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HANUMAT JAYANTI - A HOMAGE TO HANUMAN 
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Anbil Ramaswamy, Editor, "Sri Ranga Sri" Electronic Journal, USA
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Dear Bhagavatas:
This is an article written a few years back for publication on the 
Internet. Today (25th December 2000) is Hanumat Jayanthi. 
So, we are presenting this special article by way of paying our 
homage to Hanuman. 
Hope you will find it interesting.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
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Sri Anjaneya is believed to have been born in the month of Margazhi 
in the constellation of Moolam and on the Amavasya day. This is also 
believed to be the birthday of another Rama Bhakta viz., Bhadrachala 
Ramdas. Some place his birth of Anjaneya on the Pournami day in the 
month of Chaitra.. 

However it be, the glory of Sri Anjaneya is so unique that it is 
beyond all attempts to recount. Sri Hanumat Sthuti portrays him as 
the very gem in the garland of the great epic of Srimad Ramayana-
"Ramayana Maha Maala Ratnam". 

DHYANA SLOKAS 
A Dhyana Slokam says that crossing the ocean, Anjaneya met Sri Sita 
in the Ashoka Vana and took the fire of her grief and used that fire 
itself to burn down Lanka. 
Ullanghya Sindhoh Salilam Saleelam Yah Sokavahnim Janakaaymajaayaah/ 
Aadhaaya Thenaiva Dadhaaha Lankaam Namaami Thum Praanjalir 
Anjaneyam// 

The Rakshasas bandaged Anjaneya's tail with ropes and rags and set 
fire to it. The coflagaration ravaged the entire Lanka city except 
Ashokavana where Sri Sita was held prisoner. The fire did not burn 
Anajaneya's tail even though it gutted the buildings. On the other 
hand, he felt a cool, soothing sensation, thanks to the grace of Sri 
Sita. 

The Sloka " Vaidehi Sahitham"?states that even though he himself was 
seated on his " Veeraasana" in the golden Mandapa and even though he 
was surrounded by Bharata, Lakshmana, Satrugna and the Munis, it was 
in the immediate presence of Anjaneya that Sri Rama expounded Gnana 
Upadesa. 
Vaidehi Sahitam Suradruma Thale Haimey Mahaa Mandape 
Madhye Pushpakamaasane Manimaye Veeraasane Susthitham/ 
AGRE VAACHAYATI PRAPANJHANA SUTHE Tatvam Munibhyah Param 
Vyaakhyaantam Bharataadhibhih Parivritam Raamam Bhaje Syaamalam// 

In fact, Lord Rama praises him as " Nava Vyaakarana Vedthaa"- master 
of all the nine Vyakaranas. Hanuman is considered an ideal Guru - " 
Hanumath Samena Gurunaa" 

The following Sloka graphically depicts his multifaceted personality- 
his supersonic speed, his control of senses, his razor sharp 
wisdom,.his pre-eminence among the simian battallion, his outstanding 
achievement as the ideal emissary et al. 

Manojavam Maaruta Tulya Vegam Jitendriyam Buddhimataam Varishtam/ 
Vaataatmajam Vaanara Yutha Mukhyam Sri Rama Dhootham Sirasaa 
Namaami// 

MANOJAVAM, MARUTA THULYA VEGAM: His Supersonic speed is evidenced 
in his flying over the seas to reach Lanka, across the land and 
mountains on his reach to fetch Sanjeevi malai. 
JITEHENDRIYAM: His celibacy and control over senses is evidenced in 
his turning a blind eye to the womenfolk sleeping in voluptuous 
postures as he strolled Ravana's harem in search of Sri Sita before 
he landed at Ashoka Vana. 

BUDDHIMATHAAM VARISHTAM: His being the foremost among the intelligent 
is best described in.Kambar's words- " SOLLIN SELVAN"- One possessed 
of wealth in oratory - an expression which far surpasses honorofics 
like`silver tongued'and `golden tongued' oratory (attributed to mere 
mortals!). In fact, Sri Sita eulogises Hanuman as the only one 
endowed with all the eight lakshanas of a Super-intelligent person 
(Vide Yuddha Khandam,Sargam116 Verse 27- in which she says: 
Buddhyaa Hi Ashtaangayaa Yuktam Tvameva Arhasi Bhaashithum / 
Slaaghaneeyo Anilasya Tvam Putrah Parama Dhaarmikah // 

The eight lakshanas are as follows : 
i) Understanding what others say 
ii) Remembering what has been thus understood
iii) Retrieving the information as and when required 
iv) Explaining to others in an appropriate manner with choice use of 
words 
v) Inferring the viewpoints of others by intelligent guess 
vi) Providing ready answers in reply to such viewpoints
vii) Understanding the inner and subtle meanings implied in such 
expressions 
viii) Grasping the real interpretations of what is said 
Hanuman was a master non-pareil in all these lakshanas. 

These are evidenced on several occasions. (e.g) 
i) When Sri Rama and Lakshmana approached their habitat, Sugriva and 
his retinue mistook them to be the allies of Vaali and so hid 
themselves in the cave, It was Hanuman who boldly approached them 
disguised as a Brahmachari since he could percieve even `at first 
sight' that they were the very warriors who could help Sugriva out of 
his predicament.

ii) Instead of asking directly who they were, Hanuman put in a subtle 
enquiry as to how he should introduce them to his Maharaja, whereupon 
Lakshmana narrates the incidents leading upto the search for Sri 
Sita. 

iii) As he returns to Sugriva, he first praises the valour of the 
twins before narrating their mission lest Sugriva should 
underestimate the alliance as being tilted towards helping Sri Rama 
instead of Sri Rama helping him against Vaali. 

iv) When Sugriva does not turn up for helping Sri Rama in due time as 
promised, Sri Rama sends Lakshmana to convey the warning to Sugriva 
that the ` path of Vaali was not yet closed but remained open '- 
Hanuman places Tara before Lakshmana to pacify his anger. 

v) When Vibishana surrendered, it was Hanuman who reflected what was 
running in the mind of Sri Rama and pleaded for accepting Vibishana 
while all others were debating on the desirability or otherwise of 
admitting Vibishana. 

SRI RAMA DHOOTHAM: The essential qualities of an ideal emissary have 
been detailed in Kaamaanthakeeya Neethi and Sukra Neethi which have 
been quoted extensively in Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam (Vide p.139 of 
Yuddha Khandam Notes by Sri C.R.Srinivasa Iyengar). Hanuman fits in 
exactly as none else could as the ideal Dhootan and proved his 
perfection even in this role. 
To cite a few examples- 

i) Confronting Ravana when he was not offered a seat which was his 
due as an emissary, he wound his long tail and created a seat that 
was on par with the raised seat of Ravana on the throne 

ii) Hanuman characterized himself as the dumbest, dullest of Sri 
Rama's entourage to let Ravana imagine that if such a one could wreak 
such a mighty havoc, what could be expected when the smarter ones 
came upon Lanka thus effectively instilling fear in the heart of 
Ravana. 

iii) In a fist fight with Ravana, Hanuman hit Ravana so hard that the 
latter fell to the ground reeling. Hanuman tells him that he was 
ashamed of his own strength since Ravana did not die but was seen 
still alive after recieving the fatal blow.

iv) On return from Lanka after meeting with Sri Sita Hanuman greets 
SriRama saying " Drishtaa Sita" which translates as "Seen Sita" 
instead of the usual staetment " Sita was seen". This was to dispel 
any anxiety and faulty , hasty conclusion one might draw if the 
reference to `seeing' was mentioned after 
mentioning `Sita'  

HANUMAN'S ROLE AS A DHOOTA 
It used to be said that Hanuman succeded so much in his role as an 
emissary by humbling Ravana and spotting Sri Sita etc that the Lord 
was so impressed that he yearned to make a try of the role himself. 
In Krishna Avatara, he did try but the story shows that he did not 
succeeed in his mission when he went as a messenger on behalf of the 
Pandavas. Thus, Hanuman excelled even the Lord himself in this 
regard !. 

WHAT HANUMAN CAN GRANT? 
What one can achieve by mere remembrance of Hanuman is portrayed in 
the following Sloka: 
Buddhir Bhalam Yaso Dhairyam Nirbhayatvam Arogathaam / 
Ajaatyam Vaak Padutvam Cha Hanumat Smaranaath Bhavet// 
Wisdom, Strength, Fame, Valor, Fearlessness,Health, Determination, 
Gift of the gab - in short, all that one can wish for can be achieved 
by anyone meditating on Hanuman. 

If ever there is one who is unsurpassed in Gnanam, Balam, Bhakti, 
Valour, Fame, Service, Modesty etc- it is the Svarupa of Hanuman. 

HANUMAN'S BRAHMACHARYA 
It is to be remembered that even though he is depicted as a simian 
known for its wayward behaviour, he was just the opposite of all 
these foibles attributed to them. His Brahmacharya was exemplary. If 
one meditates on him, one would acquire this quality. 

BACKGROUND OF HANUMAN'S POWERS 
How Hanuman came to acquire such extraordinary powers is gleaned from 
the incidents associated with his childhood. 

As baby Anhjaneya was sleeping in the cradle, his mother Anjana 
stepped out to gather some fruits for the child. Quite unexpectedly, 
the child woke up and feeling very hungry got out of his bed and 
searched for something to eat. He saw the Sun rising like a red 
apple. Desiring to pluck it, the baby pounced over the skies to reach 
the Sun. That was about the time when Rahu was to catch the Sun being 
the day of Solar eclipse. Finding a rival in Anjaneya, Rahu 
complained to Indra. On recieving the emergency call, Indra rushed to 
the spot mounted on his Airavatam. To Anjaneya's eyes, Rahu appeared 
more attractive than the Sun and Airavtam even more so. So, he gave 
up his `hot pursuit' of the Sun and turned instead to Airavatam. 
Enraged, Indra struck Anjaneya with his Vajrayudham. Anjaneya's 
cheeks got disfigured and he fell down. Incidentally, "Hanu" means 
cheek and because of this incident, Anjaneya came to be known as 
Hanuman. 

Vayu was overwhelmed with grief on seeing the plight of his dear son 
who had been mercilessly hit by Indra unmindful of the fact that 
Anjaneya was a baby. He gathered up his son and hid within a cave. 
With the movement of air coming to a standstill, the entire world 
suffered asphyxiation. 

The Devas reported the matter to Brahma who rushed to the spot with 
all the Devas. He gently massaged Hanuman. At the touch of Brahma, 
Anjaneya regained his normalcy. Brahma told all the Devas that 
Anjaneya was a Mahapurusha who had a mission to accomplish in 
assisting Rama in his Avatara Rahasya and ordered that all the Devas 
should shower their blessings on Anjaneya.Indra was the first to 
declare that Anjaneya would never again be bothered by his 
Vajraayudha; Varuna likewise vowed that Anjaneya would never be 
troubled by his Varuna Paasam or by any water related accidents; Yama 
declared that he would be free from his Yama Paasam, would ever be 
victorious in war and free from all diseases flesh is heir to; Sun 
God blessed him with supreme valour and his own brilliance; 
Viswakarma agreed that none of his warheads in his arsenal would ever 
torment Anjaneya; Rudra offered him immunity from his own Trisoolam, 
Pasupatham and other weapons; Finally, Brahma himself guaranteed 
protection against his own most powerful Brahmaastram. Thus, the 
Devas vied with each other in blessing the child. 

WHY HANUMAN DID NOT FIGHT VAALI? 
It may be questioned why if Hanuman was endowed with such 
extraordinary powers, did he keep mum and not fight against Vaali 
when the latter tormented Sugriva. 

This was because of a curse which Hanuman had to endure. Armed with 
all the boons, the child Hanuman set out to play its innocent pranks 
on the Rishis in the nearby Ashrams- tearing away and scattering 
their bark clothes, throwing their vessels around etc. The nuisance 
created by him annoyed the Rishis so much that they pronounced a 
curse that he would become unaware of the acquisition of such vast 
array of powers. But, at the request of Anjana, they modified the 
curse to say that he would gain knowledge of his powers and perform 
impossible feats when a great soul reminded him of his potential. 
Thus, it was that he was unaware of his own prowess until he was 
reminded later by Jambavan. At the point of time of the fight between 
Vali and Sugriva he was not conscious of his own powers and hence did 
not intercede on behalf of Sugriva. 

HANUMAN'S OTHER NAME WHICH HE HIMSELF DID NOT KNOW ! 
Anjaneya has several names. He is known as `Hanuman' in 
Tamil, `Hanumanthaiah' and `Mukhya Praana Devaru' in 
Kannada, `Hanumanthudu' in Telugu. As one moves North beyond the 
Vindyas, he is called `Maruti' and in Maharashtra , they call 
him `Mahaveer'. 

Do you know that besides being called `Vayuputran', `Anjaneya' 
and `Siriya Tiruvadi' (Periya Tiruvadi being Garudalwar), he had 
another name which he himself did not know? 

The story goes that Sage Valmiki wrote the epic after Sri Rama's 
Coronation. After completing Aaranya Khandam, he desired to name the 
next Canto after Anjaneya. But, Anjaneya appeared before him pleading 
that he need not be given such an importance, for after all he was 
only a Rama Dasan - a servant of Sri Rama.The sage took his assent to 
name the Canto as " Sundara Khandam". Thereafter, Anjaneya went to 
his mother to narrate the incident. Even as he was approaching, 
Anjana greeted him calling him by his pet name "Sundara" for that was 
the name she had given him at birth. 

Anjaneya rushed back to the Sage to request him to drop this title 
also. But, the Sage said that it was too late as the Chapter had 
already been completed with " Sundaran" as the hero. 

HANUMAN'S CROSSING THE OCEAN 
Let us consider the extraordinary feat of Hanuman in his 'high and 
long jump' across the ocean in search of Sri Sita. Lord Rama had to 
build a bridge with the help of the battallion of Vanaras (and 
squirrels too!) duly guided by the engineering skills of the 
technical experts in his entourage before he could ` walk ' his army 
across to Lanka. But, what did Hanuman do?. He simply recited the 
Nama of Rama and Lo ! And Behold !- He could ` fly over ' the high 
seas and land right on his destination !. Thus, he proved not only 
his own powers but also more importantly that ` Rama Nama' was more 
powerful than ` Rama' himself !. 

HOW HANUMAN SAVES IN LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS ? 
An important point to note is that in life-threatening situations, 
Hanuman is unfailing. This can be seen from three episodes in Srimad 
Ramayana: 

i. In Asoka vana, Sita becomes desparate after 10 months of 
incarceration with no trace of the Lord coming to her rescue. She 
decides to commit suicide by hanging from a tree using her saree as a 
noose. Precisely at that moment, Hanuman appears to convey her the 
tidings of Sri Rama's arrival, instilling hope in her that Sri Rama 
was on his way and ere long her sufferings would come to an end. 

ii. Again, Lakshmana and the entire army of Sri Rama were bound by 
Brahmaastra, Sri Rama laments bitterly thinking that his dear brother 
and others had died. Jambavan knew that the only herb that could 
bring them alive was on the mountain called Sanjeevi and that the 
only person capable of fetching it was Hanuman. Taking directions 
from Jambavan, Hanuman flew northwards beyond the Himalayas, Kapilai 
and Meru mountain and spotted the Sanjeevi mountain . Not wanting to 
waste time in searching for the herbs, he plucked and lifted the 
whole Sanjeevi mountain and flew back in time to the battlefield. As 
he was approaching, the herbal breeze brought them back to life and 
they woke up as if from deep sleep. 

iii. Sri Rama had promised to Bharata that he would return to Ayodhya 
immediately on the completion of the 14 years' exile. Sri Rama knew 
that if he put a `no show', at the appointed time, Bharata would 
commit suicide in a fire ordeal by `Praayopavesam'. 
Precisely as apprehended, Bharata had indeed ignited the fire and was 
circumambulating as a prelude to his plunging into the fire. Unable 
to witness the ghastly sight, the citizens of Ayodhya were 
pathetically screaming. Tension was building up in a crescendo moment 
by moment. Right then, Hanuman appeared with the tidings of Sri 
Rama's arrival, extinguished the flames with his bare hands. 
Meanwhile, Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and his entourage arrived in the 
Pushpaka Vimanam and landed (on the helipad?) bringing great relief 
to one and all. 

HANUMAN'S ENCOUNTER WITH BHIMA 
Once as requested by Draupadi, Bhima set out to fetch a lotus flower. 
On his way, he went on uprooting trees. As he neared the Himalayas, 
there was Hanuman resting and blocking his way. When asked to give 
way, Hanuman bade him to lift his tail and go. Bhima tried his best 
but could not even move the tail. On learning that Hanuman was his 
own elder brother ( both being the sons of Windgod), Bhima fell at 
his feet and sought his blessings. Hanuman blessed him and promised 
to help him in the Kurukshetra war by being atop Arjuna's flag. 


HANUMAN'S ENCOUNTER WITH ARJUNA 
Once, Arjuna asked Hanuman why Sri Rama should have taken so much 
efforts to build a bridge across the ocean putting the Vanaras to lot 
of strain and boasted that if he were to be there, he would have 
constructed a bridge made of arrows which could bear the load of the 
entire world. This was inspite of Hanuman's advice not to be so ego 
centered, Arjuna proceeded to demonstrate by building a bridge of 
arrows. But, it broke unable to bear the weight of Hanuman. Arjuna 
felt humbled and fell at Hanuman's feet and begged to be excused. 

SRI RAMA'S GIFT TO HANUMAN 
At the time of Coronation, Sri Rama wanted to gift something valuable 
to Hanuman as a token of gratitude for all the help he had rendered. 
But could not find one as adequate recompense. So, he offered himself 
and embraced Hanuman. Except for Sita, the only other person who had 
the blessings of the Lord was Hanuman. What greater object could he 
give than this? 

HANUMAN - THE CHIRANJEEVI 
It is said that when Sri Rama returned to Paramapada at the end of 
his Avatar, he invited Hanuman to accompany him. But, Hanuman 
politely declined saying that he can neither give up the Sarira 
embraced by the Lord, nor would he be able to witness the Lord in the 
form of Sri Rama in the Paramapada and preferred to stay back. Sri 
Rama blessed him with Chiranjeevitvam - eternal life. 

It is believed that Hanuman attends wherever Pravachanam of Srimad 
Ramayanam is delivered. For this purpose, even to this day, a special 
low wooden seat (Manai) is provided exclusively for Hanuman in the 
hall where Srimad Ramayana Pravachanam is delivered . Hanuman is 
believed to listen the Pravachanam with folded hands and eyes filled 
with tears of joy. 

Yathra Yathra Raghunaatha Keerthanam 
Thathra Thathra Kritham Hasthaka Anjalim / 
Bhaashpa Vaari Paripoorna Lochanam 
Maarutim Namatha Raakshasa Anthakam // 

Skeptics of moden days may argue that these episodes are figments of 
imagination of the poet forming part of an epic story and question 
whether today in practical life, Hanuman can help us out in solving 
our day to day problems. 

There have been numerous instances of practical experiences in which 
SINCERE prayers to Hanuman have brought INSTANT relief even in the 
most trying situations. Let us understand that the emphasis is on the 
word SINCERE- UNCONDITIONAL FAITH- not half hearted, disbelieving 
approach, and certainly not as a challenge. But, the prayer should be 
WITHOUT ANY RESERVATIONS, WHOLE-HEARTED, UTTERLY FAITHFUL AND IN A 
SPIRIT OF UTMOST HUMILITY. THE PROOF OF ITS EFFICACY CAN WELL BE 
WITHIN YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ! 

Recently, when an aircraft proceeding to Nepal was hi-jacked with a 
large number of passengers held as hostages, we posted an appeal to 
all Bhagavatas to offer their prayers to Hanuman, which they did. 
Within a few hours, we heard the news that all the passengers were 
freed and the hi-jackers were taken into custody.

A Sloka found to be most effective in this regard is as follows: 
Several people have reported that in most excruciating circumstances, 
constant repetition of the Sloka with the abovementioned faith, have 
in fact, brought INCREDIBLY INSTANT relief. No joking. Try and find 
for yourself ! 

Asaadhya Saadhaka Swaamin Asaadhyam Thava Kim Vadha /
Sri Raama Dhootha Krupaa Sindhoh Muth Kaaryam Saadhaya Prabhoh // 

May Hanuman shower his choicest blessings on all of us
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