number five is beautifully narrated as follows:

• The son of one of the five elements (son of wind – Pavana Thanaya)
• crossed one of the five elements (water – the ocean),
• through one of the five elements (sky),
• met daughter of one of the five elements (daughter of earth – Sita Devi)
• burnt down Lanka by one of the five elements (fire).

Sundara Kandam, which highlights the heroic exploits of Lord Hanuman at Lanka is the fifth canto in the Ramayana. Therefore, it is considered auspicious to go around His idol 5 times, 14 times, 23 times, 32 times or with such numbers the digits of which add to five.

The Panchamukhi hanuman is rare idol of Hanuman. There are many legends and interpretations to same.

Face	Direction	Significance
SriHanuman (Original)	East	This face removes all blemishes of sin and confers purity of mind.
Narasimha	South	Removes fear of enemies and confers victory. Narasimha is the Lion-Man avatar of Lord Vishnu, who took the form to protect his devotee from evil. Hanuman may have had this face during the burning of Lanka and fighting in the war.
Garuda	West	Drives away evil spells, black magic influences, negative spirits and removes all poisonous effects in one's body. Garuda is Lord Vishnu's vehcile, this bird knows the secrets of death and the beyond. The Garuda Purana is a Hindu text based on this knowledge.
Varaha	North	Wards off the troubles caused by bad influences of the planets and confers all eight types prosperity (Ashta Aishwarya). Varaha is another Lord Vishnu avatar, he took this form and dug up land, Hanuman may have had this face whilst collecting the Sanjeev mountain.
Hayagriva	Upwards	(Urdhva Mukha) face confers knowledge, victory, good wife and progeny.

There are five ways of prayer, Naman, Smaran, Keerthanam, Yachanam and Arpanam. The five faces depict these five forms. Lord Hanuman always used to Naman, Smaran and Keerthanam of Lord Sri Rama. He totally surrendered (Arpanam) to his Master Sri Ram. He also begged (yachanam) Sri Rama to bless him the undivided love.

The weapons are a parashu, a talwar, a chakra, a dhaal, a gada, a trishula, a kumbha, a Katar, a plate filled with blood and again a big Gada.

Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami was the main deity of Sri Raghavendra Swami. The place where he meditated on this five-faced form of Hanuman is now known as Panchamukhi, wherein a temple for him has been built. There is also a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. A 40 feet (12 m) tall monolithic green granite murti of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in Thiruvallur, also in Tamil Nadu. This place was known as Rudravanam in olden times when many saints and seers had blessed this place with their presence. The Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram itself was established by a saint called Venkatesa Battar.