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| Illustration by Google Gemini |
When you conquer certain heights, you won’t descend;
you will spread your wings and fly. This is one of my favourite quotes from
Richard Bach. I have used that quote again and again in my classes to
underscore the importance of pursuing excellence. Hanuman of the Ramayana
illustrates the quote best. He met divinity; nothing less would satisfy him
ever.
The divine is a personal experience,
I think. It is an experience that transforms you. Once you have encountered the
divine, nothing less will ever satisfy you. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama is
because of this.
Hanuman meets Rama in the forest. His
heart senses that he is in the presence of the embodiment of dharma, love, and
cosmic order. One of Hanuman’s first utterances after encountering Rama is:
“You are Narayana Himself, Lord Vishnu, the refuge of all virtues. When You
dwell in this world, what is left for the righteous to strive for?”
Experiencing the divinity is
conquering the highest peak from where you see the world so differently, so
beautifully, so compassionately, that you won’t descend. You will spread your
wings and fly in the divine milieu. That’s just what Hanuman did. In fact, his
very identity is transmuted. He is now inseparable from Rama. Rama is his inner
compass, and serving Rama is the sole purpose of his life.
When the war with Ravana is over and
Rama wants to reward Hanuman lavishly, Hanuman’s reply is: “All I desire is to
remain your servant, chanting your name forever.” Being with the divine is not
a duty for Hanuman; it is a gift. There is no greater reward than that.
For Hanuman, there is no greater joy
than being with Rama, the divine. “I do not seek liberation (from rebirth); I
desire only devotion to Rama, birth after birth” [Ramcharitmanas]. Let
me be born again and again, if I can serve you. What greater height can
devotion reach? It is interesting to note that Hanuman doesn’t want to merge
with Rama. He wants to remain apart – and love Rama in all humility. There is
no greater devotion than this, I think.
Hanuman is the ideal seeker and Rama
is the ideal being.
As one who grew up in very orthodox
Christian ambience, I am tempted to compare Hanuman’s condition with what Saint
Paul said about devotion. “In God we live and move and have our being” [Acts
17:28]. Hanuman lived and moved and had his being in Rama.
His devotion gave him the power to
lift a whole mountain from the Himalayas in order to bring Sanjeevani to save
the life of Lakshmana. Once again, I’m tempted to take a parallel from the
Bible. “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you can move a mountain” [Mathew
17:20]. Hanuman was unable to recognise the herb called Sanjeevani. So he
picked up the whole mountain that contained Sanjeevani and flew to Lanka.
Mirabai was the first person who came
to my mind when I started writing about Hanuman. “I have seen the Lord, and now
I cannot live without him,” Mirabai said. Once you have experienced the divine,
everything else loses its flavour. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama is undivided,
exclusive.
Recognition of the divine is not a fleeting moment, something you experience when you stand before the idol in the temple. Recognition of the divine is a permanent shift in the core of your being. Once you reach that level, nothing less will satisfy you, not even the grandest temple in the world.
PS. I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This series looks at the Ramayana from
various angles.
Tomorrow: Ikshvaku: Mythos versus Logos
Previous Posts in this series:
I really enjoyed reading this post—it gave me a fresh perspective on Hanuman that I hadn’t consciously explored before. The way you connected devotion with clarity and humility was so beautifully done, it made me pause and reflect. I’ve grown up hearing stories of Hanuman, but you brought out the subtler layers of his character that often get missed.
ReplyDeleteThat part about Hanuman not seeking recognition or validation hit home—it’s such a rare quality in today’s world. I also loved how you balanced mythology with a philosophical lens without making it too heavy. It’s writing like this that makes me want to revisit old tales with a newer, more awakened mind. Your line about “Zenith of Devotion” isn’t just a title—it felt like a perfect summary of his essence.
Hanuman, and the day after tomorrow's hero here - Jatayu, make me wonder why Valmiki attributed such goodness to those animals or animal-like entities. In the Jatayu-post, I discuss the issue in slight detail. At any rate, Hanuman towers far above a lot of others in the epic. That's something to think of for people like me.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete... nailed it! ... I could add that, once Advaita Vedanta has been inculcated, to reread the Gospels is to appreciate how it is that Yeshu may indeed have spent those missing 14 years in India, for, in particular, the sermon on the mount carries that very essence. Your comparisons bear weight. YAM xx
Could it be that all mystics or people who reach that sort of spiritual heights all experience something similar: a kind of oneness with reality, the oneness of reality itself? There is a lot of similarity among them, be it the Christ or the Buddha or the Mahatma. Or any of the great saints, irrespective of religion.
DeleteHari OM
DeleteYes, I do believe that is the case. There is a level of understanding that reveals itself to those who are prepared to work for it. That said, it is also the case that many begin the trip and get stuck, just as mountaineers do, at 'false summits'... Yxx
The mountaineer analogy is apt.
DeleteI am an ardent devotee of Hanumanji and reading this post made me very happy. Hanuman ji is known as Chiranjeevi, meaning he is immortal and believed to live on Earth until the end of KalYug. Once you start worshipping Hanumanji life changes.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing with limited knowledge. I haven't gone into too many details like Chiranjeevi. I must confess that the ratiocinating part of my brain far outweighs the mystical or spiritual part.
DeleteWow...Amazing...I am a big devotee of Lord Hanuman and saw your post and couldn't resist reading it...
ReplyDeleteGlad you dropped in.
DeleteI totally agree with you ! Divinity dwells in the heart & affects your very core being. I loved the way you have drawn parallels of Hinduism & Christianity. Hanuman ji , the greatest devotee is worshipped as a God because of the power of hid sincere devotion & is called Chiranjeevi meaning the one who lives on. Your post reflects that one needs to go within to merge with the divine self & not just visit grand temples. Though these posts are not political but I do get the message that you are trying to give wrt Rama Rajya & building grand temples etc ! I loved reading it.
ReplyDeleteI don't want these posts to be political. Yet the truth is that my quest to understand Rama, Ramayana, and Rama Rajya better was driven by India's contemporary politics. That's why occaional observations with political undertones creep in. As I study this better, I'm increasingly convinced that what India is doing currently - mixing religion with politics - is a serious error if not a crime. Spirituality has nothing to do with politics. Chitrakoot stands far away from Ayodhya - always! It has to.
DeleteI am a devotee of all the divine forces of this world. I can well understand the shift. But I have not yet attained it and am still a seeker. I am hopeful there will be a divine call when I am ready for it. I am not sure if that will happen in this birth. Liked the blog. The subject is so close to my heart. Thank you, sir! You are given the divine gift to pen it.
ReplyDeleteAren't we all seekers? With many a limitation too. Even Hanuman went over the top and burnt Lanka in a fit of fury! Even the incarnations were flawed as this series has mentioned time and again.
DeleteI don't know if I'd want to experience divinity if it would make you unsatisfied with other things in life.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about this much. But I've seen highly spiritual people who live in serenity and enjoy life pretty well.
DeleteThe similarities you draw between beliefs makes this post interesting. It reminded me of something Ko Sathiyaseelan (I mentioned before) quoted from Ramakrishna Pramahamsa, during one of his 'literary court' meetings.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Ramayana war, Rama embraced his supporters one by one to thank them. When it was Hanuman's urn, Rama hugged him with overwhelming emotion, but Hanuman remained still. Rama might have thought, "I am so moved, yet Hanuman stands still.", then Hanuman says -
There are three levels of consciousness: human, divine and atma. When human consciousness prevails, you are my leader and I am your servant. When divine consciousness arises, you are the Paripurana and I am part of it. When atma consciousness awakens within us, you and I are one. I am in atma consciousness and you are in human consciousness!!
I am not sure if I'm quoting it exactly - I heard it 20 or 25 years ago. But recalling it after reading your post if truely fulfilling. Well done Sir, please continue to enlighten us.
Indeed, Hanuman's devotion, and thinking as well, is worthy of much contemplation. In fact, if believers really understand these things, the world will be a paradise. I'm happy that you bring this level of thinking to this place. May it inspire many more.
Delete