There are many fantastic stories that we hear of the power of singing the Hanuman Chalisa with faith and devotion. All the ‘Beeja Mantras’ are included within the Chalisa. This further enhances the potency of this most renowned devotional poem.

Every time we chant the Hanuman Chalisa, we have the opportunity of remembering the amazing personality of Sri Hanuman, the greatest devotee of Lord Rama. Read about Life & Leadership Lessons from Hanuman.

Benefits of Hanuman Chalisa:

• It makes us more efficient in our work by removing mental obstacles.
• It fills us with rich values and virtues required in spiritual life.
• It gives all abilities needed for success in spiritual and material endeavour.
• It grants us success in whatever we undertake.
• It bestows peace of mind and happiness.
• It helps us to overcome difficulties in life; problems miraculously disappear.
• It helps seekers to practice Brahmacharya or celibacy.

Watch Shri Hanuman Chalisa – Chinmaya mission here.

Regular chanting of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa will bring about a spiritual transformation in this world. Thus, it is a service to humanity to chant it regularly.

Doha 1: The Grace of the Guru

Sri guru charana saroja raja, Nija mana mukuru sudhaari;
Baranaun raghuvara vimala jasu, Jo daayaku phala chaari.

With a spotless (serene) mind, purified by the dust of the lotus feet of my Guru, I now proceed to describe the unblemished glory of Sri Hanuman, the most exalted one of the Raghu family, who is capable of bestowing the four Purusharthas (attainments) on his devotees.

We do not start any project without first seeking the blessings of the Guru. Everything is possible only with the Grace of Guru and the Lord. All our shortcomings are removed by the grace of Guru. In the Guru, all Deities are present.

The Ego has the cunning ability to poison even the most noble of ventures. If it creeps into our endeavours it is like a cancer. Therefore, we invoke the blessings of the Guru to protect us from this biggest obstacle coming in the way of all our endeavours.

Only humility can break the chains of our Ego. Therefore, the devotee seeks to place himself at the dust of the Guru’s feet! A devotee of Krishna visiting Brindavan said that he felt blessed because he was treading the ground on which the cows of Krishna had walked! Such was his feeling of humility that everything associated with Krishna’s life was sacred.

Once Rishi Narada saw Krishna in meditation, and became filled with a strange curiosity. When Krishna got up, Narada asked him, “Lord, the whole world meditates on You. Tell me, on whom were You meditating?” Krishna then answered, “I meditate on the feet of saints and sages, wishing that some of the dust of their feet falls on Me!”

Why is Hanuman called here as part of the Raghu family?

He was indeed the ‘son of Rama’. Even before Rama Himself called him as His son, Mother Sita had addressed him as Her son when Hanuman met Her in the Ashoka Grove in Lanka. So he was accepted as a “Raghu-vamshi”. True to this place of honour in the Raghu family, he fulfilled all his duties as a son would.

A legend has it that when Dasaratha distributed the divine Payasam to his three wives so that they will bear him children, one kite flew into Sumitra’s room and took some of it and flew off. The kite dropped this Prasad in the air; the Wind-god carried it and gave it to Anjani-Devi, who then gave birth to Hanuman. So Hanuman also can be regarded as the brother of Lord Rama, not just His son!

Doha 2: Remover of All Afflictions

Buddhi heena tanu jaanike, Sumirau pavana kumara;
Bala buddhi vidyaa dehu mohin, Harahu kalesa bikaara.

Knowing that I am ignorant, I pray to you, Sri Hanuman, the son of the Wind-God, to bless me with strength, wisdom and knowledge. Do banish all my afflictions. Due to the dust over a mirror we cannot see clearly a reflection in it. Similarly, due to impurities covering our heart, we cannot access the treasures that are within us. Strength, wisdom and knowledge are within; we need to banish all the afflictions which cover it up. This is what we pray for to Sri Hanuman.

Sensuality is the biggest affliction that a human being suffers from. If that is removed, our ‘mirror’ will get cleared and God can be reflected clearly in it. To live in this world without having the ‘dirt’ of criticism flung at us is almost impossible. Even great ones like the Prophets faced their share of critics. Perhaps the only great personage in history who did not go through that was Hanuman. No one could find a single fault in him!

Even if people did find fault in him, he would not have been affected because he did everything in Sri Rama’s Name. So, Hanuman becomes the ideal for us to banish afflictions from our life.

Swamiji told us that most people pray with an incorrect attitude to God. They are not praying for good qualities, but they are ‘preying’ on God for things they wish to have. Most people’s prayers fall into one of these three categories: i) a shopping list; ii) a demand list; or iii) a complaint list!

What makes a prayer effective?

The most essential quality in prayer is humility. In Indian culture this is built-in through the  practice of bowing down to all elders. Bowing is a tradition in India. It signifies humility. One puts aside his pride when he bows before others.

Chowpais 01 – 02: Victory to Hanuman!

Jaya hanumaana jnaana guna saagara,
Jaya kapisha tihu loka ujaagara;
Raama doota atulita bala dhaamaa,
Anjani putra pavana suta naamaa.

Victory to you, O Hanuman, who is an ocean of knowledge and virtue!
Victory to you, O Lord of the monkeys, who is well known in all the three worlds!

You are the envoy of Lord Rama, an abode of incomparable strength, the son of Anjani, and popularly known by the name Pavanasuta (son of the Wind-god).

The first word of the Hanuman Chalisa is significantly Jaya, meaning “victory”. The highest victory is the attainment of Paramatman. Hanuman’s life is itself the greatest inspiration for victory. He succeeded in everything that he did, because everything he did was done as an instrument in the hands of Sri Rama. He gave all credit to Rama for whatever he did. That is why he was successful.

The name Hanuman comes from an incident with Indra. When Hanuman had leapt up towards the sun, Indra’s jealousy was aroused. He threw his thunderbolt at Hanuman. But Hanuman was so strong that he did not get any serious injury – only his chin broke on landing on the ground. Hanu means “chin”.

A proud man is known to lift his chin in pride. Hanuman had no pride; this is also the spiritual meaning of having a ‘broken chin’, he had no ego. When someone asked Pujya Gurudev to show his chin (which meant he would have to shave off his beard) he said, “My chin, too, is broken, if that is what you want to know!”

There is an anecdote about a wife and husband. She would always ask him for money. But when she went with him to the temple, she would pray for wisdom, intelligence, virtue, etc. The husband asked her why she did not ask him for these things, too. She replied, that she could only ask for something which she knew the person had!

This answers why we ask Hanuman for knowledge and virtues? Since he is an ocean of knowledge and virtue, he will have no difficulty in giving us these. We may have  knowledge, but if it is without virtue, then it is a great obstacle. Hence the two have to go together always.

What is the secret of victory or success?

To remain free from anxieties of the future; and free from regrets and conditionings of the past. This is the path of optimum stress, neither too much nor too little. The way Hanuman achieved this was by surrendering everything to the Lord. He dedicated all deeds to Rama. He was Rama’s true envoy.

Chowpais 03 – 04: His Magnetic Personality

Mahaabeera bikrama bajarangee,
Kumati nivaara sumati ke sangee;
Kanchana barana biraaja suveshaa,
Kaanana kundala kunchita keshaa.

With a body as strong as a thunderbolt, you are a great warrior of incomparable valour. Do remove my wicked thoughts and grant me the company of the wise. Your golden glow of your complexion is like the attractive garment (which you wear); (your virtues are like) your glittering earrings and your curly hair.

Mahaveer: This refers not only to the physical strength of a warrior, but also the strength derived from knowledge, virtue and renunciation (Vidya, Dharma and Tyaga). Hanuman, who possessed all these strengths, is therefore called a Mahaveer.

Kumati and Sumati: ‘Ku’ is a prefix which stands for that which is ignoble, vulgar, detestable and wicked. ‘Su’ stands for the opposite, that is, all that is noble, inspiring, worthy and beneficial. Mati means the intellect. Hanuman is the Deity who can bless us to give up the former and acquire the latter. The intellect is the ‘boss’ of the mind. If the intellect is adjusted correctly, everything functions well.

Going from ‘Ku’ to ‘Su’ requires Satsang, the good company of the wise. When Hanuman entered Lanka, the security officer in charge there was a lady, a ‘Lankini’. Being very alert and vigilant, she caught Hanuman and wanted to have him for her food. Hanuman used his Buddhi to make himself as small as a mosquito. When Lankini put him into her mouth, he blew himself up to a mighty form and felled her.

The Lankini at once bowed to him with respect and submission. She considered the blow she received as a blessing. She was really blessed by Satsang – the good, ennobling presence of Hanuman. Kanchana Barana: Hanuman’s beauty was very attractive to others, both physical and spiritual beauty. The beauty of virtue gave him a golden aura. The real power of attraction possessed by Hanuman was in his love for God. That drew others to him. The earrings and curly locks of nobility is what attracted people to him.

Chowpais 05 – 06 : Hanuman’s Ornaments

Haatha bajra au dhvajaa biraajai,
Kandhe moonja janeu saajai;
Sankara suvana kesaree nandana
Teja prataapa mahaa jaga vandana.

You have the thunderbolt in one hand and the flag in the other, and the sacred thread across your shoulder made of munja grass decorates you. You are the son of Shiva and also of Kesari. Everyone in the world respects you because of your luster and great valour.

The Gada or thunderbolt we see Hanuman carrying is a symbol that was added later to represent his power. Actually Hanuman’s weapons were quite primitive. What would a monkey use to protect himself? Stones, boulders, uprooted trees, etc is what he used.

He used his tail, too, as a weapon. When it was set alight by Ravana to mock him, he used that very insult to cause havoc in Lanka. He jumped about with his burning tail and set the whole of Lanka alight.

Janeu: This is the sacred thread worn by Brahmins. It also tells us that Hanuman was well-versed in the scriptures, for the sacred thread ceremony initiates a person into formal study of the scriptures. Here the thread as an ornament means that Hanuman’s chief ornament was his wealth of knowledge.

If people are born with a ‘silver spoon’ by inheritance, they do not appreciate the acquisition of knowledge, which has to be earned the hard way. Wealth that comes to one without effort does not stay for long. Only knowledge can make wealth remain with one. This truth applies to ordinary secular knowledge as well as spiritual knowledge.

Lineage of Hanuman: Lord Shiva, Kesari and Pavana were the three fathers of Hanuman. In the same way we all have three “fathers”. We have our physical father (Pavana) who bring this body into the world. We have our mental father (Kesari), who trains our intellect and mind. This is the Guru. Then we also have a spiritual father, the Supreme Brahman (Lord Shiva) who is the cause of our very existence.

To be continued…The Hanuman Chalisa – Part 2

Reference: https://www.chinfo.org/images/userupload/Reflections/24_Hanuman_Chalisa.pdf