A different story of Hanuman's birth from Ananda Ramayana

Ever since the great sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana,many poets got inspired and wrote many Ramayanas in different languages. In Sanskrit itself there are many Ramayanas apart from Valmiki Ramayana. One such Ramayana is Ananda Ramayana,also believed to be written by Sage Valmiki. But it differs from the original Valmiki Ramayana in having many strange and intersting tales which are not there in the Valmiki Ramayana. One such story is the birth of Hanuman. 

    Before we see this, let us recount the story of Hanuman's birth from Valmiki Ramayana. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, Kesari was the king of Vanaras or monkeys and his wife was Anjana, who was actually an apsara called Punjikasthala born as a female monkey due to a sage's curse as she disturbed his tapasya ( Sage Durvasa and Brihaspati in different versions). Once, Anjana changed her form into that of an apsara as she had that power and took a stroll in the beautiful environment. Vayudeva, the god of wind was enamored by her beauty and embraced her unseen by her. She however sensed it and asked in anger who violated her chastity. Vayudeva immediately appeared before her and said as he was wind he was already in touch with everyone and there was no fault in his embracing her. He also said that without violating her virginity and chastity he had impregnated her with his seed just by his embrace and as a result of this she would beget a most powerful son and Kesar also would accept him. At this, she got pacified and thus she begot Hanuman. 

     According to the Ananda Ramayana, when King Dasharatha obtained the divine payasam (kheer) from Lord Agni on doing the Putrakameshti yaga for getting children,he divided the payasam into three equal portions and gave to his three queens, Kousalya,Sumitra and Kaikeyi. When they were about to drink their shares, a female hawk suddenly appeared, and snatching the bowl of payasam from Kaikeyi's hand,flew away! Thus Kaikeyi lost her payasam. Kousalya and Sumitra then gave half of their shares to her. Meanwhile, the hawk flew to Anjana mountain and threw the bowl there. Anjana, the wife of Monkey king Kesari drank that payasam and begot Anjaneya or Hanuman! This is how Hanuman was born. The hawk was actually an apsara called Suvarchala in her previous life. Once while dancing in Brahma's court,she missed a beat. Angered by this, Brahma cursed her to become a hawk. When she requested for forgiveness,he became compassionate and said when she threw Kaikeyi's payasam in Anjana mountain her curse would get redeemed. The hawk did accordingly and got redeemed of her curse, thereby becoming instrumental in the birth of Hanuman.