“’The black-eyed Vaidehi is not aware of my strength or my power. Therefore, let her see that form which I can display at my desire.’ Hanuman, the best of the monkeys and annihilator of enemies, thinking thus then showed to Vaidehi his real form.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.32-33)

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न मे जानाति सत्त्वं वा प्रभावं वाऽसितेक्षणा
तस्मात्पश्यतु वैदेही यद्रूपं मम कामतः

इति सञ्चिन्त्य हनुमांस्तदा प्लवगसत्तमः
दर्शयामास वैदेह्यास्स्वरूपमरिमर्दनः

na me jānāti sattvaṃ vā prabhāvaṃ vāʼsitekṣaṇā
tasmātpaśyatu vaidehī yadrūpaṃ mama kāmataḥ

iti sañcintya hanumāṃstadā plavagasattamaḥ
darśayāmāsa vaidehyāssvarūpamarimardanaḥ

“I know, I know, I am not supposed to skip the line. I should stay in my lane. I should allow the queue to advance on its own. I should surrender to the process, like when we want to be the first to buy concert tickets to that upcoming tour. The scalpers are so good at what they do that the artists have had to devise ways to keep everyone in check. I should not be like one of these brokers, trying to get something for a cheaper price and then holding onto it like a commodity, ready for the highest bidder.

“But it is part of the teachings, nonetheless. You cannot ignore that at least in the bhakti-yoga school descending from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there is this concept of a svarupa. I believe Mahaprabhu Himself reveals that the true form of the individual, who is otherwise a jiva soul, is a devotee of Krishna. That is what every person is, in fact, since time immemorial. They have simply forgotten. That is the meaning of falling, of getting stuck in the cycle of birth and death because of illusion.”

जीवेर ‘स्वरूप’ हয় — कृष्णेर ‘नित्यदास’
कृष्णेर ‘तटस्था-शक्ति’, ‘भेदाभेद-प्रकाश’
सूर्यांश-किरण, यैछे अग्निज्वालाचয়
स्वाभाविक कृष्णेर तिनप्ৰकार ‘शक्ति’ हয়

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya
svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra ‘śakti’ haya

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krishna because he is the marginal energy of Krishna and a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Krishna has three varieties of energy.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya, 20.108-109)

“If our svarupa is a servant of Krishna, then what is the harm in trying to know exactly what that form looks like? Tell us who we are in Goloka Vrindavana. What are we? A tree? A flower? A cow? Are we one of Krishna’s dear cowherd friends, the ones who roam the pasturing grounds with Him? Or are we one of the assistants to Shrimati Radharani, who is the leader of the gopis?

“There are people claiming to know. They live in sacred places like Radha Kunda and Govardhana Hill. They say that they can reveal our siddha-deha to us. On the other side, esteemed teachers strongly caution against this approach. They say that we are jumping, going too fast. We are taking things too cheaply. Cheap or expensive, is it not true that we have a siddha-deha? If so, what does that body look like? What is the harm in trying to know?”

There is justification for the words of caution. It is like that saying, “If you have to ask, you probably are not ready to know.” If you are so worried about what your eternal form might look like, when you are liberated, then you are likely not taking the matter seriously. There is work to be done. There is work to put in. There is progress to be made. There is a reason that the recommended approach to a spiritual guide has the accompanying conditions of submissive inquiry and dedicated service.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

Consider the absence of these two vital factors. It is like someone breaking and entering in your home. You normally would welcome visitors. You follow the teachings of the Vedas, in viewing the guest who arrives unexpectedly, atithi, as a resident of the heavenly region checking in on you. You want to be as hospitable as you can. Offer a nice place to sit. Give a refreshing beverage. Provide every kind of comfort, such that they will not regret having visited.

The thief, the burglar, the bandit, or whatever your preferred term, has a similar interaction. They are approaching your home. They might step foot inside. The response from the homeowner is different, though. The supposed guest is actually an intruder. They are looking to take. They will not appreciate what they get, either, since they have not paid the proper price. Neither are you willing to give up valuables to someone so degraded in morals and ethics.

In the same way, when a person is eager to jump the line and head straight to the siddha-deha pronouncement, it is like they have no respect for the process. Not for the teachers. Not for the person worshiped by the teachers. Not for the teachings, themselves.

We can look to someone like Shri Hanuman to understand the appropriate place for the siddha-deha. Hanuman is a Vanara, which is like a monkey, but not quite. It is also like a human, but not fully. Hanuman has the special ability to change his shape. He can do so whenever he desires. Hanuman does not exploit this ability. He does whatever is necessary, to suit the objective at hand, which is always for furthering the interests of someone else.

Hanuman even once contemplates showing his true self, which is referred to as svarupa. He wants to do this only to give assurance to someone who is doubting out of fear. Sita Devi does not seem prepared to go along with Hanuman’s plan. Hanuman suggests returning her to her husband, Shri Rama. Hanuman wants to end the distress immediately. He does not like seeing the princess of Videha suffering, in difficulty after having been taken to the island of Lanka against her will.

That svarupa was exceptionally large. Hanuman used it to cross the ocean in a single leap. At the same time, in paintings and physical objects of worship installed in temples we see Hanuman in a diminutive stature. He is noticeably small in comparison to Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana. This is by choice. Hanuman considers himself small and humble in front of the objects of worship, who are his life and soul.

This begs the question. Just what is the svarupa for someone like Hanuman? What would an esteemed babaji say if Hanuman approached them? Goswami Tulsidas says that Hanuman prefers his monkey-form, since the devotion thrives within it. That is all that matters. From where I stand today, in the form I currently occupy, I can look to be successful in my efforts to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In that respect, my body will no longer be considered material.

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

“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)

In Closing:

In that situation small,
But in potential tall.

Across the ocean to leap,
Similar plan to keep.

Hanuman svarupa to choose,
Only for doubts to remove.

All blessings by him conferred,
In that Vanara form preferred.

Categories: questions

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