In this episode of “5 Minutes”, Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Hanuman, his devotion to Rama, and the deeper significance of his role in the Hindu tradition.
Hanuman, who is also known as Anjaneya, receives this name from his mother, Anjani. Vimalananda always preferred to refer to Hanuman as Anjani because of the maternal devotion he associated with him.
Hanuman is regarded as the ultimate expression of vīra bhāva. Vīra means heroic, and Hanuman is the supreme hero. Everything he did was in the service of Rama, from burning the city of Lanka to destroying the demons who opposed him.
He is also the ultimate expression of dāsa bhāva. Dāsa means servant, and Hanuman is the completely devoted servant of Rama. He never does anything that Rama does not want him to do, and he always does everything that Rama wishes.
Hanuman is worshipped in places such as Varanasi as Sankatamochana, the remover of miseries and obstacles. He is also known as Maruti because he was born through the grace of the Marut, the god of wind.
As Vimalananda explained, within the human body Hanuman is prāṇa, the life force. Within the universe as a whole, he is the force that holds everything together. Because he is completely focused on the Supreme Reality, he becomes the sustaining force through which that Reality remains manifest.
Once Rama asked Hanuman how he saw him. Hanuman replied that from the point of view of the deha, the physical body, he was Rama’s servant and Rama was his master.
From the point of view of the ātman, he was a portion of Rama. Rama is the Supreme Self, while Hanuman is the individual self.
From the point of view of tattva, however, there is no difference between them. Tat means “That,” tva means “ness,” so tattva refers to the ultimate reality without limitation. At that level, Hanuman said that he and Rama are exactly the same.
For this reason, Hanuman is regarded as the wisest among the wise. He understands all of these levels of reality simultaneously and remains perfectly aligned with Rama at every level.
Vimalananda liked to describe Hanuman as the heart of Rama. He also taught that one of the best ways to worship Hanuman is to think of him as a small child while identifying yourself with his mother, Anjani, because Hanuman may not pay much attention to ordinary human beings, but he always pays attention to his mother.
A simple mantra for worshipping Hanuman is:
Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram.
This was the principal mantra of the Maharashtrian saint Samartha Ramdas, who is regarded as an incarnation of Hanuman.
Many people assume that the name Samartha Ramdas means “the capable servant of Rama.” However, Vimalananda explained that it actually means “the servant of the very capable Rama,” because Hanuman never claims that he accomplishes anything by himself. Everything he does comes through Rama, and it is in Rama’s name that all his strength and Shakti arise.
Another excellent way to worship Hanuman is by reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. It begins with the famous verse:
“Shri Guru Charana Saroja Raja, Nijamana Mukura Sudhari…”
“I cleanse the mirror of my mind with the pollen-like dust of my Guru’s lotus feet.”
The Hanuman Chalisa takes time to learn and is written in Hindi, which not everyone knows. For those seeking a simpler devotional practice, Dr. Svoboda recommends the hymn Jaya Hanumanam, which he has also taught separately.