Hanumanji shows you how to face challenges!
By Vivek Sharma
Let’s understand Hanumanji as the guru of excellence seekers and target-getters.You visit Hanuman Temple every Tuesday, offer Him flowers, fruits and laddoos and come back the same person—no change in you! Well, is that all? Why don’t you come back with the strength He exudes. He is all strength. Why don’t you cultivate His qualities in yourself? You want somebody to get your things done and clear your shit, but you wouldn’t learn a bit and would continue to commit the same mistakes. I am sorry, you don’t love Hanuman then. You only love yourself and selfishly want your life hassle-free. Okay, but why can’t you imbibe some of His qualities. You are a big showoff in public. You show as if you have learnt everything and are the master of it all. A little blow and you scamper to a Hanuman temple, seeking His help! Ha-ha-ha.
Hanuman Strength
Today I tell you what His strength is. It is honesty. He knows, “I am nobody, but a servant of Ram.” He doesn’t say “I am Shiva, I am Brahma,” and dances about like little crazy man-monkeys on public stage, developing arrogance and attitude only. Saying Soham, Soham is not going to help you, if you have not imbibed the basic qualities of Hanuman Ji.
Look at his fearless patience. He allows himself to be caught by Ravana’s son so that he could be taken to Ravana and could give the life-changing message to him.
Hanuman Ji faces Ravana and tries to educate Him with his sweet words in the latter’s court. He says,
विसृज्य मौर्ख्यं हृदि शत्रुभावनां
भजस्व रामं शरणागतप्रियम्।।
“It means give up the foolish enmity with Ram you are cherishing in your heart. Pray to Ram, He protects those who seek His protection.”
This angers Ravana and he says,
क एव रामः कतमो वनेचरो
निहन्मि सुग्रीवयुतं नराधमम्.
What this Ram and monkey Sugreev count before me, I will kill them both bare-handed. This enrages Hanuman Ji and He explodes with infinite strength that He has but He doesn’t lose his cool. That is remarkable. See how in powerful words He retorts Ravana,
न मे समा रावणकोटयो अधमः
रामस्य दासोहमपारविक्रमः।।
O You low-minded ! Even Crores of Ravanas like you can’t face me. I am the servant of Ram, there is no limit to my strength! (Don’t you know?)
This is strength! This is what we need today. The disciplined strength. No arrogance. Strength born of loyalty and honesty par excellence.
Look at you!You can’t even face the gali ka goonda. Because you have no honesty and loyalty to the ideas you believe in. The moment you are centred in the ideas you must believe in, you too will manifest strength in accordance with the idea of your belief.
Hanuman Ji vs Obstacles
While leaping into the Lanka, Hanumanji faces five major obstacles. The nature of these obstacles are common for all of us. But, we don’t want to learn from the solutions given by Hanuman Ji.
Self-doubt, lack of awareness: Everybody has infinite strength. But, he doesn’t have the right focus on his strength because of disloyalty to one’s core ideas or attachment to arrogance. When the discussion was on as to who would cross over the sea and reach Lanka, everybody was asked to give his potential. But, Hanuman Ji was silent. He was unaware of His strength as he was totally absorbed in Ram. Jambvant reminded him of his strength and then He mustered his infinite joyous strength that the entire cosmos began to tremble. (श्रुत्वा जाम्बवन्तो वाक्यं हनूमानतिहर्षितः। चकार नादं सिंहस्य ब्रह्माण्डं स्फोटयन्निव।।) He leapt across the sea. That is what happens with us all. We are not aware of our strength or potential to deal with an obstacle mentally. The obstacle is resolved in the mind first. But, instead of resolving it the right way, we try to run away and give way to fears.
Facing the Surasa: When you are midway, you face the Surasa, which literally means sweet distraction. सुरसा means सु + रसा। Which is full of charming engagement. When we fall into the trap, we are gobbled up by it and we fail to reach the destination. The second obstacle can come in the form of charming engagement midway. Hanuman Ji doesn’t kill her. He just outwits her and leaves her no reason to react. Mind these words. He first grows bigger and bigger and then suddenly turns thumb-sized, enters her mouth and zooms out, fulfilling her wish. What does it mean? It means deal with charming engagement with strength and wit and neutralise it. Focus on the goal shouldn’t be lost at all. Surasa challenge or obstacle is just meant to test the honesty of your intent. If you fail, you are devoured. What Surasa says to Hanuman when he successfully deals with her is remarkable. She says,
गच्छ साधय रामस्य कार्यं बुद्धिमतां वर।
देवैः सम्प्रेषिताहं ते बलं जिज्ञासुभिः कपे।
दृष्ट्वा सीतां पुनर्गत्वा रामं द्रक्ष्यसि गच्छ भोः।।
“O Most Intelligent among Intelligent! Go now! Accomplish the task of Ram. Nature wanted me to test your strength, O Kapi. You will find Sita and get back to Ram. Go now!” This proves that when you face the challenge in the right spirit with intelligence, without losing focus on the goal, the challenge itself blesses you or gives you energy to accomplish your task.
Manikaanchan Mount Challenge.:After you have intelligently crossed the Surasa challenge, you will automatically develop an ego that you have accomplished something. This will make you more susceptible to the emotion called complacency. The Manikanchan (jewels and gold) challenge is all about complacency challenge. The mount asked Hanumanji to enjoy, relax a bit and then go. But, Hanumanji touched it with a finger and moved on saying,
गच्छतो रामकार्यार्थे भक्षणं मे कथं भवेत।
विश्रामो वा कथं मे स्याद्गन्तव्यं त्वरितं मया।।
“I am on my way to accomplish the task for Ram, how can I eat and relax? Have no time for it, so I move quickly on.” This is how complacency challenges us. We are convinced to relax and enjoy. But, those who are target-oriented think and act the way Hanumanji did and clear the obstacle. The king of the mountain is Menak, which in Sanskrit means, the arrogance, मे +ना = none equal to me. So Hanumanji shows how this “none equal then me” arrogance leads one off to complacency. If misled by it, you fail. Deal with the challenge as Hanumanji dealt with that—focus and stop not till the goal is reached.
Chayagraha Challenge: As Hanumanji moves ahead, he finds his speed has been arrested. He feels caught . He looks down and finds an obstacle called Chayagraha, a demoness Singhika, who would trap flying beings and birds by catching their reflections and shadows on the water. Hanumanji doesn’t interact with her. He just tramples her to death and flies on towards his goal. Chayagraha means memory trap, which drags you down and stops you from moving ahead. This memory trap is a dark cage of memory which ties you down with the strings of your past weakening experiences and failures. Just kill it, resolve it and move ahead. Don’t engage with it or stop to think over it. Just move on crushing it under you feet—means ignoring it with a brutal force.
Lankini Challenge: When Hanumanji is about to reach Lanka, he finds a demoness (challenge) angrily asking him to identify himself, the one who is entering the Lanka like a thief at night, disrespecting her. It is the final challenge, which brings you down to the basics—who you are, you are doing something wrong, you are not following the proper rules, whether you will find the goal or not, all such thoughts dishearten you. Testing your confidence challenge. What Hanumanji does is the way. He firmly ignores the questioner and hits straight into her belly. She vomits blood —gives him the secret location and says you are victorious. Hitting straight means remain focused on the target till the last moment. And the challenge itself will guide your way. This is what happens with Hanumanji. If you lose focus and confidence at the last moment, the Lankini will devour you. Lankini means confidence test near the goal. But, if you remain confident and hit the challenge in the belly, the challenge itself will guide your way. Now do you get it?
Hanumanji would be more pleased if instead of offering laddoos to him, you imbibe his strength and practise his challenge resolving solutions in your day-to-day life.