Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 8

 Shri Hanuman Chalisa

By RahulKSaini - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113402769

श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि

बरनऊं रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि

बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके सुमिरौं पवन कुमार

बल बुद्धि बिद्या देहु मोहिं हरहु कलेस बिकार

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर

जय कपीस तिहुं लोक उजागर

रामदूत अतुलित बल धामा

अंजनि पुत्र पवनसुत नामा

महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी 

कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी 

कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा 

कानन कुण्डल किंचित केसा 

Please find the links to the previous posts here - 

1. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 1 - https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2024/12/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to.html
2. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 2 - https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2024/12/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to_21.html
3. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 3 -https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2024/12/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to_22.html
4. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 4 - https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2024/12/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to_24.html
5. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 5 -https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2025/01/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to.html
6. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 6 -https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2025/01/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to_5.html
7. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 7 -https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2025/01/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to_19.html

Today, let us look at the fifth couplet or Chaupai of Shri Hanuman Chalisa -  

हाथ बज्र अरु ध्वजा बिराजे ।

काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजे ॥

Hath Vajra Aur Dhuvaje Viraje

Kaandhe moonj janehu sajai

In the previous couplet, the poet praised Shri Hanuman Ji for his looks and the features he got through his birth. 

In this couplet, the poet proceeds to praise Shri Hanuman ji for his adornments and the symbolism of what he is carrying himself. The poet is praising Hanuman carrying a Vajra (Lighnting bolt) in one hand and a flag in the other. 

Tulsidas ji is praising Hanuman for carrying a lightning bolt or a vajra in his one hand. A Vajralooks like a lightning bolt or a stick. Over a period of time, the stick has been modified to be a mace or a gada which has a round weight at one end and a stick not he other to hold it in place. It is said that when Hanuman was a kid, he was hit by Indra with his weapon - the Vajra or the lightning bolt. Later realizing his own mistake, Indra had revived Hanuman and had gifted his own weapon to Hanuman which is what Hanuman adorns as a lightning bolt or a mace. Lord Hanuman carrying a weapon in this couplet also signifies his relation to the warrior clan or the Kshatriya class of people. 

The poet proceeds to praise Hanuman ji for carrying a flag. It is customary for the warriors to carry their own flag. A flag signifies their presence and every warrior is supposed to have a unique flag as their own identification. However, though Hanuman is carrying a flag, he is not carrying his own. Instead he is carrying the flag of Lord Ram, signifying his devotion to his master and carrying out escapades in Lord Ram's name. Hanuman never fought or did any act for his own self, but for his idol, master, god - Lord Ram. In this couplet, the significance is towards the devotion and the sevient nature of Hanuman, thus compiling him with the servant class of people. 

Goswami Tulsidas ji continues further in praising Lord Hanuman for adorning a thread over his shoulders signifying a Janeyu. A Janeyu is a sacred thread worn by the brahmins when the go through the education and the rituals of being initiated as a brahmin. A thread through the body shows the person is a learned one and has the knowledge far more superior than an ordinary human. A learned person can see and think beyond himself and can see through the others too. Adding to the sanctity of the thread worn by Hanuman it is said to be made of the moonj grass which is very strong. The moonj grass is found only in the Tarai region of India along the banks of rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Signifying that Lord Hanuman belongs to the northern region of India and has brahmanical qualities. 

The poet has connected Hanuman with every facet of the Indian society and has described him to be a pan-caste god who adorns everyone and everything equally in his quest for serving his lord - Shri Ram. 

While praising Lord Hanuman for what he is, the poet is now shifting towards his devotion and is trying to tell us the meaning of devotion for all of us.