Random Thoughts-22: "More on Hanumanji"

After going through my post on 'Hanumath Jayanthi', my friend, Mr.Kannan, felt that I could have highlighted the strengths of Hanumanji and his relevance to the youth. He was right; further, I felt I could have included a few pages from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Mahendra Nath Gupta or 'M' as he preferred to be known. Hence this addendum.

Hanumanji is a great of courage, confidence, concentration, strength, faith, devotion, celibacy and many more sterling virtues, which mould one's character and equip one to face whatever comes in life with courage and confidence. So the inculcation of the worship of Hanumanji in the formative years has special significance.

In ancient India, life was divided into four stages, the first of which being 'BRAHMACHARYA' - the period from childhood to entering adulthood. This is the period one devotes to acquiring knowledge, developing self-discipline and all the other virtues that mould one's character. With the knowledge or the skill acquired, one enters a profession; then only comes the second stage, 'GRUHASTHA' : getting married and raising a family of one's own. So the first stage is a very important one, the foundation on which the remaining three stages are built up. Distractions during this first stage could seriously hamper one's growth and development.

Unfortunately, there is every kindly deadly and dastardly distraction today; they corrupt the young minds and lead them astray. In the movies you see nothing the love of the other sex, right from the nursery school stage. What is meant for the second stage is needlessly and crudely thrust on the young when they are not yet ready for such things. Further, rowdyism and goondaism pass for heroism. Most of the evils in society are due to this. Hence it becomes the duty of the parents, teachers and other elders to introduce and inculcate the worship of Hanumanji, highlighting his sterling qualities and advise them to take Hanumanji as their role-model rather some movie star.

As a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, to me 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' is the Bible. Sri Ramakrishna greatly admired Hanumanji. He would try the different paths like Christianity, Islam, Tantrik and advaita and realize the Supreme through every one of them. He also practised 'sadhana' dressing and behaving like Hanumanji, identifying himself so completely with Hanumanji that he almost became another 'Hanuman'. Within a few days, he realized the Supreme. After that he said with the authority of one who has tried many paths, "whatever path one chooses, one reaches the same goal."

One comes across many passages in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, where Sri Ramakrishna refers to Hanumanji on several occasions. I am fond of a few of them, which I am reproducing below:

'Rama asked Hanuman, "Hanuman what attitude do you cherish toward Me when you worship Me?" 'Hanuman answered: 'Sometimes I see that You are the whole and I am a part; sometimes I see that You are the Master and I am thy servant. But Rama, when I have knowledge of Reality, then I find that You are I and I am You."

"...It was through the power of his mind that Hanuman leapt over the sea. 'I am the servant of Rama; I have repeated the holy name of Rama. Is there anything impossible for me?" - that was Hanuman's faith.

"Once a man asked Hanuman which day of the fortnight it was. "Brother," said Hanuman, "I don't know anything about the day of the week or the fortnight, or the position of the stars. I think of Rama alone." (All the three passages are from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Mahendra Nath Gupta - Translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda and published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai).