Whatever good fortune a person has, he or she will always have complaints about life and the various situations that surround them. Life appears to be always difficult. Nature, society, and nation provide what is necessary for most people in society to live a good life, but non-gratuitous life, greed, and egoistic attitude make life miserable. Even though technology has made our lives more comfortable than previous generations, we are dissatisfied with our lives, with a significant increase in physical, mental, and social issues. If we look at previous generations, we can see that they were quite happy despite adversity, and the main reason for that is ‘Gratitude in Attitude.’
We have forgotten that life requires both materialistic and spiritual dimensions. We are more focused on materialistic dimensions, resulting in a dull and stressful life. The spiritual dimension is lacking, which develops life skills for a balanced, gratuitous, and happy life. How can we effect positive change in our lives? The world needs to look into the life of great disciple Lord Hanuman to learn and rediscover enthusiasm, strength, and valour, and to destroy evil from within and outside, with proper means.
Lord Hanuman’s life teaches us about discipleship, leadership qualities in difficult times, communication skills, psychological aspects, trust in oneself and the almighty, rational decision-making, awareness and alertness, humour when needed, and so on.
Tulsidas’ Hanuman Chalisa beautifully explains everything about Lord Hanuman. Below are few lines from the Hanuman Chalisa.
सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहिं दिखावा, बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा॥
When Lord Hanuman went in search of Goddess Sita, he encountered many obstacles while crossing the ocean, but he overcame them all while keeping his goal in mind. He was even offered a resting place, but he declined, citing the reason that he will not stop until his goal of finding Sita is achieved. When he arrived in Lanka, he came across beautiful women lying in the palace in a lustful position, but he was unmoved and continued his search. When he arrived at the garden where Sita was kept, he waited patiently for the appropriate time to meet her. This quality of rushing while crossing the ocean and patiently waiting demonstrates how different situations must be dealt with. He began singing Lord Rama and Goddess Sita’s praise and displayed the ring given by Rama to give Sita confidence that he was sent by him. While returning, he had many encounters with Ravana’s army, who set fire to his tail. Seeing this as an opportunity to demoralise the enemy army, he set fire to Lanka and then returned to meet Lord Rama. Despite the fact that the situation was more difficult and the task was impossible, his commitment, razor-focused mindset, situation-based decision-making, presence of mind, and respecting women demonstrate the qualities that everyone seeks.
तुम्हरो मंत्र विभीषण माना, लंकेस्वर भए सब जग जाना॥
When Lord Hanuman realised that Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother, possessed righteous qualities, he persuaded Vibhishana to leave his brother Ravana for the greater good of Lanka and humanity. Vibhishana was persuaded, so he came to meet and divinely surrender to Lord Rama. When Lord Rama asked everyone if they wanted Vibhishana on their side, everyone said no. However, when he asked Hanuman, he persuaded Lord Rama to accept him wholeheartedly, and we all know how important this decision was in defeating Ravana. Finally, Vibhishana became the rightful king of Lanka. This demonstrates Hanuman’s great character in identifying the right person and convincing skills.
सब पर राम तपस्वी राजा, तिनके काज सकल तुम साजा॥
When a disciple has such deep gratitude and trust in his Guru or Bhagwan and is content with whatever situation he is in, a great Almighty, ‘Maryada Purushottam,’ a great king who cannot be defeated, must enlist the assistance of such a disciple to overcome difficulties. This is how gratitude and trust in the divine and life make one powerful in making the world a better place for all.
साधु सन्त के तुम रखवारे, असुर निकंदन राम दुलारे॥
With his might, valour, and fighting spirit against injustice, exploitation of sages and the common man, Lord Hanuman destroyed these evil forces to protect each one. That is why we, the weaker humans, pray to you for the strength and wisdom to fight against these evil forces that seek to destroy the great culture, society, and nation.
पवन तनय संकट हरन, मंगल मूरति रूप। राम लखन सीता सहित, हृदय बसहु सूरभूप॥
Tulsidas prays to Lord Hanuman, saying, “You are the embodiment of joy and goodness in life.” I pray that you, Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Laxman will live on in our hearts forever.
When the government updates all the books in relation to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the history book should include chapters on Lord Hanuman so that children can learn about his great qualities at a young age.
The writer is a commentator on politico-cultural subjects. Views expressed are personal.
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