YOU MUST KNOW #34

Attribute- Bhakti

 Hanuman is presented as the exemplary devotee (bhakta) of Rama and Sita. The Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, the Bhakta Mala, the Ananda Ramayana, and the Ramacharitmanas present him as someone who is talented, strong, brave, and spiritually devoted to Rama. The Rama stories such as the Ramayana and the Ramacharitmanas, in turn, themselves, present the Hindu dharmic concept of the ideal, virtuous and compassionate man (Rama) and woman (Sita) thereby providing the context for attributes assigned therein for Hanuman.

‘All actions when dedicated to the Lord, all thoughts when placed in the Chaitanya, all desires and ego when kept aloof, make one free of mental turmoil. Then if one engages in any action, even if it be a battle, the effort is well accomplished. The attitude that all is God’s will, everything is His possession, that each one of us is His servant, brings about equanimity and enables one to accomplish the task on hand in the best manner.’

This is the essence of the Bhakti Yoga taught in the Gita and Hanuman exemplifies every aspect of it, said Srimati Jaya Srinivasan in a discourse.

Valmiki unfolds the mind of Hanuman when he stands on the brink of the ocean, having undertaken to fulfill the task of searching for Sita. He has no weapons with him, even for self-defense, and he does not think twice about how he could achieve this enormous task.

But His Rama bhakti is powerful and endows him with the necessary courage, fearlessness, and confidence to face the varied challenges at every step in this mission successfully. He has no selfish aims or personal hopes and accepts what happens without attachment or repulsion. He covets nothing and he is jealous of none.

Only the fortunate jivatmas who are drawn to experience the glory of the Supreme Being become engulfed in selfless devotion. It is the response of the individual soul to that ‘Unfathomable Truth’ that is responsible for the manifested creation. It is an experience not restricted to any particular faith or religion or time, nor limited to any race or milieu. It is not gained by proficiency in sacred texts either.

Such devotion in a jivatma is through the Lord’s grace and gets strengthened in the course of time leading to salvation.

Jai Bajrang Bali Ji🙏🙏