Hanuman ji: A symbol of courage, valour, and dedication

Priyanka Saurabh

Hanuman Ji is an embodiment of courage, valour, and dedication. His unwavering devotion to Lord Rama is a source of inspiration for many. The incident where he opened his heart to show Sita Devi that Lord Rama resides in his heart, and he does not require any gift, is a testament to his amazing dedication and sacrifice, which is hard to imagine in today’s world. Hanuman Ji is revered and worshiped by people from all walks of life, especially those engaged in sports and rigorous yogic practices. His teachings are relevant even in today’s modern world. Like Hanuman, we should try to serve our lord (our true self, Atman), by bringing our mind and intellect under the control of our soul. His teachings encourage us to be humble, compassionate, and selfless, and his unwavering devotion to Lord Rama reminds us to be faithful to our beliefs and principles.

Hanuman is one of the most popular Hindu deities. He is the embodiment of Seva (service), Bhakti (devotion), and Samarpan (dedication, egolessness). He is an incarnation of Shiva. He is also believed to be the son of the wind god (Maruta), the son of Anjani Devi. He has a high chin (hence the name Hanuman) and a long tail like a monkey. In physical features, he looks inhuman, but his qualities are divine/superhuman, which we all aspire to. He is endowed with tremendous physical and spiritual strength, courage and valor (hence the name Mahavira), fearlessness, devotion to Rama and Sita, (hence the names Rama-dasa, Rama-duta, etc.) high intelligence, truthful speech, ocean of knowledge. wisdom and other good qualities. He is in complete control of all his senses. One character who is a symbol of complete devotion and loyalty is Hanuman Ji. There is a poetic beauty to Lord Rama established through Lord Hanuman in all his works. Hanuman Ji is most famous for his courage, valor, and dedication throughout Hindu mythology.
There are many different versions of the story of how Hanuman came into existence. Hanuman was the son of Lord Vayu and Anjana. Hanuman was an inquisitive child by nature, one day his hunger overcame him and he started chasing the Sun mistaking it for a fruit. Lord Surya mounted his chariot and sped away but Hanuman was not stopped, so Lord Indra had to use his Vajra to stop Hanuman. Hearing this Lord Vayu got angry and raised the issue with all the deities and they accepted Hanumanji to bless him with immortality. But Hanuman’s mischief was as good as his long tail. It went on and on and there was no end, so the gods decided to put an end to it. They cursed him such that he would forget that he had such great powers. This can be seen in the epic Ramayana when Jambavan reminds him that he has the power to become huge and shrink in size.
Hanuman ji is often associated with courage and in moments of utter despair, people pray to Lord Hanuman to give them the strength to bear any problem bravely. Hanuman’s strength is one of his greatest powers. He alone can take on an entire army; He can cross oceans and uproot entire mountains. The magnitude of Hanuman’s strength is unparalleled by any other god or human in Hindu mythology.
According to Kambar’s Ramayana in Tamil not just physical strength – Hanuman ji is described as Solin Selvan which means lord of the wealth of words. After being sent in search of Goddess Sita, Hanuman comes back to Lord Rama with the news and says to Rama “Kanden Sitaiye”. The choice of words is brilliant. He did not want Rama’s heart to be sad even for a moment when he stops by saying “Sitai” – Sita. It also stands as an example of Hanuman’s undying devotion to his lord.
When Lord Rama’s brother Lakshmana is seriously injured in battle, Hanuman ji is sent to fetch a rare herb from Sanjivani Parvat. Lord Hanuman is unable to take the herb from the huge mountain, uproots the entire mountain, and travels back to Lanka in time to save Lakshmana. Many other stories testify to the greatness of Hanuman, perhaps that is why many people observe Hanuman Ji’s fast on Tuesdays and in some cases on Saturdays as well. When in unexpected trouble or distress it is common for most Hindus to recite the Hanuman Chalisa which is a hymn in praise of Lord Hanuman. The verses were written by Tulsidas who was also an ardent devotee of Hanuman. It is said that one can recite these verses easily and it has immense benefits for the human psyche. Hanuman is our go-to god for most situations in life. Like Lord Ganesha, Hanuman is also believed to be the remover of obstacles and the destroyer of evil spirits.
Now it is a common belief to keep Hanuman Chalisa under your bed to avoid nightmares. The kind of faith that the Hindu society places in him is remarkable. Man is bound to commit mistakes in day-to-day life, and reciting Hanuman Chalisa at night helps man to get rid of his sins. It purifies the mind and soul like a cleanser. It brings out a kind of calm even in difficult situations. In most Hindu communities, Hanuman is worshiped as a village boundary deity. There are also many temples for the god. In almost all Vishnu temples, the idol of Hanuman ji is the first thing one sees upon entering the premises. The specific use of butter on the face of the idol easily tells that it is Hanuman. The literal meaning of Hanuman is the one with the deformed jaw. Like Lord Vishnu, the use of Tulsi garland on Hanuman Ji is also another important feature. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated every year in the month of Chaitra. It marks the birth of one of the most exemplary deities in Hindu mythology. He is the epitome of discipline, loyalty, and dedication, qualities that can hardly be found in this highly competitive world. Many people circumambulate Lord Hanuman for valor, faith, bravery, wisdom, and success.
Hanuman, who opened his heart to show Sita Devi that Lord Rama resides in his heart and does not require a pearl necklace as a gift from him, such amazing dedication and sacrifice not even imagined today Can go But the Lord retreats only for the devotion of his followers. Hanuman is worshiped by all people especially those who are engaged in sports and rigorous yogic practices. Like Hanuman, we should try to serve our lord (our true self, Atman), by bringing our mind and intellect under the control of our soul.
(Writer is Research Scholar in Political Science, Poetess, Independent journalist and columnist, views are personal.)