Hanuman The Monkey God (Ramayana)

Hanuman, personification of dedication and devotion

Among the most popular divinities of Hindu Pantheon, Hanuman And its history have been adapted by many cultures through the ages.

The oldest version is however in the Ramayana Sanskrit of the Sage Valmiki, who would have lived in India there are thousands of years ago.

One of the great epic of Hinduism, the Ramayana Tell the story of the prince exiled Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) that crosses the ocean to save his wife Sita of King Ravana, thirsty for power.

In this quest, Rama and Brother Lakshman combine to a race of intelligent warriors, the vanaras, among which is Hanuman.

Hanuman shows extraordinary capabilities in the service of Rama throughout the adventure, including speed, of strength, of courage and of wisdom. The friendship between the two men develops and deepens, proving in the end that the largest capacity of Hanuman is, in fact, its incredible loyalty and devotion.

To illustrate this devotion, it is often represented on their knees, your hands crossed, in front of Rama, Sita and Lakshman, or spread his chest to reveal an image of Rama and Sita instead of his heart.

Perfect combination of ball (force), buddhi (intelligence) and vidya (wisdom), it is the bhakti yogi exemplary, or the one who uses without fear his donations to connect to the divine by a sincere love service.

Hanuman, son of the god of the wind

Although there are multiple versions, with different details, from the birth of Hanuman, a common narrative focuses on a vanara named Anjana Who adored Shiva to have a son.

Satisfied with the prayer and penance of Anjana, Shiva sent his divine power and his blessing through Vayu (The god of the wind) in the belly of Anjana.

In addition to making it famous as the son of Vayu, the nature of Hanuman's design has led many people to believe that he is also a shiva avatar.

Although this idea is not accepted by all Hindu schools, like Shiva, Hanuman is widely regarded as a Perfect yogiPossessing eight siddhis ("mystical perfections"), which include:

• anima (the ability to become smaller than the smallest),
• mahima (the ability to become infinitely great),
• laghima (the ability to become lighter than the air),
• prass (the ability to travel instantly anywhere at will), P
• rakamya (the ability to accomplish everything you want),
• Isitva (the ability to create or annihilate everything at will),
• vasitva (The ability to control the elements of the material nature)
• kamavasayita (The ability to take any form we want).

Although Hanuman has all these capabilities, they are all by-products of the ultimate goal of yoga, which is to connect to the Divine. As a perfect yogi, so he uses them not for the satisfaction of his own sense, but serving the Divine Rama.

The meaning of Hanuman's name (disfigured jaw)

One day, while he was a young child, thinking that the sun was a fruit, Hanuman has sworn up, tense hands, hoping to catch it. Blessed by the power of his divine father Vayu, he rose in the air, getting closer and closer to his goal.

Threatened by its power, Indra, The King of heaven, Hanuman fell a thunderbolt, projecting the ground where he lost consciousness. Enraged by the sight of her son apparently lifeless, Vayu withdrew the motion of the air required for the sustenance of life throughout the universe.

Desperate to avoid a cosmic disaster, the gods asked for help to Brahma, the engineer of the universe. Understanding that Hanuman was a exalted devotee of Vishnu which ultimately would help Rama to defeat Ravana Brahma revived the child, after which all the gods were the most prominent with special abilities, soothing and Vayu.

Named after the broken jaw he suffered in his fall (hanu means "jaw" and man means "eminent"), the name of Hanuman recalls the precarious nature of unbridled power and the dangerous consequences it can have if n ' is not guided.

The Cursed God for having forgotten its powers

Playful in his youth, Hanuman often disturbed priests and sages temples in various ways by disrupting their sacrificial ceremonies. Angry by antics of HanumanThey ended the curse and make him forget his powers until another's reminded.

Only years later, when Hanuman helped Rama to find Sita, his powers were returned. Having discovered that Sita was held captive on the other side of the ocean, Sri LankaThe Vanaras wondered who among them could jump over the sea to reach the kingdom of Ravana.

Aware of its divine origin and his childhood Jambavan a King Intelligent Bear that helped Vanaras, began to describe the true power of Hanuman to all who were present.

While Jambavan ended his speech - thus ending the curse of the sages - Hanuman, remembering his prowess, stood up and in a great roar, declared that he would accomplish the task. Developing his body up to 50 times its normal size, he crouched and sprang with great energy.

Today, energy Hanuman is commonly invoked by practitioners Kushti (A traditional form of wrestling practiced in the Hindu Indian subcontinent), while his leap across the ocean is celebrated in a yoga pose called Hanumanasana (the splits).

Although many extraordinary abilities, the true power of Hanuman comes from its connection with the Divine.

At some level, we too can experience such power if we strengthen our connection with the Divine through various forms of yoga, meditation and service.

Hanuman and Lord Rama

Shortly after Sita was saved successfully and that the time has come for Rama and Vanaras separate, Hanuman, who could not bear the thought of their separation, prayed fervently that his affection for Rama never dissipates.

As Rama's pastimes were narrated on earth, Hanuman wanted to stay alive in order to hear them continuously. By constantly enjoying the glories of Rama, Hanuman felt he could bear pain not to be with him personally.

Of course, as the Divine is beyond all material designation, Hanuman is never really separated from Rama. Spiritually, constant remembrance of Rama is no different from personal association.

In fact, the pain of separation from Rama can often cause a person to absorb even more in the thoughts of his divine qualities - a phenomenon known as the samadhi - thus deepening his spiritual connection with him.

Rama Devotees pray to Hanuman so that they also can achieve such a link. Every year on the anniversary of Hanuman, many recite the Hanuman ChalisaOne of the most popular devotional hymns in Hanuman, in the hope of invoking the strength of Vanara, not only in material efforts, but especially in spiritual efforts.

To really benefit from Hanuman's blessing, however, it is recommended to regularly discuss Rama's hobby because Vanara is present where the Glories of the Ayodhya king are told.