The Essence – tattva of hanumAn

hanumAn is the most trusted devotee as well as friend of zri rAma the godly prince (nara - man) of the Sun dynasty and the hero of rAmayaNa. hanumAn has the boon to live as long as people recite the sacred rAmayaNa to protect the meek and the weak. It is this belief that makes one worship hanumAn for removal of all negative aspects of human nature like fear, anxiety, depression etc. even today.

With my training in biology, and as an observer of the human nature and behaviour, I feel that the pleasantness one gets on taking the name of hanumAn as a protector is not just faith. It sprouts as a strong psychological effect on the soul-mind-brain of an individual inducing the right neuro-hormonal reactions that help in alleviating stress and give necessary mental composure to overcome fear etc. So impressive is hanumAn's personality

What then is the essence or truth of hanumAn that captures the hearts of millions of people in India and many other countries? There have been many studies, commentaries, treatises and other writings by scholars to explain about this hanumadtattva - the essence of hanumAn. To know this process, let us begin at the beginning to know the reality about hanumAn.

The Monkey – hanumAn

The overall idea one gets on observing a group of monkeys is that they do things aimlessly (Animal scientists do impart meanings to their behavioural patterns, however). One may be hanging from a branch; one is flying over, one sitting, one roaming on all fours etc. Even an individual monkey's movements would be too quick, too unexpected and too diverse for us to decipher any logic.

That is exactly how our mind is. It can wander anywhere, any time and on to any subject. It is somewhat fickle – caJcal – indeed. The mind, like hanumAn can also travel where it wants. It can fly in the air, cross the continents and the worlds in an instant with the speed of thought and reach any one and anything it wants to. Above all, the mind, even that of a monkey can be controlled to strive along the right path, just as hanumAn showed. However, hanumAn gained great control over the mind by dint of learning and developing an ideal multifaceted personality. This is typically symbolic of remaining simple, humble, protective and kind, though one may possess greatest of powers.

hanumAn achieved great virtues by going through the entire process of realising the Ultimate Truth – paramAtman – described in the previous section. One of the most common publicly displayed icons across India is that of the towering hanumAn. hanumAn, the godly monkey (vAnara – man like), is the symbol of physical and mental power, protector of the devoted, and the remover of the bad influences of every type.

hanumAn's life is a message for posterity. Every human being is with some good and some beastly predispositions. Yet, every one could become divine surely, through refined living that is the result of proper learning. Brain power and body power, it is said, do not go together. However, hanumAn is a unique exception. He is physically very powerful, knowledgeable and devoted with desirable behaviour, diplomacy and power of speech an ideal model for us in personality management.

NOTE: One of the meanings of the word for monkey in Sanskrit "vAnara" is – human like (early human species! tribals!). The forest area janasthAna (from the present northern AP through to northern Karnataka) and mentioned in rAmAyaNa lies to the south of the danDaka forest (adjoining parts of the present Jarkhand, MP, Chattisgarh and Orissa). A tribe named vAnara seems to have existed in this janasthAna forest, which later developed into further present day tribes. The vAnra tribe is still known as such in the Bellary district, north Karnataka along the Andhra border. Thus, hanumAn and his fellow warriors may be just symbolically represented as monkeys! The jain rAmAyNa depicts hanumAn as a human (without tail). Among the seven hills that constitute the abode of the famous Tirumala-Tirupati zri bAlAji venkatEzvara shrine in Andhra Pradesh, is aJjanAdri, the hill where aJjana lived and gave birth to hanumAn. There is an ancient temple known as jAbAli hanumAn Temple at this site (see A.C. Sastry).

Who is hanumAn?

Like the ramAyaNa for the story of rAma and the bhAghavata for the story of kRSNa, parAzarasamhita contains the complete story of hamumAn (samhita is a vEda derived treatise on a specific subject). As part of his PhD in Sanskrit from Andhra University with hanumAn as the subject, Dr. A. Chidambara Sastry studied many ancient palm leaf manuscripts and several earlier works. According to parAzarasamhita, hamumAn in fact, had nine incarnations and exists from vEdic times. The vAnara incarnation of hanumAn as seen in the ramAyaNa, however, is the most widely known.

The expression vRSAkapI mentioned in RgvEda, the earliest scripture and later in the viSNusahzranAmas (1000 names/virtues of viSNu) as well as in the zivasahzranAmas (1000 names/virtues of ziva) has different explanatory meanings in different traditional Sanskrit explanatory dictionaries. All of them indicate to the highly desirable virtues that an individual could possess.

My preceptor AcArya Appalla zOmEzwarazarma, DLit (HC), former Head of Sanskrit Department of Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and an authority on Sanskrit grammar and literature, deduced the meaning of vRSAkapI as "very powerful monkey", i.e. hanumAn; powerful not just physically but also spiritually with ideal virtues – intellect, strength, valour, and kindness.

Jogender Narula studied hanumAn in detail as described in the various original ancient scriptures for his doctoral thesis from Delhi University (see Annexure B). He mentions that vRSAkapI is the place near river gOdAvari where hanumAn was born. In addition, vRSAkapI it is perhaps an epithet meaning a 'bull like monkey' used for hanumAn.

hanumAn is associated with personalities-attributes from the most divine to the utmost lowly creatures like monkeys and bears (see Fig. 2.2). He is the incarnation of ziva – the offspring of the lord of the universe and the goddess of power (zakti) – pArvati, born to a devout monkey couple – aJjana and kEsari. This birth took place due to the good offices of the wind god vAyu (carrier of all), also helped by his peer the fire god agni (purifier of all). The play of personalities and events will be discussed in the next Chapter.

What is hanumAn?

hanumAn acquired different virtues from different entities. He got the supreme spirituality of ziva, the mighty power (zakti) of his divine mother, the humility and straight-forwardness of his earthly parents (monkey couple – aJjana and kEsari), the strength of the wind god, the purity of the fire god (hence pAvana, the pure one), and the brightness-intellect of his preceptor the sun god, the simplicity, the camaraderie and power of group activity of his monkey and bear peers, the blessings of his lord rAma (Supreme Being) and mother sItA (also zakti) of being a ciranjIvin – living for eternity for a good cause.

hanumAn has the intellect-experience backed future vision of brahma the Creator. hanumAn is considered as the candidate designated to be the future Creator – bhaviSyadbrahma. In fact, hanumAn has the benefaction of so very many. Every individual is also similarly blessed, in deed.

Like hanumAn every individual is rather beastly by birth, albeit innocent and simple. Every being could become divine, through proper learning and living as shown by hanumAn. hanumAn is a personification of all that is divine – an extraordinary institution; a divine message and model to be emulated.

This is the secret of hanumAn being dear and revered to all shades of believers (of ziva, of viSNu, of brahma, of zakti, of Sun,of Nature, etc) as well as to non-believers and simple folk of villages, forests and hills. That is why hanumAn idols and icons are found in every nook and corner, wherever people live.

Above all hanumAn is a great AcArya. As per the ancient Indian dictum, an AcArya – the venerable teacher, has three distinct virtues: – i) He accumulates and conserves knowledge, ii) He himself practices the path enshrined in the knowledge, and iii) He brings the learner and the knowledge together.

The first two are clear. The third virtue means many things that broadly fall under the virtue of leading the learner to the ultimate realisation of the truth, the knowledge, the Supreme Being – the paramAtman – the God, along the right path.

As mentioned earlier, the Supreme Being is that all pervading splendorous energy, paramAtman, bhagawAn, God or whatever other name one gives. If we accept that there is a Supreme Being, the desire of mortals like ourselves, the Atman - Being, is to be one with or at least close to the Supreme Being, if not actually attain the supreme stage of merging with Him/Her/That.

There is also an Intermediary Being, if we may say so, who strives to guide and help the Being to attain closeness to the Supreme Being. This Intermediate Being is the AcArya – the spiritual teacher-friend-guide-philosopher all in one, a mahAtma - venerable soul, perfect in all respects and one who has experienced godliness. Scholars consider hanumAn as the embodiment of the perfect AcArya.

Attaining the Supreme stage like hanumAn calls for – a) development of ideal personality, b) obtaining organisational or managerial acumen. These have to be achieved – a) under the right preceptor, b) along the right path, and c) to be used for the service of others.

Richness of hanumAn's Attributes

There are ten attributes actually ascribed to hanumAn by the first poet (Adikavi) vAlmIki on the occasion of rAma's coronation (see the Canto on War – yuddhakAnDa: 128-82 of vAlmIki rAmAyNa). They are:

tEjas – brightness (due to physical and moral strength); dhRti – self command; yazas – glory; dAkSyam – organisational dexterity; sAmarthyam – suitable strength; vinaya – disciplined conduct; nyaya – adept in laws; pouruSam – heroic self dignity; vikrama – intense valour; buddhi – sharp intellect.

indra presented a unique necklace of precious stones to rAma on the occasion of the lord's coronation, which was brought by vAyudEva – wind god. rAma, in turn, presents that particular necklace to sItA telling her, "O! soubhAgyavati – auspicious woman! Present this to any one that brought you happiness and possesses heroic self-dignity, intense valour, and distinctive intellect".

Being a soubhAgyavati and since hanumAn played big role in retaining her soubhAgyam – riches (conjugal felicity for a woman) sItA presents it to hanumAn (yuddhakAnDa: 131-81 & 82). Thus sItA also vouchsafes significance of hanumAn's attributes.

vAlmIki also uses two adjectives in the context of hanumAn – vAkyaGnyaH – one who sets apt sentences, and vAkyakuzalaH – one who makes precise use of such sentences. This linguistic specialty of hanumAn is evident when he first meets rAma and lakSmaNa (The Canto kiSkindhAkAnDa: 3- 28 to 35). These are all virtues worth emulation by all in all times.

THE INFERENCE

bhagwan zri satya sai bAba, the divinity living amidst us, said that – "hanumAn had succeeded in co-coordinating the thought, the word and the act. Therefore, he had the unique distinc­tion of being great in physical strength, mental stability and virtuous character. He shines as an invaluable gem among the personalities of the rAmAyaNa. He was also a great scholar, who had mastered, of all things, the nine schools of grammar! He knew the four vEedas and the six zAstras. The gItA says that a scholar is one who sees the same divine force motivating every one – panditAH samadarzinaH. hanumAn was a good example of this outlook. He did not pride himself that he knew so much. He was the very picture of humility, born out of genuine sincerity and wisdom".

(IN: Satya Sai Baba Speaks – VOLUME X, Compiled by N. Kasturi; Sri Satya Sai Books & Publications, PO Prasanthi Nilayam, 1980).

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