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The one character that embodies complete devotion and loyalty is Hanuman Ji. There is a poetic beauty established through Lord Hanuman across all his acts for lord Rama. Hanuman Ji is most renowned for his courage, valor and dedication throughout Hindu mythology. There are many different versions of the story of how Hanuman came into being. Hanuman was the son of lord vayu and anjana. Hanuman was by nature a curious child, one day his hunger got the better of him and he went chasing after the sun presuming it to be a fruit. Lord Surya got on his chariot and hurried away but Hanuman would not be stopped, so lord Indra had to use his thunderbolt to prevent Hanuman. On hearing this lord Vayu was furious and took up the issue with all the gods and they conceded to bless Hanumanji with immortality. But hanuman’s mischief was just like his long tail. It went on and on and there was simply no end to it, so the gods decided to put an end to it. They put a curse on him that would make him forget that he had such great powers. This can be noticed in the epic Ramayana when Jambavan reminds him that he has the power to grow huge and also shrink in size.
Most of us would be familiar with the story of how Hanuman ji set fire to the entire country of Lanka with the help of his long, long tail. But another famous story of how Lord Hanuman used his power against Sursa, the demon who had obtained a boon – Every being should pass through her mouth first. So hanuman started growing big and then when Sursa opened her mouth to swallow him, he suddenly became tiny and came out of her ears. Sursa was impressed with the Hanuman’s intellect. She blessed him and let him pass through.
This is a list of all the powers that lord Hanuman possess-
Anima: the ability to shrink ones size
Mahima: the ability to increase ones size
Lagima: the ability to be weightless
Garima: the ability to increase ones weight
Brapti: the ability to travel anywhere and acquire anything
Parakamya: an irresistible willpower
Vastiva: mastery over all creatures
Istiva: the ability to become godlike with the power to create and destroy
Hanuman Ji is often associated with courage and in a moment of dire desperation people tend to pray to lord Hanuman to give them the strength to endure any problems bravely. Hanuman’s strength is one of his biggest powers. Single handedly he can take on a whole army; he can fly across oceans and uproot entire mountains. The magnitude of Hanuman’s strength is unparalleled to any other god or human in Hindu mythology.
Not just physical strength according to kambar’s Ramayana in Tamil – Hanuman Ji is described as Sollin Selvan meaning possessor of the wealth of words. Hanuman after he was sent in search of Sita devi comes back with the news to Lord Rama and says to Rama “kanden Seethaiyai” the choice of words being quite spectacular. He did not want Rama’s heart to be depressed even for that one moment that he pauses after saying “Seethaiyai”- Seetha. This also stands as an example for hanuman’s undying devotion towards his lord.
When Lakshmana, lord Rama’s brother is severely injured in the battle, Hanuman Ji is sent on an errand to get a rare herb from the mountain Sanjeevani. Lord Hanuman unable to pick out the herb in the vast mountain uproots the entire mountain and flies back to Lanka in time to rescue Lakshamana. There are so many stories such as these that stand testimony to Hanuman’s greatness that is probably why On Tuesdays and in some cases, Saturdays, many people keep fast for Hanuman ji. When in unexpected trouble or distress it is common for most Hindus to read the Hanuman chalisa which is a hymn in praise of lord Hanuman. The verses were written by Tulsidas who was also a ardent devotee of Hanuman. It is said that everyone can recite these verses easily and it has immense benefits on the human psyche. Hanuman is the go to god for most situations in our life. Similar to Lord Ganesha, Hanuman is also believed to be remover of obstacles and ward off evil spirits. It’s a common notion to place Hanuman chalisa under your bed to not have nightmares anymore. The kind of belief that the Hindu society places on him is monumental. Man is bound to make mistakes in day to day life, reading the Hanuman chalisa at night helps a man redeem himself from his sins. It purifies the mind and soul like a cleanser. It brings about a sort of calm exterior even in tough situations.
There is a very interesting story of Hanuman Ji about Narada giving him a small test. Narada asks him not to greet sage Vishwamitra alone as Lord Hanuman is king and he need not be controlled by anyone. So when viswamitra arrives, Hanuman refuses to greet him. Narada also complains to Viswamitra about Hanuman’s disrespect. Sage Viswamitra asks Rama to give a death sentence and Rama being his dear disciple can’t object to any of his wishes. So desperately Hanuman once again goes to the neighbor and asked for help. Narada suggests to keep chanting the Rama nama on the banks of the river. All the arrows failed because of the power of the chanting. Hanuman asks Narada why he performed such a test and it is because Narada wanted to prove that Rama nama was stronger than Lord Rama himself,
श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि ।
बरनउँ रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि ॥बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके सुमिरौं पवन-कुमार ।
बल बुधि बिद्या देहु मोहिं हरहु कलेस बिकार ॥॥चौपाई॥
जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर ।
जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर ॥१॥राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा ।
अञ्जनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा ॥२॥महाबीर बिक्रम बजरङ्गी ।
कुमति निवार सुमति के सङ्गी ॥३॥कञ्चन बरन बिराज सुबेसा ।
कानन कुण्डल कुञ्चित केसा ॥४॥
Meaning:
Having polished the mirror of my heart
with the dust of my Guru’s lotus feet,
I sing the pure fame of the best of the Raghus,
which bestows the four fruits of life.
Knowing this body to be devoid of intelligence,
I recall the Son of the Wind.
Grant me strength, wit, and wisdom,
and remove my sorrows and shortcomings.
You can listen to the full version of the Hanuman Chalisa below. It’s an extremely powerful chant
Click here to download a pdf of the Hanuman Chalisa.
In most Hindu communities, Hanuman Ji is worshipped as a village boundary god. There also numerous temples for the god. In almost all Vishnu temples as soon as one enters the premises, the idol of hanuman is the first one that is visible. The distinct use of butter on the mouth of the idol gives away easily that it is hanuman. Hanuman literally translates to one with a disfigured jaw. Just like lord Vishnu, the use of tulsi malas on Hanuman Ji is also another important feature.
Hanuman jayanthi is celebrated every year in the chaitra month. It signifies the birth of one of the most exemplary gods in Hindu mythology. He symbolizes discipline, loyalty and dedication, virtues which can be hardly found in this highly competitive world. For valor confidence bravery, intellect and success there are a lot of people who throng lord Hanuman. Hanuman the one who split open his heart to show Sita devi that lord Rama and she resided in his heart and that he didn’t need a pearl necklace as a gift from her, such an amazing dedication and sacrifice can’t even be imagined today. But the Lord recedes only to the devotion of his followers.
