“An intelligent person has respect for the body which brings them attachment to Shri Rama. That is why Hanuman gave up his form of Rudra in order to be a Vanara.” (Dohavali, 142)

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जेहि सरीर रति राम सों सोइ आदरहिं सुजान।
रुद्रदेह तजि नेहबस बानर भे हनुमान ॥

jēhi sarīra rati rāma sōṁ sō’i ādarahiṁ sujāna.
rudradēha taji nēhabasa bānara bhē hanumāna..

To the less familiar, he is known as the monkey-god of Hinduism. To the more familiar, he is the amazing devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Rama, appearing in the unique outward vision of a monkey-like figure. He is anything but a monkey, proving that the body is not inhibiting to the spirit soul who is in union with the Supreme Soul. Hanuman is like the greatest yogi who prefers a specific form due to the associated auspiciousness in serving Rama.

Hanuman is someone with purity in thoughts, words, and deeds. His deeds are famously depicted in statues, paintings, and posters. A person may not have any familiarity with the culture sourced in the Vedas, but they may have come across many images of Hanuman.

In this analysis, we appreciate Hanuman for things which are not as prominently known. Those deeds which are not as easily depicted in paintings. Those moments which can only be appreciated after sufficient experience through analogous situations.

1. Compromised with his friends

“Hanuman was a member of a search party. The Vanara leader named Sugriva formed an alliance with Rama. This was also due to the intelligence of Hanuman. Sugriva ordered the Vanaras under him to split up and search the entire world for Rama’s missing wife, Sita Devi.

“There is a point in the journey where the group with Hanuman decides to quit. They feel as if the allotted time has elapsed, that there is no point in continuing further. Hanuman tries to persuade them to continue. He uses different methods of diplomacy, but nothing works.

“I cannot believe Hanuman stayed friends with those people. I would have been cursing them out. I probably would have walked away. But just see how easy that is. I think I am standing up for myself, turning away from offenders, but in life you have to make compromises. It is silly not to. The less intelligent are ruled by emotion, whereas the wise like Hanuman always see the bigger picture.”

2. Refused to quit

“Hanuman had so much trouble in his journey. At one point he had to separate from his friends. This was due to the physical barrier of the large ocean. Only Hanuman could cross it. I have been in similar situations where people counted on me to fix something important. I didn’t have to leap over oceans or anything, but I can still sort of relate.

“I have trouble understanding how Hanuman persevered, though. He faced a lot of adversity afterwards, in the foreign territory of Lanka. No hotel to check into. No gate to greet visitors. No cellphone to connect with loved ones for advice. No place to stay. The entire time he has to remain undetected. If he gets caught, the mission is over.

“I would have quit. No doubt about it. I would be cursing the people who put me in that situation. Why does everyone have to rely on me? Why can’t they get up and work themselves? Why do I have to correct their mistakes?

“Not Hanuman. He briefly considered the different options. He deliberated and reached a conclusion that he could only succeed for as long as he was alive. Therefore, it was better to live, to at least try to please Shri Rama.”

न विनश्येत्कथं कार्यं वैक्लब्यं न कथं भवेत् |
लङ्घनं च समुद्रस्य कथं नु न वृथा भवेत् ||

na vinaśyetkathaṃ kāryaṃ vaiklabyaṃ na kathaṃ bhavet |
laṅghanaṃ ca samudrasya kathaṃ nu na vṛthā bhavet ||

“How can I ensure that the purpose of my task does not get destroyed? How shall I avoid mental disparity, and how do I ensure that my crossing of the ocean does not go for naught?” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.41)

3. Tolerated personal insults

“Hanuman is in this dreaded mission, so difficult and cumbersome, and he finally reaches the end. He meets success. He has found Sita Devi. Hanuman even devises a method for winning her favor, to prove to her that he has only the best intentions.

“Then something bad happens. Hanuman proposes taking Sita back with him. He has confidence in his abilities. This is something I can relate to, on occasion. If I can help someone, I want to. I am willing to step into the situation. I am willing to sacrifice my comforts for someone else.

“Except Sita mildly insulted him in her dismissal of the idea. She referenced the fact that maybe his monkey-character was showing through in his words, that it was crazy to think Hanuman could safely carry her out of the hostile territory of Lanka.

“I would have exploded. Here I am helping a total stranger, risking my life and everything. They repay the favor by insulting me to my face. I would have thought of negative things to say in response, but not Hanuman. He did not change his demeanor in the slightest. Who can ever imagine being that kind to someone they had never previously met?”

4. Skipped Vibhishana’s house

“That horrible Ravana ended up capturing Hanuman and then binding him. Hanuman was paraded around the city, like a showcase item from a fishing trip. As infuriating as that can be, just see how the cool-headed Hanuman managed to escape the situation.

“His tail was previously set on fire, and now that fire was free to roam about the city of Lanka. Hanuman decided to destroy everything. This was Ravana’s fault, after all. This was only a taste of the punishment Ravana was set to receive for taking Sita by force, without a fair fight.

“Within the fury of execution, Hanuman managed to apply intelligence. He intentionally skipped over the palace belonging to Vibhishana, who was Ravana’s younger brother. Vibhishana had proved himself to be friendly, showing that his mind aligned with dharma. I am not sure if in that moment I would have been so kind and forgiving. I probably would have gone on a rampage, indiscriminately attacking everything.”

5. Destroyed his own poetry

“Have you ever written anything important? Not like a note to yourself for what to accomplish on a given day. Not necessarily a letter to one of your friends or a report on a book attached to an assignment from school.

“I mean something really nice, for which you poured heart and soul. Something over which you are really proud, where you can’t believe how good the product turned out. It is something near and dear to you, since you understand just how difficult the effort was.

“Now imagine intentionally destroying that work. Without hesitation, the papers are ripped up. The only reason is to make someone else feel better, to lift up their spirits. Someone else tried to write material on the same subject, and they feel as if your output is better. So much so that they feel embarrassed by what they have done.

“Hanuman cannot tolerate that. He will destroy his own work. This is something I can never imagine doing. Who can be greater than Hanuman? I have yet to find anyone.”

In Closing:

Facing lapsing time legit,
Angada and group to quit.

Hanuman kindly to protest,
But monkeys settled upon rest.

Deserving of words stinging,
And repeated insults slinging.

But a compromise to make,
Opportunity later to take.

Categories: dohavali 121-160, hanuman is the best, the five

Tags: hanuman, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana, tulsidas