Baba on Hanuman’s Greatness

Sri Anil Kumar, the official translator of Bhagavan Baba, asked Swami the following question:  Swami! In the [epic scripture] Ramayana, the role of Hanuman is very prominent. He is the best example of dasyabhakti—devotion of a loyal servant—one of the nine paths of devotion. We are so fortunate to hear from You about the devotion of Hanuman. Would You kindly tell us how modern youngsters can emulate his example?

Bhagavan enlightens us with the reply: “Hanuman is known for physical strength, intelligence, perfect character, and scholarship. Yet, do you know what he said when he entered the court of Ravana? While introducing himself, he said, ‘dasoham Kosalendrasya, [which means] ‘I am a servant of Rama.’ The position of a servant of Rama was a matter of pride and prestige for Hanuman.

Rama asked the vanaras [monkeys] who among them could cross the ocean and go in search of Sita. One of them said that he would be able to cross 10 kilometers, another said 40 kms, but none could say that he could jump 100 kms across the ocean. Then Rama asked Hanuman, “Can you do it and successfully return after finding out where Sita is?” Hanuman replied, “Yes, I will.”

Rama then said, “Hanuman, you have had no experience with jumping across a vast sea. You have never even seen Sita to identify her now. Then how do you say so confidently that you can cross the mighty ocean in search of Sita in Lanka, find her, and return?” Hanuman replied, “Swami! Would You not give me the needed strength, capacities, and abilities to fulfill the mission You have assigned to me and then command me to fulfill it? With Your blessings and invincible will, wouldn’t I accomplish what I am supposed to?” Such was the intensity of his devotion.

Youngsters should follow God’s command unhesitatingly. They should never doubt, question, disobey, or criticize it. Strict obedience to the divine command is called surrender. When you develop this kind of surrender to God, you are bound to succeed.

While crossing the ocean Hanuman displayed courage and valor par excellence due to his deep devotion to Rama. Mount Mainaka prayed to Hanuman to rest on his peak on the way to Lanka. Mainaka wanted to take this opportunity to express his gratitude to Vayu, the wind God and father of Hanuman, who had saved him earlier. But Hanuman politely rejected the offer, saying that he wouldn’t rest until he had completed the work that Rama had assigned to him and that he would oblige Mainaka on his return. He, thus, gave top priority to Rama’s mission.

It was his confidence born out of devotion to Lord Rama that made him cross a vast ocean. Following Rama’s command, he won His grace. Usually a monkey is noted for its unsteady and wavering mind, but by surrendering to Rama Hanuman’s mind became absolutely steadfast. Hanuman was firmly fixed in his devotion to duty, and that is exactly why he is worshipped today.

At the time of his coronation toward the end of the epic, Rama was distributing gifts to all His subjects. But he did not give any present to Hanuman. So Sita asked softly, “Lord! Have you forgotten Hanuman? How is it that you have not given him any gift?” Rama smilingly said, “Sita! It is true. I want you to present him with any gift of your choice.”

Then Sita gave Hanuman her own pearl necklace. But Hanuman started biting every pearl in the necklace, breaking it off, bringing it close to his ear, and then dropping it on the ground. Watching this, Sita said “What! Hanuman! You have not given up the habits of a monkey. What are you doing with the pearl necklace I presented to you?”

Hanuman replied, “Mother! No doubt you have given me a most precious pearl necklace, but I want every individual pearl of the necklace to resonate with the sound of my Lord Rama’s name. Therefore I am testing every one of the pearls by breaking it first and then keeping it close to my ear to check for the sound of the Lord’s name. I am throwing the pearls out one after another as I don’t hear His name in any of them.” Nothing in this universe is more precious than the sacred name of God, Rama.

The whole assembly was adjourned for the day. Rama retired to His bedroom and Sita was following him when lo and behold! Hanuman, too, started making his way there. Rama asked, “Hey Hanuman! What are you doing here?” Hanuman replied, “Lord! Sita is following You. So I am also coming to You.” Rama said, “Anjaneya [another name for Hanuman]! Look! Sita has vermilion on her forehead, which qualifies her to get into my bedroom.” At this Anjaneya left the place and returned after some time.

He had gone around all the shops, collected kumkum (vermillion), applied it all over his body and now stood before Rama. He said, “Oh Lord! Just for the simple reason that Mother Sita has a dot of kumkum on her forehead, You qualified her to enter Your bedroom. Now look! I have this sindura [vermillion powder] all over the body. What do You have to say now?” That was the standard of his devotion and his determination always to be with God.

On another occasion, the three brothers of Rama met, discussed, and distributed among themselves all the duties they personally had to do while attending on Lord Rama. Hanuman noticed all this and finding that he was left without any duties to his lord softly asked them, “Sir! When the lord yawns, there is a need for someone to click their fingers and make a snapping sound befitting His royal status. We do not know when He might yawn, so I should be with Him at all times.” So Hanuman had to be in the company of Rama while His brothers could attend to Him according to duties they had taken upon themselves at different times. Thus Hanuman was the very personification of humility, devotion, discipline, and surrender.

He had all the purity required to be with God. He did what he thought and said. In him there was perfect harmony of thought, word, and deed. He decided to go in search of Sita; he said so; and he started at once. His decision, declaration, and implementation were in total agreement and unison. This is what is meant by: “The proper study of mankind is man.”

Unity in thought, word, and deed is the unmistakable feature of a man of character. But, in a wicked person there is disharmony; what he thinks, says, and does are never in agreement with one another.

Hanuman said to Rama on another occasion, “Oh Lord! If I view You as my `King’, I am Your `servant’. If I consider myself a ‘jiva’ an individual entity, You are my ‘deva’, God. If I am atma, conscience, You are `consciousness’: so both You and I are one—Aham Brahmasmi. So by embracing dasyabhakti (the path of a loyal servant’s devotion) with intense steadfastness, Hanuman passed through these three stages and ultimately experienced unity with God. When he felt that he was a servant of Rama the King, he was passing through the state of dualism. When he regarded himself as an individual with Rama as his God, it expressed qualified non-dualism. Finally when he found unity with God, he experienced non-dualism.

In Lanka, when Hanuman entered the palace of Ravana while looking for Sita, he saw many women fast asleep. As he tried to identify mother Sita, he saw every woman sleeping there as his own mother. This (reverence for women) was the crest or crown of his character. Hanuman was the embodiment of devotion, the personification of humility, and the very symbol of sincerity and obedience. All youngsters today should take him as their ideal.”

Source: Satyopanishad, Vol. 2