Though there are numerous forms of ānjaneya, nine forms are said to be most suited for purposes of upāsanā:
अनन्तेष्वतारेषु नवैवोपास्तिगोचराः ॥
They are:
1. Prasannānjaneya – King Vijaya who ruled the city of candrakoṇa propitiated this form, having received initiation into the mantra by sage Garga. The dhyāna of this form is:
आञ्जनेयमतिपाटलाननं
काञ्चनाद्रिकमनीयविग्रहम् |
पारिजाततरुमूलवासिनं
भावयामि पवमाननन्दनम् ||
ānjaneyamatipāṭalānanaṃ
kāncanādrikamanīyavigraham |
pārijātatarumūlavāsinaṃ
bhāvayāmi pavamānanandanam ||
2. Vīrānjaneya – a vānara named Mainda propitiated ānjaneya in this form and was relieved of various afflictions.
उद्यन्मार्ताण्डकोटिप्रकटरुचिकरं चारुवीरासनस्थं
बिभ्राणं हेममौंजीं करधृतकमलं नागयज्ञोपवीतम् |
धीरं सर्पेन्दुमौलिं वरमणिमकुटं कुण्डलाभासगण्डं
भीमाकारं त्रिनेत्रं रिपुकुलभयदं वायुपुत्रं नमामि ||
udyanmārtāṇḍakoṭiprakaṭarucikaraṃ cāruvīrāsanasthaṃ
bibhrāṇaṃ hemamauṃjīṃ karadhṛtakamalaṃ nāgayajnopavītam |
dhīraṃ sarpendumauliṃ varamaṇimakuṭaṃ kuṇḍalābhāsagaṇḍaṃ
bhīmākāraṃ trinetraṃ ripukulabhayadaṃ vāyuputraṃ namāmi ||
3. Vimśatibhuja ānjaneya (the twenty-armed) – this form was worshiped by Brahmā, the creator.
खड्गं खेटकभिण्डिपालपरशुं पाशत्रिशूलद्रुमान्
चक्रं शङ्खगदाफलाङ्कुशसुधाकुम्भान् हलं पर्वतम् |
टङ्कं पुस्तककार्मुकाहिडमरूनेतानि दिव्यायुधा-
न्येवं विंशतिबाहुभिश्च दधतं ध्याये हनूमत्प्रभुम् ||
khaḍgaṃ kheṭakabhiṇḍipālaparaśuṃ pāśatriśūladrumān
cakraṃ śaṅkhagadāphalāṅkuśasudhākumbhān halaṃ parvatam |
ṭaṅkaṃ pustakakārmukāhiḍamarūnetāni divyāyudhā-
nyevaṃ viṃśatibāhubhiśca dadhataṃ dhyāye hanūmatprabhum ||
4. Pancamukha ānjaneya (the five-faced) – was worshiped by Nīla, the son of Vibhīṣaṇa, initiated directly by ānjaneya.
वन्दे वानरनारसिंहखगराट् क्रोधाश्ववक्त्राञ्चितं
नानालङ्करणं त्रिपञ्चनयनं देदीप्यमानं रुचा |
हस्ताब्जैरसिखेटपुस्तकसुधाकुम्भं कुशाद्रीन्हलं
खट्वाङ्गं फणिभूरुहं च दधतं सर्वारिगर्वापहम् ||
vande vānaranārasiṃhakhagarāṭ krodhāśvavaktrāncitaṃ
nānālaṅkaraṇaṃ tripancanayanaṃ dedīpyamānaṃ rucā |
hastābjairasikheṭapustakasudhākumbhaṃ kuśādrīnhalaṃ
khaṭvāṅgaṃ phaṇibhūruhaṃ ca dadhataṃ sarvārigarvāpaham ||
5. Aṣṭādaśabhuja uddaṇḍa ānjaneya (eighteen-armed) – The great sage Durvāsā attained siddhi of this form.
दोर्दण्डसृष्टघण्टारवदलितमहादैत्यगर्वान्धकारं
दंष्ट्राभ्रष्टांशुजालद्विपणशशिरथिं कोटिसूर्यप्रकाशम् |
नक्षत्रस्पर्धिशुम्भत्कटितटविलसत्किङ्किणीजालनादं
उद्दण्डश्रीहनूमद्विभुमनिशमहं मानसे चिन्तयामि ||
dordaṇḍasṛṣṭaghaṇṭāravadalitamahādaityagarvāndhakāraṃ
daṃṣṭrābhraṣṭāṃśujāladvipaṇaśaśirathiṃ koṭisūryaprakāśam |
nakṣatraspardhiśumbhatkaṭitaṭavilasatkiṅkiṇījālanādaṃ
uddaṇḍaśrīhanūmadvibhumaniśamahaṃ mānase cintayāmi ||
6. Suvarcalā-sameta ānjaneya [accompanied by śakti suvarcalā] – Dhvajadatta attained immense prosperity through the upāsanā of this form.
सुवर्चलाधिष्ठितवामभागं
वीरासनस्थं कपिवृन्दसेव्यम् |
स्वपादमूले शरणागताना-
मभीष्टदं श्रीहनुमन्तमीडे ||
suvarcalādhiṣṭhitavāmabhāgaṃ
vīrāsanasthaṃ kapivṛndasevyam |
svapādamūle śaraṇāgatānā-
mabhīṣṭadaṃ śrīhanumantamīḍe ||
7. Caturbhuja ānjaneya (four-armed) – this form was propitiated by the great sage Kapila.
एकेनाऽभयदं परेण वरदं भोज्यं परञ्चाऽपरे
अन्येनापि सुवर्चलाकुचयुगं हस्तेन संबिभ्रतम् |
कारुण्यामृतपूर्णलोचनयुगं पीताम्बरालङ्कृतं
रम्यं वायुसुतं चतुर्भुजयुतं ध्याये हनूमत्प्रभुम् ||
ekenā.abhayadaṃ pareṇa varadaṃ bhojyaṃ parancā.apare
anyenāpi suvarcalākucayugaṃ hastena saṃbibhratam |
kāruṇyāmṛtapūrṇalocanayugaṃ pītāmbarālaṅkṛtaṃ
ramyaṃ vāyusutaṃ caturbhujayutaṃ dhyāye hanūmatprabhum ||
8. Dvātriṃśadbhuja ānjaneya (thirty-two armed) – King Somadatta re-acquired his lost kingdom by propitiating this form.
द्वात्रिंशद्भुजभीषणोद्यतमहाशस्त्रं दधानं ज्वलत्
वह्निस्पर्धिषडीक्षणं प्रविलसद्दंष्ट्राकरालाननम् |
निस्त्रिंषत्प्रतिमानलोमनिचयं हुङ्कारघोराकृतिं
धायेच्छत्रुविनाशनाय मतिमान् उग्रं हनूमत्प्रभुम् ||
dvātriṃśadbhujabhīṣaṇodyatamahāśastraṃ dadhānaṃ jvalat
vahnispardhiṣaḍīkṣaṇaṃ pravilasaddaṃṣṭrākarālānanam |
nistriṃṣatpratimānalomanicayaṃ huṅkāraghorākṛtiṃ
dhāyecchatruvināśanāya matimān ugraṃ hanūmatprabhum ||
9. Vānareśa (monkey-form) – worshiped by a vānara named Gāla who attained health and longevity.
अमलकमलवर्णं प्रज्ज्वलत्पावकाक्षं
सरसिजनिभवक्त्रं सर्वदा सुप्रसन्नम् |
पटुतरघनगात्रं कुण्डलालङ्कृताङ्गं
रणजयकरवालं वानरेशं नमामि ||
amalakamalavarṇaṃ prajjvalatpāvakākṣaṃ
sarasijanibhavaktraṃ sarvadā suprasannam |
paṭutaraghanagātraṃ kuṇḍalālaṅkṛtāṅgaṃ
raṇajayakaravālaṃ vānareśaṃ namāmi ||