hanuman: the eternal savior
“You brought the Sanjivani herb
And saved Lakshman’s life.
Brave scion of the Raghu clan (Ram)
Cheerfully embraced you with his heart full of joy.”
(Quatrain 11, Hanuman Chalisa)
. . .
In the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, the demon-king Ravan abducts Sita and takes her away to his island kingdom of Lanka. To save her, Ram and Lakshman take the help of the vanaras and declare war against Ravan. In this war, Ravan’s son Indrajit strikes Lakshman with a deadly arrow containing the venom of serpents. As the poison begins to spread throughout his body, Lakshman loses consciousness, and great danger looms over his life. Only a herb called Sanjivani that grows on a mountain far away in the north (Dronagiri) can save Lakshman; however, it needs to be applied to the wound before sunrise the next day. Immediately, Hanuman turns north and takes a giant leap. After many obstacles and lost time, rather than finding the herb on the Dronagiri mountain in the dark, Hanuman picks up the entire mountain and takes it south to Lanka. Eventually, the herb is found and Lakshman is saved. As Ram witnesses this miracle, his relief and elation know no bounds and he embraces Hanuman in sheer joy. This incredibly popular event from Ramayana is highlighted in this verse.
Hanuman is also widely known as Sankatmochan — the one who removes obstacles and resolves all problems. An eternal savior, he brings hope and optimism to people in times of great difficulty. Whenever a person faces a problem, big or small, reciting Hanuman Chalisa brings peace and calm to his mind and equips him with the much-needed inner strength and creativity to figure out potent solutions to mitigate or eliminate it. As Hanuman helped Ram in a crisis and brought immense joy to him, remembering the Monkey God and chanting his name with an open mind and pure heart would help us experience the same relief and delight when we find ourselves in trouble.
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If you enjoyed this spiritual insight rooted in ancient India, do check out my book Hanuman Chalisa: A New Translation.
Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most powerful prayers and meditations of humanity. It is widely believed that chanting the Chalisa invokes Hanuman's divine intervention amidst grave problems and challenges.
Recitation or chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa is a common spiritual practice among people all around India. Being the most popular hymn in praise of Hanuman, the Hanuman Chalisa is recited by millions of Hindus every day, both in good times and bad.
The aim of this book is to offer a renewed understanding of this beautiful, soul-enhancing hymn in the form of simple, concise, and easy-to-read meditations. Every meditation has been crafted to give you the essence of Tulsidas's message in each verse of this sacred song.
No words can describe the bliss and joy a person feels when they read, recite, chant, sing, and/or listen to Hanuman Chalisa on a daily basis. This book will enhance your experience and understanding of this amazing hymn, and serve you for years to come.
