Hanuman: Simian Symbol of Strength!

[Praveen]

Embodiment of Strength & Tenacity
Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against
evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon.
Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshipped as a
symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.

Hanuman's tale in the epic Ramayana — wherein he is assigned the
responsibility to locate Rama's wife Sita abducted by Ravana, the
demon king of Lanka — is known for its astounding ability to inspire
and equip a reader with all the ingredients needed to face ordeals and
conquer obstructions in the way of the world.

Worshipping the Monkey God
On Saturdays and Tuesdays many people keep fast in honour of Hanuman
and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common
faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn
("Hanuman Chalisa") and proclaim "Bajrangbali Ki Jai" — "victory to
thy thunderbolt strength". Once every year — on the full-moon day of
Chaitra (April) at sunrise — "Hanuman Jayanti" is celebrated to
commemorate the birth of Hanuman. Hanuman temples are among the most
common public shrines found in India.

The Power of Devotion
The character of Hanuman teaches us of the unlimited power that lies
unused within each one of us. Hanuman directed all his energies
towards the worship of Lord Rama, and his undying devotion made him
such that he became free from all physical fatigue. And Hanuman's only
desire was to go on serving Rama. Hanuman perfectly exemplifies
"Dasyabhava" devotion — one of the nine types of devotions — that
bonds the master and the servant. His greatness lies in his complete
merger with his Lord, which also formed the base of his genial
qualities.

Hanuman's Life & Education

Hindus believe in ten avatars of Lord Vishnu and millions of gods and
goddesses. One of Vishnu's avatars is Rama, who was created to destroy
the evil Ravana. In order to aid Rama, Lord Brahma commanded some gods
and goddesses to take the avatar of "Vanaras" (or monkeys). Indra was
reincarnated as Bali, Surya as Sugriva, Vrihaspati as Tara, and
Pavana, the god of wind was reborn as Hanuman, the wisest, swiftest
and strongest of all apes.

The Birth of Hanuman
The story of the birth of Hanuman goes thus: Vrihaspati, the preceptor
of the gods, had an attendant called Punjikasthala. She was cursed to
assume the form of a female monkey — a curse that could only be
nullified if she would give birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Reborn as Anjana, she performed intense austerities to please Shiva,
who finally granted her the boon that would cure her of the curse.

When Agni, the god of fire gave Dasharath, the king of Ayodhya, a bowl
of sacred sweet food to share among his wives so that they may have
divine children, an eagle snatched a part of the pudding and dropped
it where Anjana was meditating, and Pavana, the god of wind delivered
the drop to her outstretched hands. After she took the divine dessert,
she gave birth to Hanuman. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated as a monkey, and
was born as Hanuman to Anjana, by the blessings of Pavana, who thus
became Hanuman's godfather.

Hanuman's Childhood
The birth of Hanuman released Anjana from the curse. Before she
returned to Heaven, Hanuman asked his mother about his life ahead. She
assured him that he would never die, and said that fruits as ripe as
the rising sun would be his food. Mistaking the glowing sun as his
food, the divine baby leapt for it. Indra, the king of heavens struck
him with his thunderbolt and hurled him down to earth. But Hanuman's
godfather Pavana carried him to the nether world ("Patala"). As he
departed from the earth, all life panted for air, and Brahma had to
beg him to return. In order to appease him they conferred a lot of
boons and blessings on his foster child that made Hanuman invincible,
immortal and super powerful.

Hanuman's Education
Hanuman selected Surya, the sun god as his preceptor, and approached
him with the request to teach the scriptures. Surya agreed and Hanuman
became his disciple, but had to face his constantly moving guru by
traversing the sky backwards at equal pace, while taking his lessons.
Hanuman's phenomenal concentration took him only 60 hours to master
the scriptures. Surya considered the manner in which Hanuman
accomplished his studies as his tuition fees, but when Hanuman
requested him to accept something more than that, the sun god asked
Hanuman to assist his son Sugriva, by being his minister and
compatriot.

Hanuman Meets Rama
Hanuman met Rama and his brother Lakshmana while Rama was in exile in
the jungle, and searching for his wife Sita who was abducted by
Ravana. Their quest brought them near Pampa Lake at the foot of Mount
Risyamukha, where the monkey king Sugriva and his ministers were
hiding. Sugriva, who was being persecuted by his brother Bali,
suspected that Rama and Lakshmana might have been sent by Bali to slay
him. To find out the facts, Hanuman approached them in the guise of a
Brahmin.

In Service of Rama
Hanuman's initial words highly impressed Rama, and made him comment:
"None can talk this way without mastering the Vedas. He has such a
flawless countenance, a wonderful accent, and a captivating way of
speaking. He has the ability to move even an enemy..." After he
revealed his identity as the prince of Ayodhya, Hanuman fell prostrate
before him in respect of the Lord. Rama picked him up and embraced
him. There began the story of Hanuman, which is inextricably
interwoven with Rama, and dealt with in detail in Valmiki's Ramayana
and the Tulsidas' Ramacharitamanas.

Exciting Exploits!
To cut the long story of Hanuman short, he then introduced Rama to
Sugriva, and began his massive search for Sita. Finding out her
whereabouts, he consoled Sita, and burnt down the city of Lanka.
Hanuman then brought Rama to Lanka, fought the battle against Ravana
with his simian army, and vanquished the demons. Hanuman's greatest
feat was saving the life of Lakshmana by fetching the life-giving herb
"Sanjivani" from the Himalayas. He flew fast towards the Himalayas,
but unable to recognise the right herb, picked up the whole mountain
on his hand and flew back to Lanka, just in time to save Lakshmana.
Thereafter Hanuman served Rama forever.

Hanuman and the Pandavas
The venerable ape also features in the great epic Mahabharata. How
Hanuman met the valiant Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers is itself a
marvelous tale. He recognized Bhima as his spiritual brother, since
both were born with the blessings of Pavana, the Wind God, and
promised to aid the Pandavas in the big battle of Kurukshetra. Hanuman
positioned himself in the flag of Arjuna's chariot to secure and
stabilize the war-craft. The triangular saffron flag of Hanuman stands
for stability and equilibrium, sense-control and mind-control, and a
sure sign of victory over all that is base and evil.