Popular Hanuman
Hanuman, the celebrated monkey devotee of Ram in the epic story
The Ramayana, is one of the most popular Hindu deities.
There are arguably more temples and small roadside shrines to
Hanuman then all of the other Hindu deities combined. You see
them everywhere, almost on every street corner, in both north
and south India, like this one:
When I got interested in yoga and meditation in my teens, I
had no interest in the Hindu deities, especially not a 'Monkey
God.' I found the idea repulsive; an embarrassing and "sinful"
aspect of becoming a yogi, like worshipping Aaron's 'Golden
Calf' of the Old Testament. It took several years to finally
become liberated from my narrow minded Judeo-Christian misconceptions,
which said that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion for heathens!
Now I don't mind being considered a heathen as long as I can
worship Hanuman. Since understanding that all the Hindu deities
are merely different forms of the one God, I say, "Go Hanuman!
Bajrang Bali Ki Jai!"
Why
Worship?
Worshipping is what we already do, all the time, we just don't
realize it. Our minds naturally worship something. To worship
simply means to focus our attention with devotion, and most
of the time we're devoted to fulfilling our material desires.
Martin Luther said, "Whatever your heart clings to
and confides in, that is really your God." We worship
money, fancy cars, luxurious homes, cool gadgets, offering huge
sacrifices to attain these, while regularly prostrating at the
modern temple: the Shopping Mall.
Whatever we aspire to and put our attention on grows, and how
we worship today has sprouted our materialistic society. We
have things, but not peace, since they get lost, broken, or
tie us down to hefty loans, etc. The only lasting peace comes
from directing our monkey minds toward God: the ultimate worship.
However, it's awfully hard for the mind to conceive of God at
all. God is described as avachaniya in Hindi, unspeakable.
It's much easier to focus on a form of God, or deity. Mata Amritanandamayi
says, “Name and form are ladders to reach the formless
Divine." Focusing our minds on a tangible form of
God leads us to the intangible infinite.
Why
Worship Hanuman?
By worshipping a deity we increase that deity's divine qualities
within us. Hanuman represents a range of qualities that are
extremely helpful, especially when we're going through difficult
times - devotion, faith, courage, strength, and power. These
are the qualities that are most lacking when we're emotionally
discouraged and depressed. Therefore, worshipping Hanuman during
difficulties (or anytime) is time well invested and provides
instant relief.
Hanuman as Sankat Mochan: Dispeller of
Distress
A common epithet for Hanuman is Sankat Mochan, or
dispeller of distress. Hanuman represents absolute faith and
devotion to God as Ram. Sita and Ram always live in his heart,
which he proves when he rips it open. It's a universal principle
that when we're devoted to an ideal greater than ourselves
we're relieved of our stress and petty concerns. Mahatma Gandhi
said, "The best way to find your self is to lose
yourself in the service of others." Hanuman is always
ready to serve Ram, a higher ideal, and by worshipping him
we acquire this divine quality. Simultaneously our distress
is removed. Hanuman is called Kripa Nidhan, the abode
of grace, due to this quality of removing distress.
Hanuman as Bajrang Bali: Strength Like Lightning
Another common epithet for Hanuman is Bajrang Bali,
or body with strength like lightning. He gives the strength
and courage to overcome difficulties quickly, just like lightning
strikes quickly and powerfully. He's also called the Son
of the Wind, and gets the job done swiftly, like the
wind. There's no whimpering or vulnerability in Hanuman, as
he meets every challenge with the power of the name of God
on his lips. He's often depicted as kneeling on one knee,
ready to spring into action to serve Ram, like an Eveready
Battery fully charged.
The Ramayana is full of Hanuman's acts of bravery
and superhuman power making him the ultimate superhero. He
has the faith to move mountains, which he does when he carries
a whole mountainside filled with the sacred herb, Sanjivani,
to heal Ram's brother, Lakshman. He can also make himself
large at will, which he does to burn down Lanka and defeat
Ravana's demon warriors. Likewise, he can make himself small,
which he did to enter Ravana's palace undetected and find
Sita. Therefore, Hanuman represents the ability to conjure
up whatever qualities are necessary in the moment: to rise
to the occasion to face our challenges, or make ourselves
small and humble. His attitude is, "Whatever it takes,
I'll do it 100%," as he fulfills Ram's work and
brings goodness into the world. This is the attitude we need
to become successful at any endeavor.
Hanuman as Bhakti: Devotion
Hanuman's power is a result of his devotion or bhakti.
Stories in the Ramayana imply that devotion to God
is even more powerful than God himself. For example, Hanuman's
devotion enabled him to fly across the ocean to reach Lanka
and rescue Sita, whereas Ram had to build a bridge to get across.
Hanuman's the ideal devotee, singularly focused on serving God
in the form of Ram. The best job description is to be a devotee,
and what better role model than Hanuman. He silences our fickle,
monkey minds by directing them toward God in pure devotion.
His heart is like a light switch permanently stuck in the 'on'
position. The purpose of his incarnation was to embody devotion,
and it makes sense that he chose the form of a monkey to do
so in unrestricted fashion, unbounded by human laws. He's considered
an incarnation of Shiva, while Ram is considered an incarnation
of Vishnu, so the love between Hanuman and Ram is really the
dance of devotion between Shiva and Vishnu.
Ultimately, devotion is the reason we incarnate as well, because
when we have devotion in our lives we realize our connection
to God. In the Ramayana, Hanuman's devotion made it
possible for Sita to be reunited with Ram. The Ramayana
is an allegory representing the soul's evolution, with each
character representing an aspect of our own nature. For instance,
Ram represents God, Sita represents the individual
soul as soon as she became separated from Ram, and Hanuman
represents devotion. When our individual soul (Sita)
is kidnapped by the demon Ravana (Ego), we need the help of
devotion to an ideal (Hanuman) to reunite us with the Divine
(Ram). So when we're feeling disconnected from God, Hanuman
ignites the devotion that reunites us. See also the article,
The
Ramayana: A Myth to Live By.
Hanuman is often worshipped alongside other deities, and his
image is usually found in any Hindu temple. Sometimes he's depicted
nearly formless: just a rock painted red-orange (sindoor), maybe
with a discernible image of him, maybe not. This is a strange
concept for most Westerners. The idea is that remembrance of
Hanuman in any way, even in a simple image on a rock, awakens
devotion.
Carved rock murti of Hanuman
Worship without devotion is just a rote mechanical practice.
But once the heart is enlivened, then worship becomes that much
better, regardless of which form of God you're worshipping:
Krishna, Lakshmi, Shiva, Ganesh, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, etc.
For this reason, worshipping Hanuman can be considered a supportive
practice that helps one become a better devotee of one's chosen
form of God, or religion. Ultimately, Hanuman takes us beyond
devotion to a form, towards devotion to serving Ram in all forms
and seeing God's omnipresence everywhere (sarva vyapak).
Hanuman in Astrology: The Subduer of Saturn
and Mars
Hanuman is worshipped primarily on Tuesdays, Mars's day, in
north India, and on Saturdays, Saturn's day, in south India.
So Hanuman is associated with both Mars and Saturn. He represents
Mars's qualities, but is primarily a remedy for Saturn.
Hanuman represents Mars because he's a warrior, like Mars, and
represents power, strength, courage, energy, etc. which are
all qualities of Mars. Hanuman is also associated with the color
red or red-orange and the gem red coral, just like Mars. Hanuman
balances the negative aspects of Mars like self-centered desire
and ambition, impulsivity, domination, control, etc. by directing
his entire energy towards service to a higher ideal, Ram. Hanuman's
actions are life affirming because they're devoted to goodness,
which Ram represents. This counters the destructive, aggressive
force of Mars. Just like fire can be either destructive or purifying,
Hanuman directs the fiery quality of Mars toward positive outcomes.
For instance, in the Ramayana he burned down Ravana's
stronghold of Lanka, which represents the purification of our
ego-centered thoughts. Therefore, Hanuman is a remedy for Mars's
afflictions in the natal chart.
However, Hanuman is primarily considered a remedy for Saturn's
afflictions in the natal chart, not Mars. Hanuman is the perfect
antidote for Saturn because his qualities balance such a long
list of Saturn's negative qualities, as shown in the following
table:
Hanuman
Saturn
Quick
Slow
Unlimited
Powers
Limitations,
Restrictions
Courage
Fear,
Cowardice
Faith,
Security
Doubt,
Insecurity
Strong,
Fit, Energetic
Weak,
Emaciated, Lazy
Selfless,
Generous
Selfish,
Miserly
Open
Hearted Devotion
Closed
Hearted Bitterness
Joyous
Service
Burden
of Responsibility
Hanuman represents the positive qualities of Mars, like strength,
courage, and energy, which are antidotes for the weakness, fear,
and laziness that an afflicted Saturn represents. Hanuman also
represents a major shift in attitude from Saturn's sense of
limitation to unlimited possibilities, from selfishness to selflessness,
from closed hearted bitterness to open hearted devotion, from
seeing responsibilities as a burden rather than as joyous service.
Therefore, to call upon Hanuman facilitates a transformation
of a whole slew of negative, misery inducing qualities of Saturn.
Hanuman is considered the only Hindu deity not affected by Saturn.
Even Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are said to have succumbed to
the negative influences of Saturn, but not Hanuman. Therefore,
Hanuman is often worshipped as a remedial measure to mitigate
the malefic effects of Saturn.
There are several stories demonstrating Saturn's deference to
Hanuman. In the Ramayana, the demon king Ravana captured
Saturn in an attempt to avoid bad luck, and bound him in chains.
After Ravana was defeated in battle, Ram asked Hanuman and the
other monkey warriors to take care of the woman, children, and
wounded. It was during a search that he found Saturn trapped
in a dungeon and rescued him. As a show of gratitude, Saturn
blessed him, promising that those who prayed to Hanuman would
have Saturn's negative effects reduced.
Another story, indicating the same result, is that Saturn once
climbed on Hanuman's shoulders and began to impose his oppressive
influence. Hanuman then immediately grew in size to the point
where Saturn was sandwiched between Hanuman's shoulders and
the ceiling. Writhing in pain, Saturn begged Hanuman to release
him, and promised that those who prayed to Hanuman would have
his negative effects mitigated.
Hanuman Sadhana (Spiritual Practices)
In the Hindu tradition, there is always a short japa mantra
that can be repeated to invoke the qualities of any deity. Hanuman's
japa mantra is:
If one doesn't have the time or interest to do a longer practice
then chanting a japa mantra works very well. It can be easily
memorized and repeated anytime, anywhere. Usually it's repeated
108
times, using a japa mala (beaded necklace), but any number
will be beneficial.
In 1992, I was told by a respected swami, Swami
Satyananda Saraswati, that if I chanted Hanuman's japa mantra
it would give me an instant burst of energy and strength. It's
like a "double espresso mantra!" So, I gave
it a try when I needed it most. That summer I was living at
a yoga community in Nevada City, California and took a long
hike down a slippery ravine to a secluded place on the Yuba
river. I decided to take a nap after swimming, but when I woke
up it was almost dark. I was still feeling drowsy and thought,
"There's no way I can make it back before it's completely
dark and the trail becomes dangerous." But then I
remembered what swamiji had said and began synchronizing my
steps with Hanuman's japa mantra. I was amazed at how quickly
my energy shifted and I stormed uphill in no time. Now, when
I feel fatigued but need to get something done, I often break
out Hanuman's japa mantra.
The Hanuman
Chalisa
The primary practice for worshipping Hanuman is reciting the
Hanuman Chalisa, the Forty Verses in Praise of Sri Hanuman.
It takes 5-10 minutes to recite depending on the melody and
tempo. If it's chanted with concentration and sincerity then
it's tremendously beneficial, and time well spent.
My Jyotish guru, K.N. Rao, often recounts how the great yogi,
Neem Karoli Baba, would suggest to his devotees to recite the
Hanuman Chalisa whenever they faced any difficulty in their
lives. He mentions this is the article, The
Hanuman Chalisa and Sanjay Dutt. It was the primary remedial
measure, along with reciting the Name
of Ram (Ramnam japa), that Neem Karoli Baba suggested.
One of the best ways to learn the Chalisa is to listen to a
recording and begin singing along with it. I recommend a Book/CD
by Krishna Das, a Western devotee of Neem Karoli Baba. It's
called, Flow
of Grace, and is designed to teach the Hanuman Chalisa.
It's well worth it to memorize the Hanuman Chalisa, because
then you can recite it anytime, anywhere: while you drive, wash
dishes, fold laundry, etc. Memorization is the ancient Iphone
App of the yogis, giving you an ultimate portable playlist.
In 1992, I spent the whole summer memorizing the Chalisa, because
I wanted to chant it during my first trip to India later that
year. Once I got there, I tried to find rickshaw drivers that
had Hanuman's picture somewhere in the cab, and would sing the
Chalisa while we drove. I'll never forget how one driver in
New Delhi was spilling over with enthusiasm as we sang it together
all day. "Come on, just once more?!!" he'd
ask laughing hysterically.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa in English
One drawback to the Chalisa is that chanting 40 verses is a
long practice for most people, and obviously much more complicated
than reciting Hanuman's short japa mantra.
Another drawback, especially for Westerners, is that the Chalisa
is usually sung in Hindi. This means that most Westerners don't
have a clue what they're saying. If they haven't learned the
meaning, then it can seem like reciting gibberish for 5-10 minutes.
This usually doesn't get people excited enough to make it a
regular practice, let alone commit it to memory.
Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji)
The good news is that it can actually be chanted in English!
An English translation was done by my teacher, Ramdas Lamb,
Ph.D., in 1971 at the request of Neem Karoli Baba, while at
the Hanuman Temple in Vrindavan, India. What's unique about
it is that it closely follows the same meter and rhyme pattern
of the original Awadhi-Hindi version by Tulsidas, so that then
any Chalisa melody can be chanted in English. Maharaji wanted
Westerners to benefit by knowing the meaning of the Hanuman
Chalisa so he asked Ramdas, who was a monk in the Ramananda
order, to create an English version and share it with the devotees.
At the time, Ramdas was studying a book on the Chalisa in Hindi
and Neem Karoli Baba wrote "Ram Ram" in it
and then asked him to do the translation. Ramdas is currently
a professor of Comparative Religion at the University of Hawaii.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa in English has now become one of
my favorite practices, because I'm constantly inspired by the
meaning. I've spent the last two months memorizing it, and have
found that it works with any Chalisa melody. My four year old
son, Jai, loves it too and often asks me to sing it while we
drive or before bed. One time I was singing it while folding
laundry and got distracted so I stopped. Then, he surprised
me by picking up where I left off! One time he said, "Daddy,
Hanuman is so strong I bet he can pick you up!" I
said, "Yes, Jai, Hanuman is picking me up all the time!"
Listen to a clip of my son, Jai, and I chanting the English
version (off key but oh well!):
Here's a YouTube video I made of the Hanuman Chalisa chanted
in English to one of my favorite melodies by Krishna Das, which
will help you learn the English version. Jai Sri Hanumanji!
