HANUMAN JAYANTI

[Guest guest]

put it between his teeth, placed it near his ear and with a face indicating

disappointment threw it away in disgust. Surprised at this behavior of Hanuman,

Sita said, "Hanuman, this is a precious pearl necklace given to me by my father,

but you are throwing away the pearls without realizing their value. You don't

seem to have given up your monkey tricks." Then Hanuman replied, "O mother, I

examined each pearl in order to see whether it had the sacred name of Rama in

it. I could not find it in any pearl. Without the name of Rama, they are but

stones and pebbles. So, I cast them on the ground. Even the hair of mine is

filled with the name of Rama." Saying so, he plucked out a hair from his hand

and put it near Sita's ear. She could hear Rama's name emanating from it. Then

she started praising Hanuman thus: "You are the crest jewel among the monkeys

who fulfilled Rama's mission. You are the great hero who found the

whereabouts of Sita and destroyed the city of Lanka." (Telugu Poem) It can be

said that but for Hanuman, Ramayana would not have existed. He is the

embodiment of devotion and surrender. Hanuman is present wherever Rama's name

is chanted. Rama's name and form are not different. Hanuman experienced this

unity. That is the principle of non-dualism. You call yourselves devotees of

Rama and go through the sacred text of Ramayana repeatedly, but is there any

transformation in your mind? Not at all. This is not true or real devotion, but

only a show of devotion. Rama does not approve of pomp and show. He gives

importance only to practice. Bliss can be attained only through practice. Try

to understand the principleof Rama correctly.From Baba's discourse (2000) RAMA

AND HANUMANFor all the mighty deeds done by Hanuman and great

help rendered by him, Rama asked him: "Hanuman! What reward can I give you?

Apart from expressing my gratitude to you I cannot give you any fitting

recompense. The only way I can show my gratitude to you is that whenever you

think of me at any time in your life, I shall appear before you." Rama was

showing his gratitude to Hanuman in this manner. This indicates that the

primary duty of man is to be grateful all his life to the person who has done

him a good turn.Man has to realize his divinity and look at all Nature from the

Divine point of view. Instead man looks at everything only from the mundane

point of view. The body is indeed perishable. But it is also the means for

realizing the imperishable Truth.This means, all speech should be about the

Divine. All actions should be godly. Every thought should be about God. That is

the appeal which Thyagaraja made to his mind: "Oh mind, think always about Sri

Rama." (Bhagavan sang in His own

mellifluous voice Thyagaraja's song in which he said: "Oh Kausalya, what penance

did you perform to enjoy the privilege of calling Sri Rama affectionately as a

mother and showering your kisses on the divinely beautiful child Rama. What

penance did Dasaratha perform to call Sri Rama to come to him?") Thus

Thyagaraja was chanting Rama's name all the time and singing his glories. This

is an example to the world.( 1995 Discourse) The above two articles were

posted on 23-04-2005 by Neena Chand Once, Lord Rama asked Hanuman, "How do you

contemplate on Me?" "At the physical level, You are my Master and I am Your

servant. At the mental level, I am a spark of thy Divine Self. At the Atmic

level, You and I are one", said Hanuman. Pleased with Hanuman's reply, Lord

Rama presented him with a pearl necklace, which was given to Mother Sita by her

father, King Janaka, at the time of her marriage. Hanuman held this very

valuable necklace in his hand, began to remove all the pearls one by one from

the necklace, and kept it near his ear for some time, and then, after biting

each one of them, threw them away. Sita was surprised to see Hanuman behaving

thus. She thought that Hanuman had not given up his monkey traits. Rama knew

the intention behind this act of Hanuman. However, in order to make Sita

understand this, He asked, "Hanuman, why are you biting and throwing away such

precious pearls?" Hanuman replied, "O Lord, I am examining whether I

could listen to Your name in the pearls. Since I could not hear it, I am

throwing away. The pearl is no better than a stone if there is no Rama Nama in

it. I want only You." Listening to this statement of Hanuman, Rama offered

Himself by embracing Hanuman. The inner meaning of this is Rama is where

Hanuman is, and vice-versa. Hanuman is one who realised the unity of the

individual and God. Consequently, Hanuman was always in a state of bliss.

Hanuman is given various appellations, such as Santhudu, Gunavanthudu,

Balavantadu (one of peace, virtues, and strength). He derived his strength from

the divine name of Lord Rama. Many people confine the Divine Name only to the

lips, but Hanuman chanted the name of Rama from the depth of his heart. Poison

will remain poison even if it

is put in a precious vessel studded with diamonds, pearls, and emeralds. The

divine ambrosia will not lose its taste even if it is put in a brass vessel.

Likewise, it is the purity of heart, not the external appearance that matters.

Purity of heart is the purpose behind chanting God's name. Chanting God's name

should originate from the heart, not from the lips. sourced:

http://www.sathyasai.org/search/htmldiscourses/2001/d010326.html Hanuman's

greatness Hanuman is the brightest example of such a realised soul. When he

first presented himself before Rama and offered his services, Rama turned to

Lakshmana and said, "Brother! Listen! Notice how Hanuman has mastered the

Vedas. His speech is

saturated with the humility and dedication which the Rig' Veda embodies, the

retentiveness and reverence that the Yajur Veda promotes and the intuitive

vision that the Sama Veda grants. Hanuman knows all the scriptural texts. He is

a genuine devotee. Sugriva is fortunate to have him as his minister, Hanuman,

whose thoughts words and deeds are offered to God." When these three are in

perfect harmony, the person wins the Grace of God, as Hanuman succeeded in

securing. Sugriva fumbled in this Sadhana. He failed to keep his word. He had

not commandeered his forces, though the rainy season had ended. So, Lakshmana

vented his anger at his ingratitude and inequity. "You can never cleanse

yourselves of the sin of ungratefulness and breach of promise. Your conduct is

so reprehensible that even vultures will desist from feeding on your corpse."

When the terrified culprit fell at the feet of Rama, seeking pardon, Rama said,

"Lakshmana! Safe and happy on his throne, Sugriva is blinded by pride, power and

ignorance. Misery alone can open the eyes of people to the values they have

neglected. He has been holding on to the trivial and the temporary which

intoxicate man with fleeting joys. How can such a person follow the path of

Dharma?" Hanuman, who heard this compassionate reaction, returned with Sugriva

and advised him to repent and reaffirm, his rectitude and thankfulness. One has

to recognise one's faults and remedy their consequences by sincere

self-examination and repentance. It is often said that Rama followed Dharma at

all times. This is not the correct way of describing him. He did not follow

Dharma; he was Dharma. What he thought, spoke and did was Dharma, is Dharma for

ever. Discourse on Sri Rama Navami day at Prasanthi Nilayam on 18-4-1986.

Hanuman, after the completion of his mission in Lanka, went to Sita to receive

her blessings before returning to Rama. At that time, Mother Sita blessed

Hanuman in this manner: "Hanuman! You are full of prowess, intelligence and

fortitude. May you never grow old." This did not give joy to Hanuman. Noticing

his sense of disappointment, Sita blessed him again: "Live as an immortal."

Even this did not please Hanuman. Sita then blessed him again: "Hanuman! You

are full of virtues! May the dwellers in the three worlds extol your

qualities." Hanuman felt embarrassed and bent his head as if he was ashamed to

hear her praise him. Observing Hanuman's reactions, Sita finally blessed him

thus: "May Sri Rama always love you!" The moment he heard these words, Hanuman

was in rapture. "This was all that I wanted," he declared. "I must be worthy of

Rama's love. A life without Rama's love is an utter waste. It is a living death.

The only thing I desire is Rama's love." Hanuman was proficient in music. There

was none that could excel him in singing. Even Narada and Tumbura could not

prevail against him. Such a great singer continued always to chant the name of

Rama. Poornachandra Auditorium, 3 Mar 1992 Mere repetition of God's name is

not enough. One should participate in His work. Once Vibhishana asked Hanuman,

"I love Lord Rama wholeheartedly and chant His name 24 hours a day. Why hasn't

He showered His grace on me so far?" Hanuman replied, "Oh simpleton, no doubt

you are chanting Rama's name, but are you taking part in His work? It is almost

ten months since Sita was brought to Lanka. Have you made any effort for her

release?" Listening to Hanuman's advice, Vibhishana went to Rama and offered

himself at His service. Along with repetition of God's name, one should

participate in service activities also

http://www.sathyasai.org/search/htmldiscourses/1999/d990215.html

THE SPEAKING TREE Hanuman and Rama: Bond of Brothers C D VERMA[ MONDAY, APRIL

05, 2004 12:00:00 AM ] Hanuman, the monkey-god, was an ardent devotee of

Rama. His devotion took him wherever he was required to help Rama tide over

difficulties. Most famously, Hanuman searched and found Rama's kidnapped

consort Sita, brought vital healing herbs from the mountain to make a seriously

wounded Lakshman well, and acted as the commander of Rama's forces. Hanuman,

therefore, is popularly referred to as the sankat mochan, resolver of problems,

easy to please. He was born on Chaitra Shukla Purnima, and there are many

legends surrounding his birth. He is also known as Shankarsuvan, Kesarinandan,

Pawansut — that is, son of Shankar, of Kesari and Anjani and of Pawan, the god

of the winds respectively. Following the churning of the ocean, gods and

demons fought for the possession of amrit, the celestial ambrosia.

Vishnu took the form of enchantress Mohini to deflect the attention of the

demons. However, Shankar got attracted by Mohini's beauty and the resulting

seed was implanted in the womb of Anjani. Since Hanuman was born of Shankar's

seed, he is known as Shankarsuvan. Another legend says Hanuman was the

incarnation of the 11th Rudra. In the Yajur Veda Rudra is first called

Mahadeva. The 11 Rudras are all forms of Shiva. Ravana did penance to

propitiate Shiva. He offered his 10 heads to the 10 Rudras. He, however, left

the eleventh Rudra unpropitiated. Shiva, pleased with Ravana's tapasya, granted

him the boon to become immortal. He could not be killed by anything other than

monkeys and human beings. Shiva knew that Vishnu was soon to incarnate Himself

as Rama. Also wishing to witness Rama's leela, Shiva appeared on earth as a

monkey, Hanuman. Both the Skand Purana and Valmiki's Ramayana speak of

the apsara dancer, Punjikasthala, who annoyed Indra. He cursed her to be born a

she-monkey in her next birth. She was born to Kunjar, the monkey-king and was

named Anjani. She was married to a monkey chieftain, Kesari. The childless

couple did tapasya and propitiated the wind-god. The wind-god manifested

himself, and granted the boon that his incarnation would be born to Anjani. So

she gave birth to Hanuman who was also called Pawansut. The Hanuman Purana

claims that his real name was Sundar, meaning beautiful. Most Hindu families

organise the recitation of the Sundar Kand, as part of Ramkatha, and is

considered auspicious. There is yet another interesting legend in the Anand

Ramayana. The apsara Suvarchala enraged Brahma, the lord of creation, who

cursed her that she would be born as a she-vulture. Brahma said that she would

be redeem-ed from her curse in the Treta Yug when she took a portion of

charu or sweet kheer from the hands of Kaikeyi, and dropped it from her beak.

King Dashrath got four sons after he performed the putreshti yagya and

propitiated Agnidevta. The god of fire offered Dashrath a bowl of charu which

was divided among the three queens, Kaushalaya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. When

Kaikeyi was about to eat it a she-vulture swooped down and snatched a part of

it, and took flight. But she found it too hot to swallow and dropped it on top

of a mountain, where Anjani was engrossed in penance. Anjani caught the prasad

and ate it. The "vulture" regained her ori-ginal form and flew to heaven.

Anjani became pregnant, like the three queens of Dashrath and gave birth to

Hanuman. So in a way, Rama and Hanuman are brothers, born of the effect of the

same divine prasad. sourced:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/599700.cms Hanuman's Character

as Assessed by Sri Ram The Legend : The OriginHanuman - The servant of the Lord

From The Mahabharata Anusasana Parva, Section XVII

MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align="justify">Upamanyu said: (Mahadeva) Thou art the

mighty ape Hanuman that aided Vishnu in the incarnation of Rama in his

expedition against Ravana. Hanuman's Character as Assessed by Sri Ram Valmiki

Ramayana, Sundar Kanda, Canto 3 Literal translation, verse by verse (Gita Press,

Gorakhpur). Addressing Ram and Lakshmana Hanuman said: Sent by that

high-minded Sugriva, king of the leaders of monkeys, I, a monkey, Hanuman by

name, have sought you. The said pious minded Sugriva actually seeks your

friendship. Know me to be his minister, a monkey sprung from the loins of the

wind-god and arrived here from Rsyamuk (mountain) in order to oblige Sugriva

and disguised in the form of a recluse (Brahmin), capable as I am of going

wherever I please and acting as I please.Having spoken thus to the aforesaid

heroes, Sri Ram and Lakshmana, Hanuman, for his part, who understood the true

meaning of words and was an adept in expression, said nothing further. Hearing

the foregoing speech of Hanuman, the glorious Rama, who wore a most cheerful

countenance, spoke (as follows) to his (half) brother Lakshamana, standing by

his side:Sri Rama said:He who has arrived here in my presence is a minister of

Sugriva, the high-minded chief of monkeys, whom alone (Sugriva) I was seeking.

Answering in sweet words with affection the aforesaid monkey (Hanuman), who is a

minister of Sugriva, knows how to speak and is a true tamer of foes, O

Lakshmana! To speak in the way he has done is not possible for one who has not

studied Rgveda with an eye to its meaning, (who has) not memorized Yajurveda

and has no knowledge of Samveda either. Surely the entire range of (Sanskrit)

grammar has been studied by him in many ways, as is clear from the fact that

nothing has been wrongly worded by him (even) though speaking a good deal. No

fault of expression was noticed anywhere in his face nor even in his eyes, nor

again in his forehead nor in his eyebrows nor in any one of his other limbs.

The speech from his bosom and articulated by his throat is marked by absence of

prolixity (too great length; tedious length of speech), is unambiguous and

unfaltering and does not make a grating impression (on one’s ears), uttered as

it is in a modulated tone. He utters a

wholesome, distinct and remarkable speech, that is grammatically correct, fluent

and delightful to the mind. Whose mind will not be rendered favourable by this

wonderful speech, which has its seat in the three articulating organs (viz.,

the bosom, throat and head)? (To say nothing of others) the mind even of an

enemy with his sword uplifted will be made friendly thereby. How can the

progress of undertakings of a king in whose service no such envoy exists

actually meet with success, O sinless brother? By the very pleading of an

envoy, all the objects of a sovereign in whose service there happen to be

agents adorned with hosts of such virtues are (surely) accomplished. Related

articlesSpeech Science Hanuman By Sri D.Ramkissoon B.A.

(Hons) The Legend : The Origin Sri Hanumanji is an incarnation

of Lord Siva. Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) had an attendant by the

name of Punjikasthala who was cursed to assume the body of a female monkey. The

curse was to be removed on her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Siva.

Accordingly, she was born as Anjana and,

together with her husband Kesari (so named on account of his being as brave as a

lion), lived a life of chastity and purity. She performed intense Tapasya

(austerities) for a great many years, during which period she worshipped Lord

Siva who being pleased with her granted her a boon. She asked that He (Lord

Siva) be born to her so that she may be freed from the curse. When Dasaratha,

the king of Ayodhya was given the sacred payasa (pudding) by Agnideva to share

among his wives so that they may have divine children (Ram, Lakshmana, Bharata

and Shatrughna), by divine ordinance, a bird (kite) snatched a fragment of that

pudding and, whilst flying over the forest, dropped it where Anjana was engaged

in worship. Pavandev (the deity presiding over the wind) delivered that

fragment of pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana who

immediately swallowed it. With that grace, she, in due course, gave birth to

Hanumanji. Thus we find that Lord Siva incarnated as Hanumanji in the bodily

form of a monkey through the grace and blessings of his god-father Pavandev,

with Anjana and Kesari as his earthly parents. Childhood As soon as Hanumanji

was born, Anjana was released from the curse and wished to return to Heaven.

Hanumanji asked his mother what his future would be and how he was to earn his

living. She assured him that he would never be destroyed, and said that fruits

as ripe as the rising sun would form his food. Thinking that the glowing and

glittering sun was food to be eaten by him, the baby Hanumanji being divine in

nature, made just one leap for it. He was 1600 miles from the sun when Rahu,

who was exclusively enabled to harass the sun (thus causing eclipses or

obstacles to the sun) complained to Indra

(king of the gods in heaven) of this new threat to his power. Indra struck

Hanumanji with his thunderbolt, wounding his chin and causing him to fall down

to earth. The god-father Pavandev carried Hanumanji to Patala (the nether

regions) and as he departed from the earth, all life was endangered. Brahma and

all the other gods went to Patala and begged Pavandev to return. In order to

appease him they conferred great boons on the baby Hanumanji. The blessings of

all the gods made Hanumanji invincible and more powerful than any other being,

divine or ordinary. Thus Hanumanji is an embodiment of the powers of all the

gods and goddesses.Education Hanumanji mentally chose Surya (the Sun-god) as

his preceptor. Therefore he approached Surya

with the request to be taught the scriptures so that he may manifest spiritually

in daily life. Surya agreed to have Hanumanji as his disciple but pointed out

that it was not possible for him to stop his journey across the sky as that

would cause chaos in the world. But Hanumanji was so mighty that he surprised

all the gods by facing his Guru, who had to be constantly moving, thus

(Hanumanji) traversing the sky backwards and at the same time concentrating

fully on his lessons. In this way Hanumanji enabled Surya to perform his duty

and to impart knowledge at the same time. Within a short period of 60 hours,

Hanumanji mastered all the scriptures. Surya considered the manner in which

Hanumanji accomplished his studies as sufficient dakshina (tuition fees), but

Hanumanji pressed him to accept more. Surya then asked Hanumanji to

assist his son Sugriva, who was living in Kishkindha, by being his minister and

constant companion.In the Service of Sri Rama Sri Hanumanji met Sri Rama

whilst Sri Rama was in banishment. Sri Rama, together with his brother

Lakshamana, was searching for his wife Sita. (Sita was abducted by the demon

Ravana). Their search had taken them to the vicinity of the Pampa Lake situated

at the base of the mountain Risyamukha. Sugriva (together with his ministers)

was hiding in this region. Sugriva was being persecuted by his brother Bali.

Sugriva was suspicious that Rama and Lakshmana might have been sent by Bali to

kill him. Therefore, to ascertain whether they were friends or foes, Hanumanji

approached them in the guise of a Brahmin. His first words to them were such

that Sri Rama immediately said to Lakshmana: "None can speak thus without

mastering the Vedas and their branches. Nor is

there any defect in his countenance, eyes, forehead, brows, or any of his limbs.

His accents are wonderful, auspicious and captivating. Even an enemy who has his

sword uplifted is moved. Indeed, success awaits the monarch whose emissaries are

so accomplished." When Lord Rama revealed his identity, Hanumanji fell

prostrate before Him and Lord Rama picked him up and clasped him to His bosom.

Sri Rama reveals His identity as the son of Dasaratha and prince of Ayodhya,

but Hanumanji perceives Him to be the Lord of the universe and prostrates.

Thereafter the story of Hanumanji is inextricably interwoven with that of Lord

Rama, and is exhaustively dealt with in the Ramayana of Valmiki and

the Ramacharitamanasa of Goswami Tulasidas. To summarise in a few words:

Hanumanji introduces Lord Rama to Sugriva; goes off in search of Sita;

discovers and consoles Sita in Lanka; Burns the city of Lanka and kills many

demons; brings together Vibhishana and Lord Rama; returns to Lanka with Lord

Rama, and features very prominently in the battle that ensues between Lord Rama

and Ravana; saves the life of Lakshmana by bringing the Sanjivani (life giving

herb) from the Himalayas; and served Lord Rama for as long as He lived a human

life on earth.Service to the Pandavas Hanumanji met Bhima in the forest and

recognised him as his spiritual brother. (They were both born with the

blessings of Pavandev). Hanumanji promised to aid the

Pandavas in the battle of Kurukshetra. There Hanumanji positions himself on the

flag of Arjuna’s chariot, thus stabilising and protecting it. Hanumanji’s flag

signifies sense control and mind control that gives victory to the higher

nature over the lower nature. Wherever the servant of Lord Rama is, there,

victory is secured. General Hanumanji is said to be Chiranjivi (immortal)

and is present in the world even today. He is the link between the devotees and

God, for, as instructed by the Lord, he serves, protects and inspires the

servants of God. Saints like Tulasidas had the darshan (divine vision) of the

Lord through the grace of Hanumanji.

MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px" align="justify"> In the epics of no other country is there

a character so powerful, learned and philosophic as Hanumanji. May we always

proclaim, "Bajrangbally Ki Jai", victory to Hanumanji who has the strength of

the thunderbolt.TOP <To top of this page> From other sources Hanuman -

The servant of the Lord Generally, all the gods and goddesses are pleased

when their praises are sung. As far as Sri Hanuman is concerned, he is more

delighted to hear the sacred name of Sri Rama sung than his own name being

invoked. Even the most valuable article is rejected by him if it has not the

sacred stamp of Ram on it. There is unlimited power enclosed within us. When

all that energy is directed towards the worship of God, it is called Bhakti or

Devotion. This is

exemplified by Sri Hanuman. If that energy is utilised for our selfish

interests, it can result in downfall and destruction, as exemplified by Ravana.

If we treat our potentialities with indifference they fritter away in all

directions and are completely wasted.This is represented by common people all

over the world who are not making any effort to advance along the spiritual

path. Hanuman`s devotion is centred in Sri Ram and his devotion forms the

very basis of all his other qualities. One of the nine types of devotion is

that of Master and servant- known as DASYABHAVA attitude and Sri Hanuman has

adopted this from of devotion to become the most perfect example of it. Hanuman

is always seen seated near the lotus feet of Sri Ram. Hanuman`s devotion to

Sri Ram had developed in him a total lack of ill wiil or hostility towards any

one. In spite if possessing super human strength we do not find him making

misuse of his powers anywhere. When Ravan asks, "Why did you kill the demons?"

Hanuman gives a simple reply, "I killed those who attacked me". In the Geeta,

Lord Krishna describes the qualities of a bhakta or a devotee: "He who acts for

Me, who is engrossed in Me, who is My devotee, who is free from attachment, he

reaches Me!" The very first quality is "He who acts for Me". The very

birth of Hanuman is to accomplish Sri Ram`s tasks as says Jambvan: "You are born

to work for Sri Ram." He has such a devotion to his task that he forgets all

physical fatigue. When on being pleased with Hanuman`s achievements, Sri Ram

embraces him; in return Hanuman begs only that he may remain Sri Ram`s

steadfast devotee. "O Lord, bless me with undying devotion for you, for you

are a source of great bliss for me. May I have everlasting love for You!" This

alone was the desire of Hanuman.

0px" align="justify">Hanuman`s greatness lies in his complete surrender to the

Lord and he merges his own existence in the Lord.. From whatever point of view

we see, we find that Sri Hanuman`s bhakti or devotion was so perfect that it

culminated in advaitic God realisation. Sri Rama asked Hanuman: "Hanuman, what

attitude do you cherish towards Me?" Hanuman answered : "O Rama! When I think I

am the body, You are the Master and I am Your servant, when I think I am the

jivatman (embodied individual soul), You are the whole and I am a part ; but

when I have the Knowledge of Reality, I see that you are I and I am You."Sri

Ramakrishna Paramhansa

Said: "There are different levels among the devotees of God: superior, mediocre

and inferior. All this has been described in the Gita. The inferior devotee

says, 'God exists, but He is very far off, up there in heaven.' The mediocre

devotee says, 'God exists in all beings aslife and consciousness.'The superior

devotee says: 'It is God Himself who has become everything; whatever I see is

only a form of God. It is He alone who has become Maya, the universe, and all

living beings. Nothing exists but God.' " sourced:

http://www.hinduism.co.za/hanuman.htm

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.