Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 1

 Shri Hanuman Chalisa

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

I grew up up listening to Shri Hanuman Chalisa and reciting it alongside others. Though written in Hindi, I have always wondered about its  meaning and the various stories hidden in this poem. I am sure many of you must have recited or even learnt the Shri Hanuman Chalisa at least once in our lives. Even if you may never have recited it, you may have at least heard it. Through this blog post and a series of articles hereafter, I will make an attempt to understand the various aspects of the Hanuman Chalisa and share those thoughts with you. However, please do forgive me where I may make a mistake or may not conform to your story or interpretation. A very apt sentence for this situation is as follows - 

हरि अनंत , हरि कथा अनंतः 

Shri Hanuman Chalisa was written by  Tulsidas, the same poet who wrote the most popular ram kata in Hindi - "Shri Ram CharitManas". Tulsidas wrote the Hanuman Chalisa in the same Avadhi Hindi dialect - that was the prominent Hindi form in that time. He also kept the same metering tone just like in Ram CharitManas for the Hanuman Chalisa. 

Hanuman Chalisa is known as a "Chalisa" denoting that it is a power with 40 (Chalis in Hindi) verses. Actually Hanuman Chalisa has 43 verses - 2 Dohas at the beginning and 1 at the end of the Chalisa. 

The Hanuman Chalisa is divided into three main parts by looking at the different verses. The first part of the Hanuman Chalisa comprising of the first 10 verses is an attempt to describe Lord Hanuman. The second part of the Chalisa comprising of the next 20 verses is an attempt to explain the deeds of Lord Hanuman and praise him. The last part of the Chalisa with the last 10 verses is an attempt to request Lord Hanuman to help us get through our difficulties. 

This structure of the hanuman Chalisa is the same as our own behavior in dealing with someone from whom we desire something. When you meet with someone, from whom you expect something. You need to praise them and boost their ego by telling them how good they are and how great deeds they have done. Once their ego is massaged properly, you would then go ahead and put your requests through hoping that they will now grant them.

It is said that Tulsidas sang the Hanuman Chalisa from a prison confinement for forty whole days, signifying the forty verses of the chant. At the end of which, an army of monkeys appeared to hamper regular life in the court of Akbar. This eventually led to the release of Tulsidas who then preached the strength of the powerful verses.

While Hanuman Chalisa has many meanings and stories that we shall unravel in my next set of blogs, the Chalisa an embodiment and symbol of the Bhakti movement or Devotional sentiment that was highly prevalent during the time of Goswami Tulsidas. Not only it praises the servitude nature of Lord Hanuman towards Lord Rama, but teaches us devotion to Lord Hanuman as well. 

Shall we play a game of snakes and ladders?

I am sure many of us would have played the game of Snakes and Ladders while growing up. It is a multiplayer game where each player takes turns and throws in the dice and moves the number of squares as indicated on the face of the dice. The first player to reach the finish line wins and the last one to have been left behind is the loser. When I was a kid, the fun was not just the winning  but also  watching how many times and when a player gets bitten by the snake. Though we all played to get the ladder for the easy escape, we knew that getting bitten is inevitable as well. 

This is an ancient Indian game which was brought to UK in late 1800s from where it got its world wide acceptance and variations!

In one of the Ancient Indian variation, the game had the ladders displaying the virtues that one must aspire to lead a righteous life - Generosity, Faith, Reliability,  Humility, Knowledge  and Asceticism. While the snakes represented the vicious vices that are always ready to cloud one's mind and bring them down - Disobedience, Vanity, Vulgarity, Lying, Rage, Greed, Pride, Lust, Anger, Murder and Theft. In this game of morality, it was expected that one attains Moksha - the final goal of the game when one defeats or refrains themselves of being bitten by the vices. Having the morality ladders shall help you attain moksha aster, but the key is not to be falling for the vices. 

Another similar version of this this game was popular in the Muslim world was based on the Sufi philosophy representing the dervish's quest to leave behind the trappings of the worldly life and achieve union with God. 

When this game reached UK, it was slightly modified to resemble the virtues and vices prevelant in those days to boost morality amongst people.

Even today, this game is very popular in various parts of India. In TamilNadu, this game is often played by the Vishnu devotees during the Vaikuntha Ekadashi to stay awake through the night. 

While growing up, my mother taught me the concepts of dharma, adharma and karma. My childlike mind  understood the concepts of abiding by the dharma or else the evil adharma will come like a serpent to bit me. Probably I learnt everything through the method of fear. Instilling fear of the punishment, bound me to the path of the dharma. Whose dharma? Which dharma? Who knows!

Recently, I learned an other ancient variation of the "Snakes and Ladders" game, that comes from the Jain philosophy. In their version, they call the snakes as "Paap" (Similar to the versions described above), and also the debt you incur during your life, while, the ladders resemble the scenarios when you gave debt to others. The goal is to reach the finish line debt free. As debt of any form would force you to take a rebirth and repay it in your next birth. 

Interesting, isn't it?

Stay tuned for my next post on similar thought process.

चिता

चिता 

यह कैसी आग है ?

सभी तरफ फैली हुयी,

ऊँची लाल तपती लपटें ,

सब कुछ जलाती हुयी ?

                            बढ़ती उफनती यह ज्वाला ,

                            मेरी तरफ ही आ रही है। 

                            और वो मोहल्ले के बाबा,

                            देखो तो कहाँ जा रहे हैं ?

और यह पड़ोस की नानी ?

सुनती थी रोज कहानी,

आज किधर जाती हो ?

मुझे दूर कहाँ जाती हो ?

                            देखो तो बालसखा मेरे ,

                            जाते हैं कहाँ मुझसे मुंह फेरे ?

                            बचाओ मुझे इस आग से ,

                            क्यों भागे जाते हो अपने इस मित्र से ?

अब यह चिल्लाना कैसा ?

कौन कराहा ? क्या चरमराया ?

आज यह आग क्या जलायेगी ?

किस किस की चिता सजायेगी ?

                            बचाओ यह तो मेरा ही घर है ,

                            अंदर मेरे सपने हैं, मेरा संसार है। 

                            घर में मेरी खुशियां हैं ,

                            संजो संजो कर रखी जीती जाती पुतलियां हैं। 

बचाओ यह मेरे अपने हैं ,

यह चिता मेरे सपनों की है ,

मेरे अरमानों की है ,

मेरे अपनों की है। 

Empathy and its value

 We just concluded our Govardhan Pooja 2023 or Annakoot for this year. We displayed Sri Krishna in 4 different forms as he is worshipped in different parts of India and elsewhere. This was an eye opening for many as some of us didn’t realize that these were forms of Krishna!

One of the most interesting form amongst all was the Lord Jagannatha!

Lord or Bhagwan Jagannatha is any form is depicted as an incomplete form but with big rather huge eyes for its form. The question is why? The Lord has big eyes because he sees it all. He sees you, me and all of us. He sees all of our issues and our problems. He sees and watches each of the hardships we go through and supports us along the same. 

But really what does he see? You me, others or our acts, wants, needs, stories and thoughts?

Sri Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in a prison. But he was transported to Gokul and was celebrated by a doting mother and a father –Yashoda and Nandbaba. He was always surrounded by the people of Gokul, Vrindavan and surrounding villages that accused him of stealing butter, but adored him dearly. Krishna was always surrounded by love and all he saw was love. 

Later in life, Sri Krishna saw Kansa – a despotic ruler who sent his father to prison to assume his throne. Kansa was also the reason why Sri Krishna’s parents were in prison. Kansa tried to kill Sri Krishna multiple times through his growing up years. Did Krishna see him like a villain or as a child who was born out of angst? Did Krishna see Kansa as a tyrannical ruler or a person longing for love? Did Krishna killed Kansa and looked at him in disdain or granted him peace?

Sri Krishna later established Dwarka and was known as Dwarkadhish. In this capacity, he intervened in the popular battle of Mahabharata where he tried to mediate between the Pandavas and Kauravas. He even promised his army to fight against himself in the battle. But did he really see two cousins fighting themselves? Or did he see Duryodhana – a child deprived of love. 

Duryodhana had a father who could not see due to his blindness since birth, and a mother who would not see due to her blindness in order to support her husband. Imagine a child in place of Duryodhana! Wouldn’t the child be scarred for life? 

Sri Krishna saw Duryodhana for what he was and admired him and showed his blessing in every bit possible. Possibly that’s the reason for the large eyes of Lord Jagannatha. He sees it all. Yet he showers his blessings on us. 

I wish we all grant the Krishna in us a chance. Be able to see the other for what they are – Do not judge by appearance or one event at all…. See who they really are, why are they the way they are! Have an empathy towards everyone. Not only will it make us Krishna, but will also help us develop a better human being.

Taadaka vadh

 दषरथनन्दन, रघुकुल वंदन  

हार्दिक अभिनन्दन 

स्वागत 

आप पधारे हमारे मठ 

यहाँ हैं सभी सुख 

मंत्रोचारण करते सभी मुख 

ना ही कोई होता भय 

सभी का पेट भरता यह अक्षय 

पर ताड़का है 

यह बड़ी भरी 

कृत्यों से राक्षस 

पर है यह नारी 

कभी नष्ट कर देती 

हवन समिधा  

तो कभी ले भागती यह 

यग्न फल 

उद्धार करो

हे कौशल्यानंदन 

उठाओ बाण 

कर दो छिन्न भिन्न 

जो हमारा है 

दिलाओ हमें 

अधर्म से छुटकारा 

दिलाओ हमें 

मत करो विषाद 

त्रिमातृका अपत्य 

यह नारी नहीं 

निशिचरी है या है दैत्य 

पशु घात या नारी पे आघात 

ऋषि कल्याण या समाज निर्माण 

राम के प्रश्न कई 

क्या समझ सका है कोई?

राम ने ठाना था 

राम राज्य का स्वप्न 

कर दिया विश्व निर्माण में 

अपना भी हवन 

विश्वामित्र की आकुलता में 

राम ने त्रिजटा का कर दिए वध 

राम राज्य की स्थापना 

की थी यहीं से प्रारब्ध 

करो यज्ञ, करो व्यापार 

लेन देन से बढ़ता है यह संसार 

छीनो मत, उठाओ मत,

बिना कर्म ना उसपर तुम्हारा अधिकार 

कर्म होगा तो फल मिलेगा 

क्या मिलेगा, न उसपर कोई जोर होगा 

कर्म से ही धर्म है 

और धर्म वही है जो जोड़े सभी को 

ना वह जो मुंह मोड तोड़े सभी को

Holi - 2021

आओ खेलें होली, 
रंगों से, 
उमंगों से, 
दिल की उन तरंगों से, 
जो अनंत रंग देखतीं हैं और अंतरंग भी।  

त्यौहार है यह रंगों का, 
रंगों के एक हो जाने का, 
रंग संग मन के मिल जाने का, 
एक संग मिल उमंगों की पींगें बढ़ाने  का। 

त्यौहार नहीं रंगों में भेदभाव का, 
त्यौहार नहीं आपस में क्लेश बढ़ने का, 
त्यौहार नहीं कलुषित विचारों का, 
त्यौहार नहीं व्यभिचारों का। 

जलाओ चिंगारी,
विचारों की,
कुरीतियां मिटाने की, 
द्वेष दूर भागने की, 
सद्भावना बढ़ाने की।  

खेलो होली, 
लगाओ रंग, 
मचाओ हुड़दंग, 
पियो भंग, 
पर मत करो किसी का
मान भंग। 

आओ खेलें होली, 
रंगों से, 
उमंगों से, 
दिल की उन तरंगों से ,
जो अनंत रंग देखतीं हैं और अंतरंग भी। 

Nahusha - Lessons to learn!

 Just as we learned from the story of Yayati, there are a few lessons to learn from his father Nahusha too!

Let me recap Nahusha’s story and then we can look at the lessons –

Nahusha was a great ruler of the mankind on the earth. He had performed many yagnas and was well known for his principles and generosity. Just as fate would have it, Indra – the king of the gods had to serve a period of penance and left the throne vacant. Indra’s court and the advisors suggested to appoint Nahusha as the king of the Devas while Indra was serving the penance. Nahusha was initially surprised, thrilled but finally accepted the appointment. He did a great job of governing the court of the heaven. However, the extremities of the heaven and the powers started to catch on to Nahusha. He started to believe that he was superior to all and had all the powers in himself. He forgot how he ascended to the throne. In his pride and presumptuousness, he started to become arrogant, haughty and swell headed. He started to behave rudely in the court and disrespected the gods and the sages. One day he saw Shachi – the beautiful wife of Indra. In the moment of lust, he asked Shachi to accept him as her husband. When she refused, he asserted himself on her as he was the king. To teach him a lesson, Shachi requested him to come to her in a palanquin lifted by the seven revered sages – Saptarishis. When Nahusha was going on the palanquin, he cursed the sages and shouted at them to move faster. Sage Agastya at one time, stumbled while carrying the palanquin. Blinded by the lust and his power, Nahusha kicked him in the back and asked him to stop acting like a Sarpa (Serpant or Sanke) which crawls and move faster. Rishi Agastya infuriated at this treatment, cursed Nahusha to loose all his good deeds, kingdom and become a python himself and fall on the earth and live there forever. This way he shall never attain salvation. When Nahusha realized his mistake and pleaded for forgiveness, Rishi Agastya told him that he shall be relieved of the curse when one of his descendants Yudhishthira shall help him many generations later. We shall revisit this story later.

Pic credit - Devdutt Pattnaik

Things to learn from Nahusha’s story are as follows –

1. One must never forget that the importance or power they wield is because of the position they hold. Once they lose the position, there is no difference between them or the person next door.
2. The strength of character and knowledge are the only virtues that remains with the person forever
3. Every action has reaction (Think Newton again!) – No action ever goes unnoticed. There shall always be a reaction. If it is in your favor, you shall enjoy it.
4. Never underestimate and disrespect others – Nature has given different qualities to each one of us. Each quality may come in handy at a given scenario. If one person is not able to act according to a situation, it may be that their qualities are for a different situation.