hanuman

                                                   THE  MATCHLESS MARUTHI. 2

                                                                    J K SIVAN 

When Lord Rama decided that the purpose of his avathara as Rama on  earth was completed, he  was preparing  to leave for his  heavenly abode Vaikunta,  and sees Hanuman standing before Him.  Rama feels for him  because He  knew that Hanuman would not allow Rama to leave. He would not like to miss his God being his ardent devotee.   Realising this Rama instructed Hanuman to find his ring which had fallen on the ground and  disappeared in the  Paataal Loka the nether world.   Hanuman went on the task of finding the ring . On his way he was  met by the King of Spirits. He told him that the falling of the ring signified that the time for the end of Lord Ram's avatar had come. Hanuman slowly reconciles to the fact though hard for him to digest.

Sita  before  her departure from this world  gives  Hanuman a beautiful pearl necklace as a gift which Hanuman  politely declined   to accept saying  '' Maaji,  I dont  accept anything that is devoid of Ram’s name'' To prove his point, the ardent devotee then ripped off his chest to reveal an image of both of them.  We have all seen the picture of Hanuman with hjis ripped heart exhibiting the divine couple therein.

Hanuman, the incarnation of Lord Siva, hails as the son of  Vayu  and Anjana (Anjani), wife of Kesari, king of the monkeys. Hanuman has 108 naamas, of which the well known are   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.

Lord  Indra  blessed Hanuman that  he will eternally remain undefeated, victorious.   He also obtained boons from Varuna deva (God of water) and Yama (God of death)  for everlasting victory and immortality. Brahma   blessed him with 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.   Lord Siva granted boon for Hanuman for longevity, scriptural wisdom and ability to cross the ocean (Padma Puran, Patal Khand, 114, Uttar Khand, 66, Narad Puran, 1.79).

Hanuman   thus having attained a supremely formidable form and power, he  once harassed the Rishis. Therefore Bhrugu rishi and Angirasa 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 Rishyamuk as Sugriva's advisor. 

Only when  Rama  and Lakshmana  arrived  Rishyamuk  in search of Sita, Hanuman for the first time  meets with Rama and Lakshmana.  (Valmiki Ramayana Kishkindha 1-4). Thence  Hanuman's  life took  a new course.   Lord Rama asked Hanuman ''Who are you?''   Hanuman recognised who he was and replied  "O Prabhu! From the body's point of view, I am your dasa (servant) and  from the jiva's view, I am your bhakta." 

Pleased with  Hanuman 's  wise reply,   Rama  accepted  Hanuman's service to him.  Hanuman  and Sugriva then gathered and sent a mighty army of monkeys to aid Shri Rama in search of Sita. (V.R.Kishkindha 40-41).

When Hanuman proceeded  southwards towards Lanka, Rama  gave him his signet  ring instructing Hanuman  '' Keep this safely with you, In case you come across  Sita,  you will need this  show her and identify yourself,  to prove that you are my messenger''

Accompanied by Jambavan, they  Vanaras (monkeys)  arrivedat the southern shore  of India.   Jambavan graced Hanuman. This resulted in him recalling his phenomenal power. Uttering "Jai Shri Ram!"  Hanuman  leaped high across the ocean towards Lanka and flew in the air!

It was  night,  when Hanuman landed and entered  Lanka.  He assumes a  small monkey's  figure.  He combed through Ravan's palace, but  failed to locate Sita.   

Hanuman while searching for Sita,  everywhere in Sri Lanka,   did not miss out  any woman, be she a demoness or some one else , in Ravana's palace, including Mandodari , Ravan's wife also.  The great devotee of Rama, Hanuman was not affected by glancing  and looking at  every nook and corner,  so many women and realized that he had done this  in his search for Sita, onlyt guided  by  his Lord Rama's  command.   His  Brammacharyam was in tact and unaffected by the attractions and  his senses and consciousness  were focussed on his search mission only.     It was Rama's grace and Hanuman  had not faltered. He then continued  with his search.

The  Ramayanam extolls that  whenever any vexing problem arises warranting diplomacy,  Hanuman should be  our inspiration and  the  exemplary solution. He is the  confluence of such virtues as  integrity, valor, intelligence, strength, patience and wisdom. Hanuman resolved such problems with finesse and devotion. When he finally found Sita, very intelligently, in order to  gain her  confidence and trust  Hanuman  ensures first that  Sita Devi is not  frightened  by his presence and construe  and suspect him to be one of Ravana's stooge,  Hanuman begins to recite the glory of King Raghu's lineage to which Rama belongs to,  while seated hidden unseen by Sita,  on the tree branches. As he kept on chanting and reciting Rama's  virtues and greatness,  Sita listened with interest and  her misery, loneliness and distress abruptly vanished. Delighted and Charged with joy, Sita requested the deity who sang the glory to present himself before her.

When Rama - Ravana  war was in progress,  Indrajit, the mighty son of Ravana,  used his miraculous weapons, rendering  Rama and Lakshmana unconscious Hanuman  reveals his  supreme devotion to Rama . Hanuman learns from their  Ayurvedic physician Sushena that only the special  types of herb l, Sanjeevani  available  in the hills of  Dronachal  alone could  revive Rama and Lakshmana.   He  immediately flew towards Dronachal hills  to fetch the Sanjivani herb.   He was unable to locate or recognize which was the life saving herb in the hill, and so used his intelligence and strength to  carry the whole mountain for Sushena to identify the herb. He did this not to waste time  or bring a wrong herb which would mean the faillure of his mission.