SriHanuman The celebration of Hanuman Jayanti is a celebration of devotion, a celebration of sacrifice, a celebration of surrender. The day commemorates the life of Sri Hanuman, a divine incarnation who embodies the perfect devotee. Hanumanji was the son of the God of wind.
History of Sri Hanuman and Hanuman Jayanti
In the Heavenly, Divine Realms, there was a girl named Punjikasthala who was an attendant to Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods. However, one time she insulted a sage, and thus he cursed her to be born on Earth as a female monkey, a curse which could only be removed by giving birth to a son who would be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Thus, she took birth as Anjana and later married Kesari. Both were very pious and pure, and they lived a life filled with austerities, worship, meditation and penance. Anjana prayed to the God of Wind, Vayu that He would grace her with a son. He fulfilled this wish and graced her with Hanumanji. She also prayed to Lord Shiva to take birth in her womb, thereby freeing her from the curse of living as a female monkey. Lord Shiva was pleased by her purity and devotion and also by her intense spiritual practice; therefore, He agreed to incarnate in her womb as her son.
In that way, the divine Hanumanji took birth on the 14th day of the month of Chaitra in a cave on the Rushyamuk mountain. Upon his birth, Anjana was freed from the curse and able to return to the Heavenly realms. She told Hanuman that the world would provide him fruit as bright and ripe as the rising sun. Mistaking the actual sun for fruit to eat, Hanumanji flew toward the Sun and was just about to swallow it when Indra threw his vajra (thunderbolt) at Hanumanji to prevent him from devouring the Sun. The vajra hit Hanumanji and he fell to the Earth.
Vayu, the God of Wind and Hanumanji's divine father, became furious that Indra had injured his son. Out of anger, Vayu stopped the wind from blowing, and all became still. Without the flow of fresh air, lives on Earth and also in the Heavenly abode became endangered. Thus, all of the gods went to Vayu to try to appease his anger and to convince him to allow the wind to flow again. In order to placate Vayu, the gods bestowed numerous boons and powers upon Hanuman, including invincibility and fearlessness.
The life of Lord Hanuman is filled with feats of courage and displays of immeasurable strength.
The message of Hanumanji's life - devotion
However, although Hanumanji has indefeatable strength, he is worshipped not as much for his bravery as for his humble devotion. What makes Hanumanji so special and divine is not his invincible strength or fortitude, but rather his unwavering and boundless devotion to Lord Rama. From the moment Hanumanji first had Lord Rama's darshan, he dedicated his life only to the service of Lord Rama.
Today, in every temple of Bhagwan Rama and Sitaji, there is always a Hanumanji murti as well. This shows that the true devotee is inseparable from the object of devotion.
Faith can move mountains Hanumanji demonstrated the omnipotent power of faith and devotion. He was able to fly across the ocean, to become the size of a giant and also the size of a tiny creature, simply by chanting the name of Lord Rama. When he was sent to bring four precious life-saving herbs from the Himalayas in order to save Lakshman's life, instead of bringing only the four plants, he carried the entire Himalayan mountain! When everyone marveled at the feats he achieved, whenever he was praised for his conquests and questioned on the source of his strength, his answer was always the same: Lord Rama (God).
His faith in God gave him both the courage to attempt these heroic deeds and also the physical strength to accomplish them.
Sometimes in life when we embark upon a new, noble undertaking we may be faced with obstacles and hurdles. However, we must always remember that faith and devotion to God are the greatest sources of power. Through chanting God's name with true devotion, we can achieve anything. The power of God's name gave Hanumanji the ability to fly across the ocean and to carry mountains. The key was his fervent, ardent, singleminded "shraddha" (faith) in God and his tenacious dedication to fulfilling whatever seva he could do. With such deep, true devotion and dedication, nothing could stop him. Let us also work with such unwavering devotion and commitment, and let us have faith that the Divine power will also work for us.
Singleminded Devotion - Craving nothing but God
After the war in Lanka, Ma Sitaji presented Hanumanji with a beautiful, precious pearl necklace as a gift of gratitude. Hanumanji proceeded to carefully examine each and every pearl - from top to bottom, from left to right. Then, he began to take the pearls off the string, one by one, bite them in half, again examine them thoroughly, and then throw them on the ground. Ma Sitaji could not watch this. Finally she said, "Hanuman - what are you doing? That is a very expensive, precious necklace I have bought for you. Why are you pulling off the pearls and breaking them?" Hanumanji replied, "I am looking for Rama. You have said these pearls are priceless and precious. If so, they must have Rama inside them." Pearls (and diamonds and rubies and cars and money) are only precious if they are filled with God. If God is not there, it doesn't matter how expensive the diamond is, it is still empty and useless. God's presence in your life can turn stones to diamonds, but without God your diamonds are as worthless as stones.
What can we learn: The two most important messages, in my opinion, of Hanumanji's life are the messages of faith and devotion. When Hanumanji needed to fly across the ocean in order to rescue Sita Ma, he didn't hesitate. He didn't wonder, "Am I really strong enough? Can I really do this? What if I fall?" Rather, he just took Lord Rama's name (prayed to God) and jumped! This is the total surrender and devotion we must cultivate in our lives.
The second message is the message of singleminded devotion. We pray in our lives for so many things - cars, houses, promotions, i-pods. We pray for these things thinking they will bring us joy, but the momentary pleasure we feel is simply that: momentary and quickly fleeting. It is only when we have God's presence in our lives that we attain the true, everlasting joy and fulfillment.
Only You There once lived a powerful and extraordinarily wealthy king. He reigned over a large area and thus had to travel quite a bit. Travel in those days was arduous and slow, and the king would frequently be gone for several months at a time.
Once when he had been out for an unusually long period of time, he sent a message home to his wives (in those days it was considered acceptable for kings to have more than one wife) asking them to name any gift, any treasure that he could bring them upon his return. Of course, whenever he returned home from his journeys his carriages were laden with gold, jewels and other precious treasures. However, this time, as it had been an especially long absence he thought he could bring some extra special gifts home for his queens.
Each queen sent a list back to the king. "Bring me silk sarees, lined with gold...bring me diamonds, fresh out of the Earth....bring me pearls from the depths of the sea...." However, while all of the other queens sent long lists, one queen sent only a piece of paper with "1" written on it. The king was baffled as he did not understand the cryptic meaning of the message. He asked his head minister, who was insightful as well as spiritual whether he could make anything out of the queen's message. The minister understood immediately as he knew this particular queen's unparalled and unwavering devotion to the king.
He said. "The '1' means 'only you.' You are her number 1. She is saying that she wants only you. Everyone else wants jewels and sarees and silks. But this queen wants only you. If you are there, with her, everything is there. In your presence, she wants nothing, needs nothing. And if you are not there, nothing can fill the hole left by your absence - not sarees, not diamonds, not jewels. If you are not there for whom will she wear the sarees? For whom will she wear the silks, the diamonds? What is the point of all these things if you are not there? Where you are, everything is. So, she wants you to bring yourself to her, and nothing else."
The king was in silence. "Oh," he whispered. For now he understood. His whole life people had wanted him for what he had, for what he could do for them, what he could bring to them. He could bring wealth, he could bring possessions, he could bring health (for he had all the best doctors), he could bring grace and blessings (in those days, people believed that kings carried divine powers). But, no one had ever wanted only his presence, even if it carried none of the other gifts.
Immediately, he sent his servants to fill the orders on the lists sent by the other queens; he sent his messengers to deliver those orders. And he, himself, went to the queen. He took her in his arms and held her. "You are the only one who has ever really loved me. The others thought they loved me. But, they loved me for what I brought to them. They loved me for what I symbolized. And you love me only for me."
And the king stayed there, forever, with the queen.
And of course, wherever the king goes, there too will go all his servants, all his riches and all his power. When one lives with the King, when one is embraced by the King, of course one will also be showered with wealth and luxury.
It is the same with God - we pray to God for particular things which of course He is capable of granting. Just as the King can easily provide a silk saree, lined with diamonds to anyone who asks, so can God bestow upon us any gift we ask for.
However, the purpose of prayer is not to beseech God for material items or satisfactions of sensory pleasures. Rather, our prayer should be only to have God's presence in our lives, for when God's presence is with us, all the bliss, all the joy, all the success and all the true inner prosperity come along with it.
On this day of Hanuman Jayanti, let us strive to be as singleminded in our devotion as Hanumanji. Let us pray that our hearts and minds may be filled only with the "raas" (divine essence) of God and our Guru. Let us sing the glories of such pure devotion and let us seek to emulate Hanumanji's boundless fidelity. For, when God is with us and within us as much love of Lord Rama filled every cell of Hanuman's being, then we too will find that we are showered with all that we need to succeed, thrive and attain divine bliss.
About Hanuman Jayanti Yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam; Tatra tatra kritha masthakanjalim; Bhaspavaari paripurna lochanam; Maarutim namata raakshasanthakam
Meaning : "We bow to Maruti, Sri Hanuman, who stands with his palms folded above his forehead, with a torrent of tears flowing down his eyes wherever the Names of Lord Rama are sung".
Sri Hanuman is worshipped all over India-either alone or together with Sri Rama. Every temple of Sri Rama has the murti or idol of Sri Hanuman. Hanuman is the Avatara of Lord Shiva. He was born of the Wind-God and Anjani Devi. His other names are Pavanasuta, Marutsuta, Pavankumar, Bajrangabali and Mahavira.
He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate. He served Sri Rama with pure love and devotion, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.
He had devotion, knowledge, spirit of selfless service, power of celibacy, and desirelessness. He never boasted of his bravery and intelligence.
He said to Ravana, "I am a humble messenger of Sri Rama. I have come here to serve Rama, to do His work. By the command of Lord Rama, I have come here. I am fearless by the Grace of Lord Rama. I am not afraid of death. I welcome it if it comes while serving Lord Rama."
Mark here how humble Hanuman was! How very devoted he was to Lord Rama! He never said, "I am the brave Hanuman. I can do anything and everything."
Lord Rama Himself said to Sri Hanuman, "I am greatly indebted to you, O mighty hero! You did marvellous, superhuman deeds. You do not want anything in return. Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him. Angada has been made the crown prince. Vibhishana has become king of Lanka. But you have not asked for anything at any time. You threw away the precious garland of pearls given to you by Sita. How can I repay My debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you. I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honour and worship you like Myself. Your murti will be placed at the door of My temple and you will be worshipped and honoured first. Whenever My stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before Mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to!"
Thus did Lord Rama praise Hanuman when the latter returned to Him after finding Sita in Lanka. Hanuman was not a bit elated. He fell in prostration at the holy feet of Lord Rama.
Lord Rama asked him, "O mighty hero, how did you cross the ocean?"
Hanuman humbly replied, "By the power and glory of Thy Name, my Lord."
Again the Lord asked, "How did you burn Lanka? How did you save yourself?"
And Hanuman replied, "By Thy Grace, my Lord."
What humility Sri Hanuman embodied!
His birthday falls on Chaitra Shukla Purnima (the March-April full moon day).
On this holy day worship Sri Hanuman. Fast on this day. Read the Hanuman Chalisa. Spend the whole day in the Japa of Ram-Nam. Sri Hanuman will be highly pleased and will bless you with success in all your undertakings.
Along with Bhagwan Ramchandra, Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Matsya avatar, the month of Chaitra also witnesses the manifestation of Ramchandra's stalwart devotee Hanumanji, on Chaitra sud Punam. By the grace of the deities Shiva and Vayu, Anjana (Anjani), wife of Kesari, king of the monkeys, gave birth to Hanumanji. Therefore he is also known as: Anjanisut (sut means son), Anjaneya, Pavansut, Marutsut, Maruti and Vajrang. Pavan and Marut denote Vayu deva. Vajra means indestructible and Indra's weapon. Ang means body.
Pre-birth Story Once Angira rishi visited Indra in Swarg. Indra welcomed him by arranging a dance by a damsel named Punjiksthala. As soon as she commenced dancing, the rishi closed his eyes to meditate on Paramatma. When the dance ended, the rishi remained silent. Indra then asked him, "O rishi! How was the dance?"
"We were absorbed in meditation of the Almighty. Such dance does not interest us." Indra felt ashamed. However, the ego-filled damsel sneered, "How can such a (fickle) rishi appreciate dancing in Swarg?" Hearing this, Angira cursed her, "Behold! You shall degrade to earth from Swarg. You will be born as a female monkey in the mountain forests."
The whole of Swarg plunged into consternation. The damsel greatly regretted and repented. She repeatedly begged for forgiveness. Finally, the merciful rishi solaced her, "A great devotee of Paramatma will be born to you. He will forever serve Paramatma."
This damsel was the daughter of Kunjar, the king of the monkeys. She married Kapiraj Kesari of Mount Sumeru.
Therefore, Hanumanji manifested as a result of five divine factors:
1. Angira rishi's curse and subsequent blessings 2. Anjani's prayers 3. Shri Mahadevji's (Shiva's) blessings 4. Attainment of Shiva's divine shakti by Vayu deva and 5. The fruit of a Putreshti Yagna
The Shiva Puran cites that since Shiva could not serve Shri Ram in his present form, he inspired the birth of one Rudra from his 11 Rudras, as a monkey, Hanumanji.
Once when Hanumanji was young Surya deva (Sun deity) imbued him with knowledge of countless weapons and mantras. However, his hyperactive nature induced him to think of swallowing the `red, ripened fruit' - the Sun! Before he succeeded, Indra hit him with his Vajra and persuaded him not to. On being hit by the Vajra, his beard - hanu-, became slanted. Therefore he also became known as Hanuman. The "ji" suffix after any name accords respect. Indra then blessed him that he will eternally remain undefeated, victorious. Hanumanji also obtained boons from Varuna deva (water deity) and Yama - deity of death, victory and immortality. From Brahma he obtained the power of inducing fear in enemies, of destroying fear in friends, to be able to change his form at will and to be able to easily travel wherever he wished. From Mahadevji he obtained the boons of longevity, scriptural wisdom and ability to cross the ocean (Padma Puran, Patal Khand, 114, Uttar Khand, 66, Narad Puran, 1.79).
Now Hanumanji attained a supremely formidable form. However as such, he began harassing rishis. Therefore Bhrugu rishi and Angira admonished him that he would forget the ability to use his formidable power and only a divine personality will later guide him to use it appropriately.
Henceforth Hanumanji lived an ordinary simian life in Kishkindha, on Mount Hrushyamuk as Sugriva's advisor. Only when Shri Ramachandra and Lakshman arrived in search of Sita, did the two first meet. (Valmiki Ramayana Kishkindha 1-4). Thus his life turned a new course. Ramchandraji asked him who he was. Gleaning his identity, Hanumanji humbly replied, "O Prabhu! From the body's point of view, I am your das (servant) and From the jiva's view, I am your bhakta."
Pleased with his wise reply, Shri Ram accepted his seva. Hanumanji and Sugriva then gathered and sent a mighty army of monkeys to aid Shri Ram in search of Sita. (V.R.Kishkindha 40-41).
When Hanumanji struck southwards towards Lanka, Ramchandraji gave him his ring. In case he met Sitaji, he would need to show it to prove that he was Shri Ram's envoy. Accompanied by Jambuvan, they all arrived on India's southern shore. Jambuvan graced Hanumanji. This resulted in him recalling his phenomenal power. Uttering "Jai Shri Ram!" Marutsut leaped high across the ocean towards Lanka!
Here, at night, assuming a subtle form, he entered Lanka. He combed through Ravan's palace, yet failed to locate Sitaji.
However during his search his phenomenal level of brahmacharya manifested.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan singularly highlights this in Vachanamrut Jetalpur 2. He avers that while searching for Jankiji (Sitaji), Hanumanji looked at every demoness in Ravan's palace, including Mandodari, Ravan's wife. After leaving, he wondered whether glancing at so many women would affect him (his brahmacharya) adversely? He then realized that he had done this to look for Jankiji by Ramchandraji's command. Additionally, his senses and consciousness by Ramchandraji's grace had not faltered. He then continued his search. In the midst of such allurements, one who remains unallured like Hanumanji, remarked Bhagwan Swaminarayan, is known as a yati.
Throughout the Ramayan one observes that whenever a vexing problem arose warranting diplomacy, Valmiki lauds Hanumanji as a confluence of such virtues as: integrity, valor, intelligence, strength, patience and wisdom. Hanumanji resolved such problems with finesse and devotion. When he finally located Sitaji, to first soothe and gain her trust, since more than likely she'd be frightened and would take him as one of Ravan's mayic form, he began to recite the glory of King Raghu's lineage while hidden among the trees. He then further recited Ramchandraji's glory. Sitaji's misery, loneliness and distress vanished. Charged with joy, she then requested the deity who sang the glory to present himself!
When Ravan's son Indrajit used his miraculous weapons, rendering Shri Ram and Lakshman unconscious, Hanumanji's supreme devotion as the ideal devotee manifested. Advised by the Ayurvedic physician Sushena, to fetch the four types of herbs on mount Dronachal to revive the two, Hanumanji flew there. Not recognizing the herbs, he returned with the whole mountain! This miraculous power arose from his unalloyed devotion to Shri Ram and his brahmacharya.
During Shri Ram's coronation, Sitaji gifted her invaluable pearl necklace to Hanumanji in jubilation. Being a detached and loyal devotee, he cracked a few pearls with his teeth. Not discovering his master inside, he discarded the necklace!
In a packed assembly, when somebody questioned him whether he really had Sita and Ram in his self, he literally tore open his chest to reveal both, in his heart! Seeing such zealous devotion, Ramchandraji embraced him and granted a boon. "Wherever my katha is being recited, you shall always be there... I shall never ever be estranged from you!"
Shri Ramchandraji further added, "O Hanuman! You have helped me countless times. Even if I give my life for you repeatedly, I cannot repay your debt. What then can I give you?" After pausing a few moments he added, "I give you what I possess; I gift you my love and grace!" He then embraced Hanumanji! Such occasions are a true devotee's supreme moments of fulfillment.
Another virtue of Hanumanji that Valmiki lauds is Buddhimataam Varishtham - the supreme among the wise. One well known episode reflects his wisdom. Once Mahadevji visited Shri Ram's court in Ayodhya. Ramchandraji welcomed him by offering a grand seat. He then requested Hanumanji to fetch milk. On fetching the milk, Hanumanji experienced a slight dilemma. Being a pativrata devotee (supremely loyal) of Shri Ram, how could he offer the milk to Mahadevji? Instantly he handed the bowl to his Master. Therefore Ramchandraji pointed out, 'O Hanuman. The guest is Mahadevji. Why do you offer me the milk?' Instantly Hanumanji replied, "Prabhu! Mahadevji is such a lofty guest that it would not be fitting for a lowly servant as me to offer him anything. It would only be appropriate for you to offer him the milk!" Bhagwan Swaminarayan lauds his glory as: one who has Pativrata - unalloyed bhakti towards Shri Ram (Gadhada III.16), being ideal in dasatva bhakti (Gadhada II.62) and as supreme yati (Jetalpur 2). Muktanand Swami accords him the titles jitendriya - one who has mastered his indriyas and naishthikendra - one who is a naishthik brahmachari. In the Hindu Dharma, he is rightfully venerated as a deva who is an ideal devotee of Ramchandra Bhagwan. The appellation "monkey god" by non-Hindu writers is a flagrant misnomer, depicting their ignorance. This too applies to Shri Ganeshji, who is also a deva and not an elephant god.
In the Vachanamrut then, Bhagwan Swaminarayan exhorts every devotee to imbibe Hanumanji's three foremost virtues of the ideal bhakta; pativrata bhakti, Dasatva bhakti and Naishthik brahmacharya.
In the Shikshapatri, Bhagwan Swaminarayan advocates Hanuman pujan on Aso vad 14 (Kali Chaudash) and enjoins those afflicted by evil spirits to chant the Hanuman Stotram (Shik. 127, 85).
In all the mandirs of the Swaminarayan Sampraday Hanumanji and Ganeshji are consecrated in their own special shrines in the front of the mandir. He is offered special pujan on Saturdays with oil and white ankada flowers
Om! Rama Seetha Hanumantha! Om! Seetha Rama Hanumantha! Hanuman, the monkey god for Hindus is widely venerated throughout India is also known as lord of apes. It is believed that Chiranjeevi Hanuman, a great Vaisnava, still living up in the mountains in India. He was also the chief of Sri Rama's armies. Hanuman is worshipped for his strength, agility, valor, and admired for His devotion and dedication.
He appears in both great scriptures: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. He is a devotee of lord Rama, and wherever lord Rama's name is heard, Hanuman's presence will be there.
Hanuman Jayanthi in Tamil Nadu is celebrated during the new moon day of Marghazhi month to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the son of Vayu (God of winds) and Anjana. Generally in Andhra Pradesh It is celebrated during Chaitra and is especially important to Brahmacharis, wrestlers and bodybuilders.
Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Rama, and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the god. Devotees flock to Hanuman temples to worship the monkey god. The priest bathes the idol and offers special prayers to the gods. Then the entire body is smeared with sindoora and oil, a symbol of life and strength.
According to a popular belief, once when Sita was applying sindoora to her hair, Hanuman asked her the reason for doing so. She replied that by applying sindoora, she ensured a long life for her husband.
The more sindoora she applied, the longer Rama's life would be. The devoted Hanuman then smeared his entire body with sindoora, in an effort to ensure Rama's immortality. Hence Hanuman's idol is always daubed with sindoora.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa is a workable and powerful remedial measure that one can use in order to get some relief from malefics in their physique. It can bring about peace and devotion.
5 comments:
SriHanuman The celebration of Hanuman Jayanti is a celebration of devotion, a celebration
of sacrifice, a celebration of surrender. The day commemorates the life of Sri
Hanuman, a divine incarnation who embodies the perfect devotee. Hanumanji was
the son of the God of wind.
History of Sri Hanuman and Hanuman Jayanti
In the Heavenly, Divine Realms, there was a girl named Punjikasthala who was an
attendant to Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods. However, one time she
insulted a sage, and thus he cursed her to be born on Earth as a female monkey,
a curse which could only be removed by giving birth to a son who would be an
incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Thus, she took birth as Anjana and later married Kesari. Both were very pious
and pure, and they lived a life filled with austerities, worship, meditation
and penance. Anjana prayed to the God of Wind, Vayu that He would grace her
with a son. He fulfilled this wish and graced her with Hanumanji. She also
prayed to Lord Shiva to take birth in her womb, thereby freeing her from the
curse of living as a female monkey. Lord Shiva was pleased by her purity and
devotion and also by her intense spiritual practice; therefore, He agreed to
incarnate in her womb as her son.
In that way, the divine Hanumanji took birth on the 14th day of the month of
Chaitra in a cave on the Rushyamuk mountain. Upon his birth, Anjana was freed
from the curse and able to return to the Heavenly realms. She told Hanuman that
the world would provide him fruit as bright and ripe as the rising sun.
Mistaking the actual sun for fruit to eat, Hanumanji flew toward the Sun and
was just about to swallow it when Indra threw his vajra (thunderbolt) at
Hanumanji to prevent him from devouring the Sun. The vajra hit Hanumanji and he
fell to the Earth.
Vayu, the God of Wind and Hanumanji's divine father, became furious that Indra
had injured his son. Out of anger, Vayu stopped the wind from blowing, and all
became still. Without the flow of fresh air, lives on Earth and also in the
Heavenly abode became endangered. Thus, all of the gods went to Vayu to try to
appease his anger and to convince him to allow the wind to flow again. In order
to placate Vayu, the gods bestowed numerous boons and powers upon Hanuman,
including invincibility and fearlessness.
The life of Lord Hanuman is filled with feats of courage and displays of
immeasurable strength.
The message of Hanumanji's life - devotion
However, although Hanumanji has indefeatable strength, he is worshipped not as
much for his bravery as for his humble devotion. What makes Hanumanji so
special and divine is not his invincible strength or fortitude, but rather his
unwavering and boundless devotion to Lord Rama. From the moment Hanumanji first
had Lord Rama's darshan, he dedicated his life only to the service of Lord
Rama.
Today, in every temple of Bhagwan Rama and Sitaji, there is always a Hanumanji
murti as well. This shows that the true devotee is inseparable from the object
of devotion.
Faith can move mountains
Hanumanji demonstrated the omnipotent power of faith and devotion. He was able
to fly across the ocean, to become the size of a giant and also the size of a
tiny creature, simply by chanting the name of Lord Rama. When he was sent to
bring four precious life-saving herbs from the Himalayas in order to save
Lakshman's life, instead of bringing only the four plants, he carried the
entire Himalayan mountain! When everyone marveled at the feats he achieved,
whenever he was praised for his conquests and questioned on the source of his
strength, his answer was always the same: Lord Rama (God).
His faith in God gave him both the courage to attempt these heroic deeds and
also the physical strength to accomplish them.
Sometimes in life when we embark upon a new, noble undertaking we may be faced
with obstacles and hurdles. However, we must always remember that faith and
devotion to God are the greatest sources of power. Through chanting God's name
with true devotion, we can achieve anything. The power of God's name gave
Hanumanji the ability to fly across the ocean and to carry mountains. The key
was his fervent, ardent, singleminded "shraddha" (faith) in God and his
tenacious dedication to fulfilling whatever seva he could do. With such deep,
true devotion and dedication, nothing could stop him. Let us also work with
such unwavering devotion and commitment, and let us have faith that the Divine
power will also work for us.
Singleminded Devotion - Craving nothing but God
After the war in Lanka, Ma Sitaji presented Hanumanji with a beautiful,
precious pearl necklace as a gift of gratitude. Hanumanji proceeded to
carefully examine each and every pearl - from top to bottom, from left to
right. Then, he began to take the pearls off the string, one by one, bite them
in half, again examine them thoroughly, and then throw them on the ground. Ma
Sitaji could not watch this. Finally she said, "Hanuman - what are you doing?
That is a very expensive, precious necklace I have bought for you. Why are you
pulling off the pearls and breaking them?" Hanumanji replied, "I am looking for
Rama. You have said these pearls are priceless and precious. If so, they must
have Rama inside them." Pearls (and diamonds and rubies and cars and money) are
only precious if they are filled with God. If God is not there, it doesn't
matter how expensive the diamond is, it is still empty and useless. God's
presence in your life can turn stones to diamonds, but without God your
diamonds are as worthless as stones.
What can we learn:
The two most important messages, in my opinion, of Hanumanji's life are the
messages of faith and devotion. When Hanumanji needed to fly across the ocean
in order to rescue Sita Ma, he didn't hesitate. He didn't wonder, "Am I really
strong enough? Can I really do this? What if I fall?" Rather, he just took Lord
Rama's name (prayed to God) and jumped! This is the total surrender and
devotion we must cultivate in our lives.
The second message is the message of singleminded devotion. We pray in our
lives for so many things - cars, houses, promotions, i-pods. We pray for these
things thinking they will bring us joy, but the momentary pleasure we feel is
simply that: momentary and quickly fleeting. It is only when we have God's
presence in our lives that we attain the true, everlasting joy and fulfillment.
Only You
There once lived a powerful and extraordinarily wealthy king. He reigned over a
large area and thus had to travel quite a bit. Travel in those days was arduous
and slow, and the king would frequently be gone for several months at a time.
Once when he had been out for an unusually long period of time, he sent a
message home to his wives (in those days it was considered acceptable for kings
to have more than one wife) asking them to name any gift, any treasure that he
could bring them upon his return. Of course, whenever he returned home from
his journeys his carriages were laden with gold, jewels and other precious
treasures. However, this time, as it had been an especially long absence he
thought he could bring some extra special gifts home for his queens.
Each queen sent a list back to the king. "Bring me silk sarees, lined with
gold...bring me diamonds, fresh out of the Earth....bring me pearls from the
depths of the sea...." However, while all of the other queens sent long lists,
one queen sent only a piece of paper with "1" written on it. The king was
baffled as he did not understand the cryptic meaning of the message. He asked
his head minister, who was insightful as well as spiritual whether he could
make anything out of the queen's message. The minister understood immediately
as he knew this particular queen's unparalled and unwavering devotion to the
king.
He said. "The '1' means 'only you.' You are her number 1. She is saying that
she wants only you. Everyone else wants jewels and sarees and silks. But this
queen wants only you. If you are there, with her, everything is there. In
your presence, she wants nothing, needs nothing. And if you are not there,
nothing can fill the hole left by your absence - not sarees, not diamonds, not
jewels. If you are not there for whom will she wear the sarees? For whom will
she wear the silks, the diamonds? What is the point of all these things if you
are not there? Where you are, everything is. So, she wants you to bring
yourself to her, and nothing else."
The king was in silence. "Oh," he whispered. For now he understood. His whole
life people had wanted him for what he had, for what he could do for them, what
he could bring to them. He could bring wealth, he could bring possessions, he
could bring health (for he had all the best doctors), he could bring grace and
blessings (in those days, people believed that kings carried divine powers).
But, no one had ever wanted only his presence, even if it carried none of the
other gifts.
Immediately, he sent his servants to fill the orders on the lists sent by the
other queens; he sent his messengers to deliver those orders. And he, himself,
went to the queen. He took her in his arms and held her. "You are the only
one who has ever really loved me. The others thought they loved me. But, they
loved me for what I brought to them. They loved me for what I symbolized. And
you love me only for me."
And the king stayed there, forever, with the queen.
And of course, wherever the king goes, there too will go all his servants, all
his riches and all his power. When one lives with the King, when one is
embraced by the King, of course one will also be showered with wealth and
luxury.
It is the same with God - we pray to God for particular things which of course
He is capable of granting. Just as the King can easily provide a silk saree,
lined with diamonds to anyone who asks, so can God bestow upon us any gift we
ask for.
However, the purpose of prayer is not to beseech God for material items or
satisfactions of sensory pleasures. Rather, our prayer should be only to have
God's presence in our lives, for when God's presence is with us, all the bliss,
all the joy, all the success and all the true inner prosperity come along with
it.
On this day of Hanuman Jayanti, let us strive to be as singleminded in our
devotion as Hanumanji. Let us pray that our hearts and minds may be filled only
with the "raas" (divine essence) of God and our Guru. Let us sing the glories
of such pure devotion and let us seek to emulate Hanumanji's boundless
fidelity. For, when God is with us and within us as much love of Lord Rama
filled every cell of Hanuman's being, then we too will find that we are
showered with all that we need to succeed, thrive and attain divine bliss.
About Hanuman Jayanti
Yatra yatra raghunatha kirtanam;
Tatra tatra kritha masthakanjalim;
Bhaspavaari paripurna lochanam;
Maarutim namata raakshasanthakam
Meaning : "We bow to Maruti, Sri Hanuman, who stands with his palms folded above his forehead, with a torrent of tears flowing down his eyes wherever the Names of Lord Rama are sung".
Sri Hanuman is worshipped all over India-either alone or together with Sri Rama. Every temple of Sri Rama has the murti or idol of Sri Hanuman. Hanuman is the Avatara of Lord Shiva. He was born of the Wind-God and Anjani Devi. His other names are Pavanasuta, Marutsuta, Pavankumar, Bajrangabali and Mahavira.
He is the living embodiment of Ram-Nam. He was an ideal selfless worker, a true Karma Yogi who worked desirelessly and dynamically. He was a great devotee and an exceptional Brahmachari or celibate. He served Sri Rama with pure love and devotion, without expecting any fruit in return. He lived to serve Sri Rama. He was humble, brave and wise. He possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do-crossing the ocean simply by uttering Ram-Nam, burning the city of Lanka, and bringing the sanjeevini herb and restoring Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether world after killing Ahiravana.
He had devotion, knowledge, spirit of selfless service, power of celibacy, and desirelessness. He never boasted of his bravery and intelligence.
He said to Ravana, "I am a humble messenger of Sri Rama. I have come here to serve Rama, to do His work. By the command of Lord Rama, I have come here. I am fearless by the Grace of Lord Rama. I am not afraid of death. I welcome it if it comes while serving Lord Rama."
Mark here how humble Hanuman was! How very devoted he was to Lord Rama! He never said, "I am the brave Hanuman. I can do anything and everything."
Lord Rama Himself said to Sri Hanuman, "I am greatly indebted to you, O mighty hero! You did marvellous, superhuman deeds. You do not want anything in return. Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him. Angada has been made the crown prince. Vibhishana has become king of Lanka. But you have not asked for anything at any time. You threw away the precious garland of pearls given to you by Sita. How can I repay My debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you. I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honour and worship you like Myself. Your murti will be placed at the door of My temple and you will be worshipped and honoured first. Whenever My stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before Mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to!"
Thus did Lord Rama praise Hanuman when the latter returned to Him after finding Sita in Lanka. Hanuman was not a bit elated. He fell in prostration at the holy feet of Lord Rama.
Lord Rama asked him, "O mighty hero, how did you cross the ocean?"
Hanuman humbly replied, "By the power and glory of Thy Name, my Lord."
Again the Lord asked, "How did you burn Lanka? How did you save yourself?"
And Hanuman replied, "By Thy Grace, my Lord."
What humility Sri Hanuman embodied!
His birthday falls on Chaitra Shukla Purnima (the March-April full moon day).
On this holy day worship Sri Hanuman. Fast on this day. Read the Hanuman Chalisa. Spend the whole day in the Japa of Ram-Nam. Sri Hanuman will be highly pleased and will bless you with success in all your undertakings.
Glory to Hanuman! Glory to his Lord, Sri Rama!
Along with Bhagwan Ramchandra, Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Matsya avatar, the month of Chaitra also witnesses the manifestation of Ramchandra's stalwart devotee Hanumanji, on Chaitra sud Punam.
By the grace of the deities Shiva and Vayu, Anjana (Anjani), wife of Kesari, king of the monkeys, gave birth to Hanumanji. Therefore he is also known as: Anjanisut (sut means son), Anjaneya, Pavansut, Marutsut, Maruti and Vajrang. Pavan and Marut denote Vayu deva. Vajra means indestructible and Indra's weapon. Ang means body.
Pre-birth Story
Once Angira rishi visited Indra in Swarg. Indra welcomed him by arranging a dance by a damsel named Punjiksthala. As soon as she commenced dancing, the rishi closed his eyes to meditate on Paramatma. When the dance ended, the rishi remained silent. Indra then asked him, "O rishi! How was the dance?"
"We were absorbed in meditation of the Almighty. Such dance does not interest us." Indra felt ashamed. However, the ego-filled damsel sneered, "How can such a (fickle) rishi appreciate dancing in Swarg?" Hearing this, Angira cursed her, "Behold! You shall degrade to earth from Swarg. You will be born as a female monkey in the mountain forests."
The whole of Swarg plunged into consternation. The damsel greatly regretted and repented. She repeatedly begged for forgiveness. Finally, the merciful rishi solaced her, "A great devotee of Paramatma will be born to you. He will forever serve Paramatma."
This damsel was the daughter of Kunjar, the king of the monkeys. She married Kapiraj Kesari of Mount Sumeru.
Therefore, Hanumanji manifested as a result of five divine factors:
1. Angira rishi's curse and subsequent blessings
2. Anjani's prayers
3. Shri Mahadevji's (Shiva's) blessings
4. Attainment of Shiva's divine shakti by Vayu deva and
5. The fruit of a Putreshti Yagna
The Shiva Puran cites that since Shiva could not serve Shri Ram in his present form, he inspired the birth of one Rudra from his 11 Rudras, as a monkey, Hanumanji.
Once when Hanumanji was young Surya deva (Sun deity) imbued him with knowledge of countless weapons and mantras. However, his hyperactive nature induced him to think of swallowing the `red, ripened fruit' - the Sun! Before he succeeded, Indra hit him with his Vajra and persuaded him not to. On being hit by the Vajra, his beard - hanu-, became slanted. Therefore he also became known as Hanuman. The "ji" suffix after any name accords respect. Indra then blessed him that he will eternally remain undefeated, victorious. Hanumanji also obtained boons from Varuna deva (water deity) and Yama - deity of death, victory and immortality. From Brahma he obtained the power of inducing fear in enemies, of destroying fear in friends, to be able to change his form at will and to be able to easily travel wherever he wished. From Mahadevji he obtained the boons of longevity, scriptural wisdom and ability to cross the ocean (Padma Puran, Patal Khand, 114, Uttar Khand, 66, Narad Puran, 1.79).
Now Hanumanji attained a supremely formidable form. However as such, he began harassing rishis. Therefore Bhrugu rishi and Angira admonished him that he would forget the ability to use his formidable power and only a divine personality will later guide him to use it appropriately.
Henceforth Hanumanji lived an ordinary simian life in Kishkindha, on Mount Hrushyamuk as Sugriva's advisor. Only when Shri Ramachandra and Lakshman arrived in search of Sita, did the two first meet. (Valmiki Ramayana Kishkindha 1-4). Thus his life turned a new course. Ramchandraji asked him who he was. Gleaning his identity, Hanumanji humbly replied, "O Prabhu! From the body's point of view, I am your das (servant) and From the jiva's view, I am your bhakta."
Pleased with his wise reply, Shri Ram accepted his seva. Hanumanji and Sugriva then gathered and sent a mighty army of monkeys to aid Shri Ram in search of Sita. (V.R.Kishkindha 40-41).
When Hanumanji struck southwards towards Lanka, Ramchandraji gave him his ring. In case he met Sitaji, he would need to show it to prove that he was Shri Ram's envoy. Accompanied by Jambuvan, they all arrived on India's southern shore. Jambuvan graced Hanumanji. This resulted in him recalling his phenomenal power. Uttering "Jai Shri Ram!" Marutsut leaped high across the ocean towards Lanka!
Here, at night, assuming a subtle form, he entered Lanka. He combed through Ravan's palace, yet failed to locate Sitaji.
However during his search his phenomenal level of brahmacharya manifested.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan singularly highlights this in Vachanamrut Jetalpur 2. He avers that while searching for Jankiji (Sitaji), Hanumanji looked at every demoness in Ravan's palace, including Mandodari, Ravan's wife. After leaving, he wondered whether glancing at so many women would affect him (his brahmacharya) adversely? He then realized that he had done this to look for Jankiji by Ramchandraji's command. Additionally, his senses and consciousness by Ramchandraji's grace had not faltered. He then continued his search. In the midst of such allurements, one who remains unallured like Hanumanji, remarked Bhagwan Swaminarayan, is known as a yati.
Throughout the Ramayan one observes that whenever a vexing problem arose warranting diplomacy, Valmiki lauds Hanumanji as a confluence of such virtues as: integrity, valor, intelligence, strength, patience and wisdom. Hanumanji resolved such problems with finesse and devotion. When he finally located Sitaji, to first soothe and gain her trust, since more than likely she'd be frightened and would take him as one of Ravan's mayic form, he began to recite the glory of King Raghu's lineage while hidden among the trees. He then further recited Ramchandraji's glory. Sitaji's misery, loneliness and distress vanished. Charged with joy, she then requested the deity who sang the glory to present himself!
When Ravan's son Indrajit used his miraculous weapons, rendering Shri Ram and Lakshman unconscious, Hanumanji's supreme devotion as the ideal devotee manifested. Advised by the Ayurvedic physician Sushena, to fetch the four types of herbs on mount Dronachal to revive the two, Hanumanji flew there. Not recognizing the herbs, he returned with the whole mountain! This miraculous power arose from his unalloyed devotion to Shri Ram and his brahmacharya.
During Shri Ram's coronation, Sitaji gifted her invaluable pearl necklace to Hanumanji in jubilation. Being a detached and loyal devotee, he cracked a few pearls with his teeth. Not discovering his master inside, he discarded the necklace!
In a packed assembly, when somebody questioned him whether he really had Sita and Ram in his self, he literally tore open his chest to reveal both, in his heart! Seeing such zealous devotion, Ramchandraji embraced him and granted a boon. "Wherever my katha is being recited, you shall always be there... I shall never ever be estranged from you!"
Shri Ramchandraji further added, "O Hanuman! You have helped me countless times. Even if I give my life for you repeatedly, I cannot repay your debt. What then can I give you?" After pausing a few moments he added, "I give you what I possess; I gift you my love and grace!" He then embraced Hanumanji! Such occasions are a true devotee's supreme moments of fulfillment.
Another virtue of Hanumanji that Valmiki lauds is Buddhimataam Varishtham - the supreme among the wise. One well known episode reflects his wisdom. Once Mahadevji visited Shri Ram's court in Ayodhya. Ramchandraji welcomed him by offering a grand seat. He then requested Hanumanji to fetch milk. On fetching the milk, Hanumanji experienced a slight dilemma. Being a pativrata devotee (supremely loyal) of Shri Ram, how could he offer the milk to Mahadevji? Instantly he handed the bowl to his Master. Therefore Ramchandraji pointed out, 'O Hanuman. The guest is Mahadevji. Why do you offer me the milk?'
Instantly Hanumanji replied, "Prabhu! Mahadevji is such a lofty guest that it would not be fitting for a lowly servant as me to offer him anything. It would only be appropriate for you to offer him the milk!"
Bhagwan Swaminarayan lauds his glory as: one who has Pativrata - unalloyed bhakti towards Shri Ram (Gadhada III.16), being ideal in dasatva bhakti (Gadhada II.62) and as supreme yati (Jetalpur 2). Muktanand Swami accords him the titles jitendriya - one who has mastered his indriyas and naishthikendra - one who is a naishthik brahmachari. In the Hindu Dharma, he is rightfully venerated as a deva who is an ideal devotee of Ramchandra Bhagwan. The appellation "monkey god" by non-Hindu writers is a flagrant misnomer, depicting their ignorance. This too applies to Shri Ganeshji, who is also a deva and not an elephant god.
In the Vachanamrut then, Bhagwan Swaminarayan exhorts every devotee to imbibe Hanumanji's three foremost virtues of the ideal bhakta; pativrata bhakti, Dasatva bhakti and Naishthik brahmacharya.
In the Shikshapatri, Bhagwan Swaminarayan advocates Hanuman pujan on Aso vad 14 (Kali Chaudash) and enjoins those afflicted by evil spirits to chant the Hanuman Stotram (Shik. 127, 85).
In all the mandirs of the Swaminarayan Sampraday Hanumanji and Ganeshji are consecrated in their own special shrines in the front of the mandir. He is offered special pujan on Saturdays with oil and white ankada flowers
Hanuman Jayanthi
Om! Rama Seetha Hanumantha! Om! Seetha Rama Hanumantha! Hanuman, the monkey god for Hindus is widely venerated throughout India is also known as lord of apes.
It is believed that Chiranjeevi Hanuman, a great Vaisnava, still living up in the mountains in India. He was also the chief of Sri Rama's armies. Hanuman is worshipped for his strength, agility, valor, and admired for His devotion and dedication.
He appears in both great scriptures: the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. He is a devotee of lord Rama, and wherever lord Rama's name is heard, Hanuman's presence will be there.
Hanuman Jayanthi in Tamil Nadu is celebrated during the new moon day of Marghazhi month to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the son of Vayu (God of winds) and Anjana. Generally in Andhra Pradesh It is celebrated during Chaitra and is especially important to Brahmacharis, wrestlers and bodybuilders.
Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Rama, and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the god. Devotees flock to Hanuman temples to worship the monkey god. The priest bathes the idol and offers special prayers to the gods. Then the entire body is smeared with sindoora and oil, a symbol of life and strength.
According to a popular belief, once when Sita was applying sindoora to her hair, Hanuman asked her the reason for doing so. She replied that by applying sindoora, she ensured a long life for her husband.
The more sindoora she applied, the longer Rama's life would be. The devoted Hanuman then smeared his entire body with sindoora, in an effort to ensure Rama's immortality. Hence Hanuman's idol is always daubed with sindoora.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa is a workable and powerful remedial measure that one can use in order to get some relief from malefics in their physique. It can bring about peace and devotion.
Ravinderji has done a great service to bhaktas by propagating the message of steadfast devotion.
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