TRNABINDU THE GREAT SAGE

Trnabindu was a wise and powerful sage. He spent his time meditating and doing penance at a sacred place called Rsitirtha. He was also the grandfather of Visravas, who later became the father of Ravana, the famous king of Lanka.

Trnabindu's Daughter and the Curse

Trnabindu had a daughter named Manini. Her story is mentioned in the Uttara Ramayana. One day, a great sage named Pulastya was meditating in a peaceful spot in the Himalayas. But a group of heavenly women, called Deva Gandharvas, arrived there and started singing and dancing. Their noise disturbed Pulastya, and he became angry. In his rage, he placed a curse on the place, saying that any woman who came there would become pregnant.

Manini did not know about this curse. She went to the same spot and, as a result, became pregnant. Shocked and scared, she ran back to her father, Trnabindu, crying. She told him everything that had happened. Trnabindu, being a wise and responsible father, took her to Pulastya and asked him to marry her. The sage agreed, and Manini became his wife. Their son, Visravas, was later born. Visravas went on to become a great sage himself and was the father of Ravana, the famous demon king.

How Trnabindu Cursed Hanuman

There is another interesting story about Trnabindu and Hanuman, the mighty monkey warrior. One day, Hanuman got into a playful fight with a lion and an elephant. He caught both animals and tied them to two posts outside Trnabindu’s ashram (hermitage).

Later, when Trnabindu stepped outside, he saw the huge lion and elephant tied up near his ashram. For a brief moment, he was startled. Then, using his divine powers, he realized that Hanuman had done this mischief. Trnabindu was displeased and placed a curse on Hanuman. He said that Hanuman would forget all his divine powers.

Hanuman was upset and begged for forgiveness. Seeing Hanuman’s sorrow, Trnabindu softened his curse a little. He said that Hanuman would regain his powers at the right time. Another monkey from his species would remind him of his lost strength.

Many years later, Hanuman was with a group of monkeys searching for Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, who had been kidnapped by Ravana. They reached the shore of India, where they needed to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. But none of the monkeys knew how to make the leap. Hanuman, too, had forgotten his great powers because of Trnabindu’s curse.

At that moment, an old and wise monkey named Jambavan approached Hanuman. He reminded him of his incredible strength and abilities. The moment Hanuman realized his true power, his strength returned, and he became his mighty self again. He then took a great leap across the ocean and began his mission to find Sita.

This is the story of Trnabindu, the great sage who played an important role in the history of Hindu Puranas.