Hanuman

devotion, self-less service, mantra, overcoming obstacles, faith

In Hindu mythology Hanuman is an immortal, one of the Chiranjivi, a group who are to remain alive on Earth until the end of the Kali Yuga. 

Chiram = forever

Jivi = lived

The Chiranjivi are immortal, but not eternal.

Hanuman is half man, half monkey. He was born from the union of the Nymph Anjana and Vayu, the God of Wind. Anjana was a Celestial Nymph (apsara), but she was cursed by a sage and was born into the world as a monkey-faced woman. She married Kesari, a mighty Vanara (monkey-like being), and became the mother of Hanuman. 

Anjaneyasana is the posture devoted to Anjana. It is called low lunge in English. It is quite a deep lunge that provides a powerful stretch to the groin, quads, and iliopsoas of the back leg.

Anjana and Kesari prayed for a child and offered devotions to Lord Shiva. Hanuman’s conception took place at the same time as Prince Rama’s, their fate’s are woven together from the beginning of their lives. 

At the same time that Anjana and Kesari were praying for a child by worshipping the Gods, Rama’s father, a King, was too. The Gods heard the King’s prayers and sent him a heavenly pudding called payasam. The Gods also heard the worship of Anjana, and they sent Vayu, the God of the Wind and Air, to gather a small spoonful of the payasam as it floated down through the sky towards the King. Vayu, in the form of a kite, brought this spoonful to Anjana, and she ate it.

Anjana gave birth to Hanuman, a baby boy who had the shape of a monkey, like his mother. Lord Vayu took the young boy to be his own son, and as such Hanuman became a God.

Anjana was greatly devoted to Lord Rama, which influenced and Hanuman and led him to become the greatest devotee. Hanuman is also an incarnation of Shiva. He has many supernatural powers that were bestowed upon him by different Gods. Indra, the King of the Gods, struck him with a thunderbolt, making him as strong as Indra himself. Brahma gave him the ability to grow infinitely larger or shrink smaller, Agni granted a wish that meant fire could not hurt Hanuman, Varuna gave him a protection again water, and his father Vayu blessed him to be as fast as the wind. However he was young and mischievious, and he misbehaved so often that powerful sages cursed him to forget his magic powers. This forgetfulness would challenge Hanuman in his intention to live a life devoted to service of Lord Rama.

In order to remember his purpose, or Sankalpa, Hanuman adopted to use of mantra yoga. Always in his mind reciting “Ram Ram Ram Ram…” to remember who he served.

Devoted to Rama but forgetting his divine powers, Hanuman set out to help his Lord search for his wife Sati, who had been kidnapped by the demon Ravana. Jambavan, the divine King of Bears, reminded Hanuman of his immense powers. 

Thus reminded of his abilities, Hanuman leaped from the southern-most tip of India to the island of Lanka, evading watery demonesses who tried to swallow him and his shadow. Rama’s army and the monkey army crossed the ocean on his back to meet the enemy on the other side. The pose Hanumanasana symbolizes this leap, and the too-often forgotten strength within each of us, that can be accessed through devotion and faith.