Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 12

   

  Shri Hanuman Chalisa

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

दोहा
श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज, निजमन मुकुरु सुधारि। बरनउं रघुबर बिमल जसु, जो दायक फल चारि।।
बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके, सुमिरौं पवन-कुमार। बल बुधि बिद्या देहु मोहिं, हरहु कलेस बिकार।।
चौपाई
जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर। जय कपीस तिहुं लोक उजागर।।
राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा। अंजनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा।।
महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी। कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी।।
कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा। कानन कुण्डल कुँचित केसा।।
हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजे। कांधे मूंज जनेउ साजे।।

शंकर सुवन केसरी नंदन। तेज प्रताप महा जग वंदन।।

बिद्यावान गुनी अति चातुर। राम काज करिबे को आतुर।।

प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया । राम लखन सीता मन बसिया।। 

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
8. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 8 -https://nitswe.blogspot.com/2025/02/shri-hanuman-chalisa-attempt-to.html
9. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 9 - Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 9
10. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 10 - Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 10
11. Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 11 - Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 11

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

सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहि दिखावा । बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा ॥

"Sukshma room shari Siyahi dikhava

Vikat room shari Lank jaraava."

"You took a small vulnerable form before Sita. You took a giant fearsome form to burn Lanka.”

In this couplet, Goswami Tulsidas is praising Hanuman for his various forms and the ability to change according to the situation. 
 
In all the initial part of the Hanuman Chalisa this far, we have seen a lot of emphasis being placed on the origin, form, attributes, roles and preferences of Shri Hanuman. There is a reference to his mother, earthly and celestial fathers, his appearance, symbols; his love for Shri Ram and his desire to serve Shri Ram.

In this verse, Tulsidas is presenting Lord Hanuman to us with his ability as a shape shifter who knows what shape other respond to. Tulsidas praises Hanuman for his ability to read the situations and his ability to contract and expand himself physically to adapt to the scenario and providing everyone what they need (NOT WHAT THEY WANT). 

The transformation of Hanuman described in this verse comes from the chapter Sundar-kand in the Ramayana. The chapter is named beautiful (Sundar) as it evokes HOPE; the possibility of Sita and Ram reuniting, thanks to to the intervention of Hanuman. It is also thus named as it is the only place where Hanuman experiences the tenderness of Ram's love for Sita and Sita's love for Ram. Hanuman conveys Ram's sorrows to Sita and Sita conveys her feelings to Ram through Hanuman. 

When Hanuman approaches Sita in Lanka, he approaches her with caution. He realized that Ravana had abducted Sita while disguising himself as a sage. Thus, if Hanuman approaches Sita as a monkey who is able to converse in sanskrit or a sage or his large form that he used to get to Lanka, Sita will not be able to trust him. Hanuman realizes that he is but a messenger of Shri Ram and his utmost duty is to convey the message. Hence he takes a form of a small puny monkey who is playful and approaches Sita to gain her trust and make a dialog. Hanuman has this knowledge of understanding the other's mindset and he represents himself in the form that the other can accept. 

Hanuman’s puny form makes Sita wonder how he could possibly have leapt across the sea. So Hanuman reveals his giant form and reassures her. Later, Hanuman lets himself be caught by Ravana’s soldiers so that he gains an audience with the rakshasa-king. Hanuman is astute enough to realize that sensible words will not work with one such as Ravana who is consumed by his own self-importance, and is so frightened that he constantly feels the need to dominate those around him. Unable to break free from his animal nature, Ravana only understands the language of force. So when Ravana refuses to treat Hanuman as a messenger and give him due respect by offering a seat to him, Hanuman creates his own seat, extending and coiling his tail; only Hanuman’s seat is at higher level than Ravana’s throne, forcing Ravana to look up rather than down, a humiliation that Ravana cannot bear. Furious, unnerved, the king of Lanka orders his soldiers to set Hanuman’s tail on fire. Hanuman responds by twirling his tail in every direction, setting fire to Ravana’s beautiful palace and the city of Lanka around it, before leaping off the island-kingdom.

Drawing parallels from this, think how you would dress up when going for an interview as an interviewee or an interviewer! Similarly how we would dress up when we go for a party where we know everyone or where only a few knows us? Different dresses, ornaments that we adorn represent a different form of us. It is important for us to be able to transform ourselves in a manner that we can have a conversation with the other, and allow the other to open up. As humans we have the ability to converse and have a dialog with the other. If we are not able to have a dialog, we are not ready to accept other, there is no difference in us or the animal within. Lord Hanuman shows us the way to transform to a vulnerable yet trustful form that Sita can open her heart to. 

We need to learn from Lord Hanuman, to be able to adapt to the situations. He is an affirmation of the thought that the Change is the only constant. While situations change, the people change and their desires change, one must be able to handle themselves and transform to remain relevant. Relevance is yet another important aspect for having a dialog. 

In India, there are broadly two types of monkeys—the red-faced monkey with golden fur and the black-faced monkey with silver fur. In folklore, it is believed that the soot of Lanka burning turned the red-faced monkey into the black-faced monkey.

In art, Hanuman images can be classified into two types depending on the location of the tail: if it is lowered, it indicates the gentle (saumya) form with which Hanuman approached Sita and Ram; if Hanuman’s tail is raised, it indicates the fierce (rudra) form with which Hanuman stood up to Ravana. 

This reaffirms Hanuman’s relationship with Shiva who is known for both his gentle (Shankara) and fierce (Bhairava) forms.

Hanuman is also depicted, especially in the south, with his arm extended as if he is going to slap someone. This is called ‘tamacha’ Hanuman: the form he took to humiliate Ravana. By contrast, when his image is placed next to Ram, his arms are in a position of veneration: this form is called Ram-dasa, the servant of Ram.