Hanuman on kõigist jumalale pühendunutest suurim. Ta on jñani (täielike teadmistega) selle sõna kõige täielikumas tähenduses. Ta on oma olemuses sulandunud ühte oma Isanda Püha Ramaga ning ta näeb teda kõiges ja kõigis. Tema tõe mõistmine aga ei lõpe sellega.
See on Püha Hanumani mõistmise võti. Ta teenib Ramat kõigis olendites, eemaldades takistused, mis ei lase neil olenditel tõde mõista. Ta näeb, et tegelikult pole "muid" olendeid, on ainult Rama. Ajendatuna Tõest sündinud armastusest, mis väljendub kaastundena olendite vastu, kes usuvad, et nad on jumalast lahus, töötab ta väsimatult nende kannatuste kõrvaldamise nimel.
Hanuman on üks armastatumaid tegelasi Hindu jumalate panteonis, keda nimetatakse Kimpurushadeks – müstilisteks olenditeks, kes on pooleldi inimesed ja pooleldi loomad. Ta on täieliku ja ennastsalgava pühendumise sümbol oma kõrgeimale jumalusele Pühale Ramale, Isand Vishnu seitsmendale kehastusele, päikeserassi järglasele, inimliku täiuslikkuse tipule. Hanumani kogu jõud tuli selle Kali ajastu suurima mantra Rama kordamise kaudu, mida andunult lauldes vabastab see väidetavalt sureliku elu keeristest. Igas Rama templis on Hanumani kuju, kes istub tema jalge ees ja kummardab tema poole. Kus iganes Ramayanat retsiteeritakse või ette loetakse, jäetakse Hanumani jaoks vaba koht, kuna arvatakse, et ta on alati kohal oma armastatud isanda loo lugemisel.
Kuid Rama kui jumal Vishnu kehastus, on jumalikul otsingul. Ta alistab deemonikuninga Ravana ja taastab hea ja kurja tasakaalu Maal. Ravana esindab koletist, kelleks võime saada, kui anname oma madalamatele instinktidele täieliku võimu. Seevastu Ramat peetakse inimkonna ülimaks hiilguseks ja ta õpetab meile, kuidas käituda vapralt, väärikalt, kaastundlikult ja rüütellikult. Ta on suure valitseja ja abikaasa kehastus. Tema naine Sita on maise armu, ilu ja vooruse kehastus. Ramat on kirjeldatud kui päikest või jumalikku teadvust ja Sitat kui selle soojendavate kiirte valgust Maal. Nagu Sita ütleb Valmiki Ramayanas 5.21.15: "Ma olen Ramast sama lahutamatu kui sära on päikesest." Koos moodustavad nad ideaalse paari ja nende armastust kirjeldavad salmid on ühed ilusaimad, mis kunagi kirjutatud. Hanuman, tuulejumala poeg, on hingeõhk, mis neid ühendab. Alandliku ahvina ei eeldata temalt täielikku enesekontrolli ja distsipliini, kuid ometi saavutab ta meele keskendumise tõttu just selle, aidates alati vankumatult oma isandal Ramal deemonikuningat võita ja Sitat päästa. Ta näitab lugejale, et kui temagi keskendub jumalikule ega lase end kõrvale kõigutada, suudab ta kontrollida oma madalamaid instinkte ja sulanduda ülima teadvusega.
Hanumani kirjeldatakse mõnikord kui maailma esimest Supermani ja seetõttu saavad tema lugusid nautida isegi väikesed lapsed. Ta saavutab hämmastava jõuga tegusid, kuid just tema isiklik pühendumus vapruse ja õigluse põhimõtetele ning tema alandlik käitumine teevad temast nii imetletud eeskuju. Tänapäeval on Indias populaarsed karikatuurid, mis kujutavad Hanumani hingematvaid tegusid. Kuid nagu öeldud, on Rama, tema naise Sita, ahvijumal Hanumani, deemonjumal Ravana ja teiste Ramayanas silmapaistvate tegelaste osad kõige sügavamast filosoofilisest ja religioossest allegooriast, mida saab hinnata erinevatel arusaamise tasemetel ja seepärast on need lood kestnud läbi paljude aastatuhandete.
Sanskritikeelne sõna sadhana viitab mis tahes meetodile, mille abil pürgija või sadhaka saab luua kontakti oma sisemiste reaalsustega. Üks lihtsamaid sadhana meetodeid on tuntud kui japa ehk Jumala nime kordamine mis tahes kujul soovime teda näha. Hanuman annab meile kujutluse loomast, kes saavutas täiuslikkuse üksnes Rama nime retsiteerimisega, ning oma huvide täielikust ja lõplikust loobumisest oma isanda ja jumala Rama nimel. Alandlikkus ja isetus on meie teadmiste mõõdupuu. Mida rohkem me teame, seda rohkem mõistame, kui vähe me teame ja kui vähe saame ise hakkama.
Nagu öeldud, on legendi järgi Hanuman tuulejumala poeg. Õhk toetab kõiki elusolendeid. Võib eksisteerida ilma toiduta, veeta päevi ilma veeta, kuid ilma õhuta on võimatu eksisteerida isegi lühikest aega. Õhk on elu. Seetõttu kutsutakse Hanumani ka Pranadevaks ehk elu hinguse jumalaks.
Vaišnaviidid ehk Vishnu järgijad usuvad, et tuulejumal Vayu läbis kolm kehastust, et aidata isand Vishnut. Hanumanina aitas ta Ramat, Bhimana abistas ta Krishnat ja Madhvacharyana (1238–1317) asutas ta vaišnava sekti, mida tuntakse Dvaita nime all.
Hinduistlikus sümboolikas tähistab ahv inimmõistust, mis on alati rahutu ja mitte kunagi paigal. See ahvimõistus on juhtumisi ainus asi, mille üle inimene saab absoluutset kontrolli saavutada. Me ei saa kontrollida meid ümbritsevat maailma, kuid me saame kontrollida ja taltsutada oma meelt pühendunud distsipliini abil. Me ei saa valida oma elu, kuid me saame valida viisi, kuidas sellele reageerime. Tõesti, Hanuman sümboliseerib täiuslikku meelt ja kehastab kõrgeimat potentsiaali, mida ta suudab saavutada. Ta on tõeline võrdkuju Bhagavad Gita (otsetõlkes „Jumala laulu“) sthitha prajnast 
stabiilse intellektiga mees) kuna tal oli täiuslik kontroll oma mõistuse üle. Nimi Hanuman annab vihje tema iseloomule. See on kombinatsioon kahest sanskritikeelsest sõnast hanan (annihilatsioon) ja man (mõistus), osutades seega sellele, kes on võitnud oma ego. Jooga kohaselt on keha vaid vaimu laiendus. Seetõttu oli Hanumanil, kes valdas oma meelt täiuslikult, kõige arenenum keha. Teda kutsutakse mõnikord Bajarangabaliks (kelle keha on nagu äike ja liigutused nagu välk). Ta on nii tugev, et suudab mägesid tõsta, nii väle, et suudab üle mere hüpata.
Tema tugevus on saanud legendiks ja sellega on ta kehakultuuri patroon. Joogasana (joogaasend), mida tuntakse kui surya namaskara ehk tervitus päikesejumalale, on segu kõigist peamistest joogaasenditest koos pühendumusega ja selle koostas Hanuman oma taevase guru Surya auks. Tema taevane isa Vayu õpetas talle pranayama ehk hingamiskontrolli teadust, mida ta omakorda õpetas inimestele.
Pühakirjad viitavad mitmele sündmusele, kus Hanuman näitas oma võimu taevakehade, sealhulgas Päikese ja Saturni üle. Seetõttu saavutas ta võimu navagrahade ehk üheksa hindu kosmoloogia planeedi üle. Need planeedid on Ravi, päike; Soma, kuu; Mangal, Marss; Buddha, Merkuur; Brihaspati, Jupiter; Shukra, Veenus; Shani, Saturn; kehatu Rahu (Kuu põhjasõlm) ja peata Ketu (Kuu lõunasõlm). Nende joondamine astroloogilises kaardis peaks otsustama inimese saatuse. Paljudel teda kirjeldavatel piltidel on Hanumani kujutatud Panavati peale astunult ja teda patsist kinni hoidmas. Panavati kehastab kahjulikke astroloogilisi mõjutusi.
Nõiad manipuleerivad kosmiliste jõududega, et kutsuda esile pahatahtlikke vaime. Tavaliselt kutsuvad inimesed Hanumani neid selliste jõudude eest kaitsma. Kui Ravana kutsus välja kaks sellist nõida, Ahiravana ja Mahiravana, kutsus Hanuman Kaali väge nende alistamiseks. Paljud tantra praktiseerijad kummardavad teda, kuna tal on palju siddhisid ehk üleloomulikke jõude, nagu näiteks võime muuta oma suurust ja võime lennata, mille ta omandas oma range brahmacharya (tsölibaat) ja tapasya (kasinuse) kaudu. Seega kasutab ta bhakti (pühendumus) ja shakti (jumaliku energia) omadusi.
Ta on ka Ayurveda ravitsejate patroon, kuna ta mängis olulist rolli Lakshmana elu päästmisel, tuues talle Himaalaja mägedest maagilise ürdi. Hiljem päästis ta sama rohuga Shatrughna elu. Lakshmana ja Shatrughna olid kaksikud, kes olid ka Rama nooremad vennad.
Sõdalasena pole Hanumanil paralleeli. Ta kasutab vaenlase ületamiseks nii jõudu kui kavalust. Seda võis näha mitmeid kordi sõja ajal deemonite kuninga Ravanaga.
Hanuman oli ka meisterdiplomaat. Ta teadis, kuidas meeldivalt rääkida ja teisi mõjutada ilma jõudu kasutamata. Seetõttu oli ta ahvikuningas Sugriva kõneisik sel korral kui ta pöördus Rama poole, et tema plaane teada saada. Ja ka siis saatis Sugriva ta lepitama Lakshmana viha oma ebaõnnestumise pärast. Rama saatis ta kaks korda oma saadikuks Sita juurde – üks kord Lanka saarelinnusesse, kandes oma märgisõrmust, ja pärast sõda uuesti teda ära tooma. Ta saatis ta ka oma venna Bharata juurde, et tema kavatsused välja selgitada, enne kui Ayodhyasse minema hakati. Kõigile, kes temaga kokku puutusid, avaldasid enim muljet tema diplomaatiline ja meeldiv rääkimisviis.
Kummalisel kombel oli ta ka suurepärane muusik. Teda oli õnnistanud jumalanna Saraswati ja seega oskas ta mängida lautol ja laulda Ramat ülistavaid laule. Ta oli esimene, kes laulis bhajaneid ja kirtaneid. Tema muusika oli tema suure armastuse väljendus oma armastatud peremehe vastu ja seetõttu oli ta muusikal ja laulud vägi isegi kive sulatada.
Hanuman on suurepärane näide õpilasest. Ta oli täielikult keskendunud, töökas, alandlik, sihikindel ja särav. Ta lendas Päikese poole, püüdes saada oma guruks päikesejumal Suryat. Siiski ei uhkeldanud ta kunagi oma sära ja teadmistega, vaid istus alati Rama jalge ees kui igavene alandlik teener.
Hanuman ei soovinud au ega kuulsust. Ta eelistas elada mägedes ja koobastes. Nagu öeldud, harrastas ta täielikku tsölibaadi, mis oli ahvi puhul väga kummaline. Isegi kui ta palees elas, käitus ta nagu erak ega andnud kunagi oma meeltele voli. See andis talle väga palju vaimset jõudu.
Ta oli ka hatha joogi, kuna ta praktiseeris jooga asanaid (joogaasendid) ja pranayamat (hingamise kontroll). Ta oli ka laya joogi (see, kes praktiseerib ohverdamist lahustudes Ülimasse), kuna ta teadis, kuidas juhtida oma meelt mantrate (pühad helid) ja jantratega (pühad sümbolid). Seega, nagu mainitud, omandas ta palju siddhisid ehk üleloomulikke jõude.
Kui jooga on võime oma meeli kontrollida, siis Hanuman oli täiuslik joogi, kes valdas täiuslikult oma tunnetusvahendeid, saavutas distsiplineeritud elustiili ja järgis ranget tsölibaati koos ennastsalgava pühendumisega. Ta kontrollis oma meeleorganeid läbi absoluutse usu jumalasse. Iga sündmus tema elus oli tema isanda kingitus, mida ta kahtlemata ja küsimusi esitamata vastu võttis. Tema elu on klassikaline näide, mida peavad järgima kõik Jumalale pühendunud inimesed mis tahes kujul. Ta näitab meile, kuidas pühendunu peaks oma elu veetma, et Kõrgeimani jõuda. Ta sümboliseerib bhakti ülimat olemust.
Hindud peavad teda Rudra ehk Shiva üheteistkümnendaks avatariks ehk kehastuseks. Kunagi räägiti lugu, et pühak Narada küsis Brahmalt, keda ta peab Višnule suurimaks pühendunuks. Kahtlemata lootis tark, et tema nimi pakutakse välja. Brahma suunas ta aga asurate (deemonite) kuninga Prahlada juurde, kelle palvetele vastates oli Vishnu ilmunud Narasimhana. Prahlada, kes oli ise suur Vishnu pühendunu, saatis Narada aga talle iseloomuliku alandlikkusega Hanumani juurde, keda ta pidas kõige suuremaks Vishnule pühendunuks, kuna too laulis pidevalt Rama nime.
Hanuman oli täiuslik karmajoogi, kuna ta sooritas oma tegusid alistunult, pühendades kõik viljad Ramale, oma Jumalale. Ta oli täiesti vaba igasugusest isiklikust kiituse soovist. Kogu Ramayanas pole ühtegi juhtumit, kus ta oleks midagi enda heaks teinud. Kõik tema saavutused tegi ta teiste huvides.
Hanuman veetis kogu oma elu teisi teenides. Kõigepealt teenis ta ahvide kuningat Sugrivat, seejärel Ramat. Ta kehastab bhaktit läbi dasa bhava ehk teenija hoiaku kaudu. Seda tüüpi pühendumus on ideaalne vahend ego hävitamiseks. Ta täitis oma ülesandeid alandlikult, tagasihoidlikult ja suure pühendumusega. Ta otsustas mitte abielluda ega luua oma perekonda, et saaks täielikult pühenduda teiste teenimisele. Ta ei ületanud kunagi oma volitusi isegi siis, kui oli selleks võimeline. Näiteks oleks ta võinud kergesti tappa deemoni Ravana ja vallutada Lanka saare üksinda, nagu soovitas talle tema ema, kuid ta hoidus seda tegemast, kuna tahtis olla tõeline teenija ja alluda oma isanda korraldustele.
Ta on üks seitsmest chiranjeevist (need, kes elavad selle loomistsükli lõpuni). Ta on tuntud oma võimsa intellekti poolest ja arvatakse, et ta on ainus õpetlane, kes teab kõiki üheksat vyakaranast (Vedade seletused). Arvatakse, et ta õppis veedad päikesejumala enda käest. Ta on tarkadest targeim, tugevatest tugevaim ja julgetest julgeim. Tal oli võim võtta mis tahes kuju, mis talle meeldis, paisutada oma keha mäe suuruseks või taandada see pöidla suuruseks. See, kes tema üle mediteerib, saavutab elus väe, jõu, hiilguse, õitsengu ja edu.
Hanuman on tarkuse, enesekontrolli, pühendumuse, vapruse, õigluse ja jõu kehastus. Tema asendamatut rolli Rama taasühendamisel Sitaga võrdlevad mõned õpetaja rolliga, kes aitab üksikul hingel mõista jumalikku. Rama ise kirjeldab Hanumani järgmiselt: "Hanumanis on elav kangelaslikkus, nutikus, jõud, kindlus, taiplikkus, ettevaatlikkus, tublidus ja vägi."
Tark Agastja toetab seda seisukohta ja ütles Ramale: „See, mida sa Hanumani kohta ütled, on tõsi, oo Raghava! Keegi teine pole temaga võrdne jõu, kiiruse ega intelligentsuse poolest. Temaga saab ühenduse lausudes lihtsalt mantrat "Rama".
Hanumani kummardatakse laupäeviti ja teisipäeviti, mis on seotud Shani – Saturni ja Mangali - Marsiga. Mõlemad planeedid on seotud surma ja sõjaga ning teadaolevalt häirivad nende kahjulikud mõjud inimelu. Temale tehtavad ohverdusesd on lihtsad – sindur, seesami õli (seesam), kooritud mustad kikerherned ja teatud puu (Calotropis gigantica) vanikud põhjas ning beetlilehtede pärjad lõunas. Ka lõunas määritakse tema kujusid sageli gheega, mis kummalisel kombel ei sula kunagi isegi kõige kuumemal suvel. Teda kaunistavad ka riisipärjad ja soolased läätsesõõrikud (vadas).
Sindur, ehk vermiljonipasta põhjus on toodud edasistes peatükkides. Kuid esoteeriliselt öeldes on punane tugevuse ja mehelikkuse värv. Seesami õli kasutavad maadlejad ja võimlejad oma keha masseerimiseks. Või ja dal (herned ja läätsed) on valguallikad ning toodavad energiat, vastupidavust ja toidavad lihaseid. Kaks pühakirja kohta, mida kõik Hanumani pühendunud loevad, on Ramayana Sundara Kanda, kus ta avastas Lankal Sita, ja kuusteistkümnenda sajandi suure luuletaja Tulsidase Hanumani Chalisa nelikümmend salmi. Ja nagu varem mainitud, kus iganes Ramayanat loetakse, on Hanumani jaoks alati reserveeritud erikoht, kuna usutakse, et ta on sellise lugemise juures alati kohal.
Millised on tema füüsilised omadused? Kas ta on musta näoga langur või punase näoga bandar? Mõnikord kirjeldatakse teda kui punase näoga kuldset ahvi. Tema nägu olevat muutunud mustaks, kui ta pärast Lanka hävitamist oma nägu sabaga pühkis.
Tema saba on ülespoole kaardunud ja see sümboliseerib jõudu, väledust ja mehelikkust. Ta kannab viiest metallist valmistatud kõrvarõngaid: kuld, hõbe, vask, raud ja tina. Ta tuli maailma juba nendega ehitud. Tavaliselt kannab ta maadlejate ja kulturistide kombel ainult niudevööd. Tema piltidel on tavaliselt näha, kuidas ta tervitab Ramat või seisab valves ja näitab oma jõudu, kui ta hoiab ühes käes mäge ja teises oma sõjanuia.
Hanuman Chalisa kirjeldab kindlat, et pole õnnistust, mida ta ei saaks anda. Sita andis talle õiguse kinkida teistele kaheksa siddhit ja üheksat tüüpi rikkust. Suurim õnnistus, mida Hanumanilt võib paluda, on aga nende vaimsete omaduste kinkimine, mille poolest ta ise on tuntud.
Olles poleerinud oma isanda jalgade tolmuga oma südamepeegli,
Jutustan Raghupati (Rama) puhast kuulsust, kes kingib elu neli soovi.
Arvestades, et ma pole intellektuaalselt võimekas, kutsun ma Sri Hanumani, tuulejumala poega. Anna mulle jõudu, mõistust ja teadmisi. Eemalda mu kehalised vaevused ja kurjad omadused.
HANUMAN CHALISA, TULSIDAS
Om Sri Hanumate Namah
Vanamali. Hanuman: The Devotion and Power of the Monkey God (p. 11).
ENG
Sri Hanuman is the greatest of all devotees of the Lord. He is a jñani (one in complete knowledge) in the fullest sense of the word. He has merged with his Lord, Sri Rama, in his own being, and he sees his Lord in everything and everyone. His realization of the truth does not end there.
This is the key to understanding Sri Hanuman. He serves Sri Rama in all beings by removing the obstacles to those beings realizing the truth in themselves. He sees that, in fact, there ARE no “other” beings, only Rama. Motivated by love born of Truth that manifests as compassion for beings who believe themselves to be separate, he works tirelessly to remove their suffering.
Hanuman is one of the most beloved figures in the Hindu pantheon of gods called Kimpurushas, mystic beings that are half-human and half-animal. He is the symbol of utter and selfless devotion to his supreme deity, Sri Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, scion of the solar race, the pinnacle of human perfection. Hanuman’s entire strength came through the repetition of the name of Rama, the greatest mantra for this age of Kali, which if chanted with devotion, is said to give liberation from the coils of mortal life. Every temple of Rama has a figure of Hanuman seated at his feet and bowing to him. Wherever the Ramayana is read or recited, a seat is left vacant for Hanuman, since it is believed that he is always present at the reading of the story of his beloved master.
But Rama, as an incarnation of the god Vishnu, is on a divine quest. He subdues the demon king Ravana and restores the balance of good and evil on Earth. Ravana represents the monster we can become when we give our baser instincts full reign. By contrast, Rama is seen as the supreme glory of mankind and teaches us how to behave with valor, dignity, compassion, and chilvalry. He is the epitome of a great ruler and husband. His wife Sita is the embodiment of earthly grace, beauty, and virtue. Rama has been described as the sun, or divine consciousness, and Sita as the light of its warming rays on Earth. As Sita says in Valmiki’s Ramayana, 5.21.15, “I am as inseparable from Rama as radiance is from the sun.” Together, they make up the ideal couple and the verses describing their love are some of the most beautiful ever written. Hanuman, son of the wind god, is the breath that unites them. As a lowly simian, he would not be expected to embody total self-control and discipline, and yet by concentration of mind, he accomplishes just that, ever steadfast in helping his lord Rama to defeat the demon king and rescue Sita. He shows the reader that if he too concentrates his mind on the divine and never wavers, he can control his baser instincts and merge with supreme consciousness.
Hanuman is sometimes described as the world’s first Superman and, as such, his stories can be appreciated even by young children. He accomplishes feats of amazing strength, but it is his personal commitment to principles of valor and justice, along with his humble demeanor, that help make him such an admired figure. In India today, there exist popular cartoons depicting the many breathtaking feats of Hanuman. However, as stated, the figures of Rama, his wife Sita, the monkey god Hanuman, the demon god Ravana, and others who figure prominently in the Ramayana are all part of a most profound philosophical and religious allegory that can be appreciated on a variety of levels, and this is why these exciting stories have endured through many millennia.
The Sanskrit word sadhana refers to any method by which the aspirant, or sadhaka, can establish contact with the inner realms of being. One of the easiest methods of sadhana is known as japa, or the repetition of the name of God in whatever form we picture him. Hanuman gives us the image of an animal that attained perfection solely by chanting the name of Rama, his personal deity, and of the utter and complete self-abnegation of his interests to that of his Lord and god Rama. Humility and selflessness are measures of our knowledge. The more we know, the more we realize how little we know and how little we can do by ourselves.
As stated, according to legend, Hanuman is the son of the wind god. Air sustains all living beings. One can exist without food, spend days without water, but it is impossible to exist even for a short time without air. Air is life. Therefore, Hanuman is also called Pranadeva, or the God of Breath or Life.
Vaishnavites, or followers of Vishnu, believe that the wind god Vayu underwent three incarnations to help Lord Vishnu. As Hanuman, he helped Rama, as Bhima, he assisted Krishna, and as Madhvacharya (1238–1317), he founded the Vaishnava sect known as Dvaita.
In Hindu symbolism, a monkey signifies the human mind, which is ever restless and never still. This monkey mind happens to be the only thing over which man can have absolute control. We cannot control the world around us, but we can control and tame our mind by ardent discipline. We cannot choose our life, but we can choose the way we respond to it. Truly, Hanuman is symbolic of the perfect mind and embodies the highest potential it can achieve. He is the true picture of the sthitha prajna (man of steady intellect) of the Bhagavad Gita (literally, Song of God) and had perfect control over his mind. The name Hanuman gives a clue to his character. It is a combination of two Sanskrit words, hanan (annihilation) and man (mind), thus indicating one who has conquered his ego. According to yoga, the body is only an extension of the mind. Hence Hanuman, with perfect mastery over his mind, had the most developed body. He is sometimes called Bajarangabali (one whose body is like a thunderbolt and whose movements are like lightning). He is so strong that he can lift mountains, so agile that he can leap across the sea.
His strength is proverbial, and thus he is the patron of physical culture. His image is enshrined in gymnasiums all over India and wrestlers worship him before commencing their practice. The yogasana (yogic position) known as surya namaskara, or salutation to the sun god, is a mixture of all the main yogic postures combined with devotion, and it was composed by Hanuman in honor of his celestial guru, Surya. Vayu, his celestial father, taught him pranayama, or the science of breath control, which he in turn taught to human beings.
The scriptures refer to several events where Hanuman exhibited his power over the celestial bodies, including the sun and Saturn. Hence he gained power over the navagrahas, or nine planets of Hindu cosmology. These planets are Ravi, the sun; Soma, the moon; Mangal, Mars; Buddha, Mercury; Brihaspati, Jupiter; Shukra, Venus; Shani, Saturn; the bodiless, Rahu (the north node of the moon) and the headless, Ketu (the south node of the moon). Their alignment in the astrological chart is supposed to decide a person’s destiny. In many of his images, Hanuman is shown trampling a woman and holding her by her braid. This woman embodies Panavati, or baneful astrological influences.
Sorcerers manipulate cosmic powers to invoke malevolent spirits. People normally call upon Hanuman to protect them from such people. When Ravana invoked two such sorcerers, Ahiravana and Mahiravana, Hanuman invoked the power of Kaali to subdue them. Many practitioners of Tantra worship him because he has many siddhis, or supernatural powers, such as the ability to change his size and the ability to fly, which he gained through his strict brahmacharya (celibacy) and tapasya (austerity). Thus he displays the dual characteristics of bhakti (devotion) and shakti (divine energy).
He is also the patron of Ayurvedic healers, since he played a vital role in saving Lakshmana’s life by bringing him the magic herb from the Himalayas. He later saved Shatrughna’s life with the same herb. Lakshmana and Shatrughna were twins who were also Rama’s younger brothers.
As a warrior, Hanuman has no parallel. He uses both strength and guile to overpower the enemy. This was exhibited many times during the war with the king of the demons, Ravana.
Hanuman was also a master diplomat. He knew how to speak sweetly and make others see his side of the matter without the use of force. Hence, he was the spokesman for Sugriva, the monkey king, when he approached Rama to find out his intentions. Again Sugriva sent him to try and subdue Lakshmana’s anger at his own lapse. Rama sent him as his envoy to Sita twice—once to the island fortress of Lanka carrying his signet ring, and again to fetch her after the war. He also sent him to his brother Bharata to find out his intentions before setting foot in Ayodhya. All those who came into contact with him were most impressed by his diplomatic method of talking and by his beguiling ways.
Strangely enough, he was also a great musician. He had been blessed by the goddess Saraswati and was thus able to play on the lute and sing lyrics in praise of Rama. He was the first to sing bhajans (songs of adoration) and kirtans (songs of praise). His music was an outpouring of his great love for his beloved master and hence even had the power to melt rocks.
Hanuman is the perfect example of a student. He was totally focused, hardworking, humble, determined, and brilliant. He flew to the solar orb in his determination to obtain the sun god, Surya, as his guru. However, he never flaunted his brilliance and scholarship but always sat at the feet of Rama—ever the humble servant.
Hanuman had no desire for name or fame. He preferred to live in mountains and caves. As mentioned, he practiced total celibacy, which was very strange in a simian. Even when he lived in the palace, he behaved like a hermit, never indulging his senses. This was what gave him so much spiritual power.
He was also a hatha yogi since he practiced yogasanas (yogic postures) and pranayama (control of the breath). He was a laya yogi (one who practices the yoga of immolation, dissolving into the Supreme), since he knew how to control his mind with mantras (sacred sounds) and yantras (sacred symbols). Thus, as mentioned, he acquired many siddhis, or supernatural powers.
If yoga is the ability to control one’s mind, then Hanuman was the perfect yogi, having perfect mastery over his senses, achieved through a disciplined lifestyle and as discussed, by a strict adherence to celibacy and selfless devotion. He controlled his mind through absolute faith in the divine. Every event in his life was a gift from his master to be accepted without question. His life is a classic example to be followed by all devotees of God in any form. He shows us how a devotee should spend his or her life so as to reach the Supreme. He symbolizes the pinnacle of bhakti, and Hindus consider him to be the eleventh avatara, or incarnation, of Rudra or Lord Shiva. Once it is said that Narada asked Brahma whom he considered to be the greatest devotee of Vishnu. No doubt the sage was hoping that his name would be suggested. However, Brahma directed him to Prahlada, the king of asuras (demons) for whose sake Vishnu had taken a special avatara as Narasimha (the man-lion). Prahlada, who was himself a great devotee of Vishnu, with characteristic humility told him to go to Hanuman, whom he thought to be the greatest devotee of Vishnu since he chanted the name of Rama constantly.
Hanuman was a perfect karma yogi (one who practices the yoga of action), since he performed his actions with detachment, dedicating everything to Rama, his God. He was totally free from any desire for personal aggrandizement. In the whole of the Ramayana, there is no incident in which he did anything for himself. All his feats were for the sake of others.
Hanuman spent his entire life in the service of others. First he served Sugriva, then Rama. He personifies bhakti through dasa bhava, or the attitude of the servant. This type of devotion is the perfect instrument to destroy the ego. He performed his duties humbly, modestly, and with great devotion. He chose not to marry and have a family of his own so that he could devote himself entirely to the service of others. He never exceeded his orders even when he was capable of doing so. For instance, he could easily have killed the demon Ravana and conquered the island of Lanka on his own, as his mother said, but he refrained from doing so since he wanted to be a true servant and obey his master’s orders.
He is one of the seven chiranjeevis (those who live until the end of this cycle of creation). He is noted for his mighty intellect and is thought to be the only scholar who knows all the nine vyakaranas (explanations of the Vedas). He is thought to have learned the Vedas from the sun god himself. He is the wisest of the wise, strongest of the strong, and bravest of the brave. He had the power to assume any form he liked, to swell his body to the size of a mountain or reduce it to a thumbnail. One who meditates on him will attain power, strength, glory, prosperity, and success in life.
Hanuman is the epitome of wisdom, self-control, devotion, valor, righteousness, and strength. His indispensable role in reuniting Rama with Sita is likened by some to that of a teacher helping an individual soul realize the divine. Rama himself describes Hanuman thus: “Heroism, cleverness, strength, firmness, sagacity, prudence, prowess, and power have taken up their abode in Hanuman.”
Sage Agastya endorses this view and said to Rama, “What you say regarding Hanuman is true, O Raghava! None else is equal to him in might, speed, or intelligence.” He is easily reachable just by chanting the mantra “Rama.”
Hanuman is worshipped on Saturdays and Tuesdays, which are associated with Shani and Mangal, or Saturn and Mars. Both these planets are associated with death and war and known to disrupt human life by their malefic influence. His offerings are simple—sindoor, til oil (sesame), husked black gram and garlands of a certain tree (Calotropis gigantica) in the north, and garlands of betel leaves in the south. Also in the south, his idols are often pasted with butter that, strangely enough, never melts, even during the hottest summer. He is also adorned with garlands of rice and savory lentil doughnuts (vadas).
The reason for the vermillion paste will be given in the chapters below. But esoterically speaking, red is the color of strength and virility. Til oil is used by wrestlers and gymnasts to massage their body. Butter and dal are sources of protein and generate energy, stamina, and muscle. The two scriptures that are read by all Hanuman devotees are the Sundara Kanda of the Ramayana, where he discovered Sita in Lanka, and the forty verses of the Hanuman Chalisa by Tulsidas, the great sixteenth-century poet. And as mentioned earlier, wherever the Ramayana is read, a special seat is always reserved for Hanuman since the belief is that he will always be present at such a reading.
What are his physical characteristics? Is he the black-faced langur or the red-faced bandar? Sometimes he is described as a golden monkey with a red face. His face is supposed to have turned black when he wiped his face with his tail after destroying Lanka.
His tail is arched upward and is the symbol of strength, agility, and virility. He wears earrings made of five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin. He came to the world already adorned with these. Normally, he wears only a loincloth in the manner of wrestlers and bodybuilders. His images usually show him saluting Rama or standing guard and displaying his strength as he holds the mountain in one hand and his mace in the other.
The Hanuman Chalisa declares categorically that there is no blessing that he cannot bestow. Sita granted him the power to bestow the eight siddhis and nine types of wealth on others. However, the greatest boon one can ask of Hanuman is the uplifting of the spiritual qualities that he himself is known for.
Having polished with the dust of my master’s feet the mirror of my heart,
I narrate the pure fame of Raghupati (Rama), who bestows life’s four desires.
Considering myself to be devoid of intellectual merits, I invoke Sri Hanuman, the son of the wind god. Bestow on me strength, intelligence, and knowledge. Remove my bodily ailments and vicious qualities.
HANUMAN CHALISA BY TULSIDAS
Om Sri Hanumate Namah
Vanamali. Hanuman: The Devotion and Power of the Monkey God (p. 11).
