Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 7

 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 

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

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

कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा 

कानन कुण्डल किंचित केसा 

Kanchan varan viraj subesa

Kanan Kundal Kunchit Kesha

In this couplet, the poet proceeds to praise Shri Hanuman ji for his looks. The poet looks at Lord Hanuman and praises his curly hair, golden skin tone, ear rings and fine clothes. 

The poet describes Lord Hanuman to have a golden complexion acknowledging him to be a monkey and also the golden color of purity. Of all the metals known, Gold is considered the purest as it does not mixes with others easily. Though Hanuman is referred to as a monkey due to his complexion and fur, yet his earrings curly hair draws attention to his human like characteristics - as humans wear ornaments and have hair on their head. 

In some stories, Hanuman was born with earrings. The story says that Vali - the king of monkeys heard that Anjani was carrying a child that would be more powerful than himself. So he threw a weapon to hurt the child. However, due to intervention of Vayu (the wind god), the weapon transformed into Hanuman's earrings - a symbol of Vali's (Indra's) defeat. (Vali was Indra's incarnation, and Sugriv was Sun's incarnation. Ram Helped Sugriv against Vali. Later in Mahabharata, Krishna helps Arjun against Karna - God's way of striking the balance).

Earrings have a special significance in Hinduism. By piercing the ear, one creates a passage for the sunlight through the body, making the body auspicious. Piercing the the ear of a child is a rite of passage or sanksar in Hindu tradition. Both men and women wear earrings. Vishnu is famous for his Makar (Dolphin) shaped earring, while Shiva wears a Naga (Serpent) shaped earring. Hanuman's earrings are simply made as a ring denoting power.

Hanuman is also described as well dressed. In folklore, he was born wearing a loincloth made of thunder or diamond to reaffirm his celibacy. 

This verse praises Hanuman for how he looks and what he wears. This is an important point to remember as it shows how much we see and observe our deity. In Hinduism, we place a lot of emphasis on the "Darshan" or gazing or looking upon the idol of our deity. The purpose of us going to the temple is to look at the deity and be seen by them who have large shapely eyes hat captivate the visitor even from far. The devotee describes the beauty of the deity and hopes that the deity will reciprocate identifying the devotee's needs and wants. 

In other places of worship, spaces are designed for the community to get together and worship or reaffirm the devotion and submission to supreme being. But in Hinduism, a temple is the house of the deity. We go to their home to see them and be seen by them. Just as we do with our friends and relatives. The practice of invoking and adoring a deity and then petitioning him for benefits is known as Yagna. However, when the rituals are performed with the focus the "Darshan", the yang transforms to puja. 

The word "Darshan" or seeing has two fold meaning - Seeing outside and Seeing within. While many religions focus on seeing within or meditation with eyes shut, their deities are also formed in a way to aid meditation. When the focus is on seeing outside, the deity wears colorful clothes, adorn ornaments and lives a colorful life. This gives a view of acknowledging the other and their needs as well.

Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 6

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

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

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

महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी 

कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी 

Mahabir Bikram Bajrangi
Kumati nivar sumati Ke sangi

So far in the Hanuman Chalisa, the poet has been explaining the various qualities of Lord Hanuman. This is the first part of the overall chalisa. In our day-to-day life this is the portion where we acknowledge our god or the senior before we start asking for favors from them. This is the portion where you need to invoke their various qualities, praise them, flatter them so that they are receptive to your request. 

In the previous couplet, the poet referred to the physical strength of Lord Hanuman. In this current couplet, he proceeds to refer to the innate strength of Hanuman and why he should be referred to as "Mahaveer" - a noun / adjective bestowed upon people by Hinduism as well as Jainism. 

Just as in previous couplet, the poet proceeds to explain the various names which are used to invoke Lord Hanuman and expects us to understand the backstory for each one of them. 

Hanuman is referred to here as "Mahaveer" - Veer of the Veers - powerful amongst the powerfuls. This actually indicate one who has mastered their own thought - their own self. Similar to being referred in the opening stanzas, Hanuman is being revered as someone who has the capability of overcoming the ill or evil thoughts emanating from one's mind. Instead of fighting the evils outside, a Mahaveer is one who can defeat the demons within their own thought. Once you are at peace with your own thoughts, your own mind, you shall start witnessing peace with everything else in the world. If you are not at peace or are worried about something, you shall see see the same struggle in everything. Similar to the other doha "जाकी रही भावना जैसी, प्रभु मूरत देखि तिन तैसी " - You see the world and the god in the same way as you think in your mid. 

Lord Hanuman is seen as "Vikram" - again a metaphor to represent a victorious king who exemplifies physical strength and mental strength from knowledge and amazing judgement. You shall have heard the stories from "Vikram air Vetal" where the king is bound to make a judgement, and it is his knowledge that helps him. At the same time, his perseverance to catch the ghost is seen in this story. So is the perseverant qualities of Lord Hanuman. Nothing shall ever deter him in his devotion and service to Lord Ram and his family. 

When Hanuman was a kid, he yearned for a mango fruit. Thinking the golden hue from Sun as representing the mango, Hanuman jumped toward the Sun to eat it. As much as the Sun ran away from Hanuman, the latter followed in his ambition to eat the former. Finally Indra intervened, hitting Hanuman with his divine weapon - the "Vajra" or the lightning bolt. When the issue was sorted, Indra (under pressure) gave a boon to Hanuman that his body would be as strong as the lightning bolt itself. Thus Hanuman is known as "Bajrangi".

The Indian scriptures talk about "Lakshmi" and "Alakshmi" - the effect of the wealth goddess and her unwanted sister who always accompanies to cause the ill-omens. It is said wherever the Lakshmi goes, ALakshmi follows. While the Lakshmi brings the wealth, the Alakshmi brings all the ill-thoughts - jealousy, greed, infatuations, obsessions and many other feelings that cause grief. The only way to counter Alakshmi is the presence of Saraswati - The goddess of Knowledge. It is said, that if one has knowledge, they are less affected by the ill fate brought on them by the wealth. Lord Hanuman is said to be the harbinger of the good thoughts and eradicate the ill-omens from one's mind. This helps in the same way as in the opening stanzas to drive away the feelings that cause grief. 

Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 5

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

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

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

रामदूत अतुलित बल धामा

अंजनि पुत्र पवनसुत नामा

Ram doot atulit bal dhama
Anjaani-putra Pavan sut nama

In this second chaupai, the poet goes ahead to describe and introduce Lord Hanuman. In this description, the poet addresses Hanuman with various names that signify the different stories and meanings. Let's try to look into these and explore the stories. 

Tulsidas refers to Lord Hanuman as the servant of Ram (रामदूत) who has unmatched power (अतुलित बल धामा). This is the first time, the poet tries to refer to the immense strength quality of Lord Hanuman. At the same time, he couples this reference with the devotional nature of Hanuman towards Lord Rama. Tulsidas ji suggests that Hanuman has such great power that can not be equaled by anyone in the three worlds, yet he is given in service to Lord Rama. Hanuman does not uses his powers for himself, but only to do Ram's work. This is a great quality to have in oneself. We should be aware of ourselves and our strengths. But we should never use it to show off or hurt others. This strength, if used to help others, has even greater meaning. 

Lord Hanuman was born with immense power. He is known to be the son of the Wind god and hence gets the name पवनसुत. Wind is one of the most essential elements of the nature. Wind or Air is also referred to as the god of life in the Vedas. Once a person dies, it is said that they have no wind in them. the transactional nature of the human body with the Air or the Wind is what causes the life in the body. Lord Hanuman is said to be having the qualities of the Wind god as he is his son. 

At the same time, Hanuman is known to be his mother's son - अंजनी पुत्र - Son of Anjani. In the southern part of India, Hanuman is also known as Anjaneya - आंजनेय। Being known by his mother's name is an important connotation in the Indian history. The Indian society has oscillated between a matriarchal and a patriarchal society multiple times. Though the Indian scriptures have always placed a lot of emphasis on the feminist qualities and their meanings, the society has always been referring to people by their patriarchal names. The Indian scriptures define that every human has both - the feminine qualities as well as the masculine qualities. Masculine qualities being intellect, muscular strength and objective thinking. While the Feminine qualities being emotional quotient, leaning towards arts and culture, being subjective and empathetic. Lord Hanuman being referred to by his mother's name indicates that he has both the qualities - Feminine and Masculine in himself and has created a wonderful balance in him. 

Praising Hanuman in this chaupai, Tulsidas is telling us the importance of the emotional, empathetic nature as well as the strength without ambition or in service of others. 

Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 4

 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

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

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

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर

जय कपीस तिहुं लोक उजागर

Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar
Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar

In the previous blog articles we prepared our mind to make it eligible for invoking Lord Hanuman. Once we start to invoke Hanuman, we also state what is our request from him. 

In this first chaupai, the poet starts to rise Lord Hanuman saying "Jai Hanuman". The word "Jai" in Hindi means victory in English. However, in Hindi there are two different words that mean Victory in English - "Jai" and "Vijai". The two words have different meanings and implications in Hindi - 

• Vijai - Victory over other! One must duel with another and defeat them - either emotionally or physically
• Jai - Victory over your own self! you duel with your own thoughts, fight the battles within and win over them to gain peace. This is the path of nonviolence as there is no harm to the other.

Hanuman is being worshipped in this opening lines of the Shri Hanuman Chalisa as one who has conquered the battles within and is at peace with his own self. The battles from within are the thoughts that cause greed, jealousy, anger and many other feelings that drive us away from peace within ourselves. More than outside, we need to focus within ourselves and fight the battles to gain happiness in life. We are able to expand our mind and focus on other's needs rather than our own as we would have overcome the desires that cause us grief. Lord Hanuman is a perfect example of one who has won over his own thoughts and is happy looking out for others needs - be it Sugreeva or later Ram. 

In the Indian thought, one who is victorious over others is known as "Veer" or powerful, while one who attains victory over self is "Mahaveer" or powerful amongst the powerfuls. The Jain scriptures also talk about Mahavir as one of their most powerful tirthankara, as he showed the path of controlling oneself. 

Lord Hanuman is also depicted as an ocean of knowledge and great qualities - "ज्ञान गुन सागर". This is an important part of Hanuman being worshipped. Hanuman is usually visualized as a symbol of physical prowess and power that burned down the city of Lanka and killed many demons bare handed. but we are remembering Hanuman not for his physical strength, but for his knowledge and wisdom. This is actually celebration of Hanuman having an exalted mind that pairs up with the strength of an animal and makes him a human. Humans have an ability to think and imagine unlike animals, which is due to their mind. Hanuman is known to have a body of a monkey. And he is referred to as the king or the god of monkeys. Per science, monkey is the closes species to human in the evolution theory. Thus, it can be inferred that Hanuman is an highly evolved monkey who has the traits of a human - possibly much more - and is close to being a god himself. 

Hanuman is said to light up the three worlds through his knowledge and wisdom. The definition of the three worlds is quite left for interpretation. Per Indian thought, the three worlds are either - Heaven (Land of the gods), Earth (Land of the humans) and Patal (Land of the asurs) or Sky, Earth and the Space between the two! Given Hanuman's exalted state of mind, another interpretation of the three worlds could be my mind, your mind and all the other minds around us. With the wisdom and knowledge from Hanuman, may we see all in clarity!

Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 3

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

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

Today, let us look at the explanation for the second Doha. 

बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके सुमिरौं पवन कुमार

बल बुद्धि बिद्या देहु मोहिं हरहु कलेस बिकार

Budhee-Heen Thanu Jannikay Sumirow Pavana Kumara
Bala-Budhee Vidya Dehoo Mohee Harahu Kalesha Vikaara

In the opening Doha, the poet prepares the mind to be able to invoke Lord Hanuman. The poet uses the blessings from the teacher to cleanse their mind where the invocation of the Lord Hanuman shall happen. 

In the second doha (the current one) - the poet requests Lord Hanuman, that consider me as a person with no brain. I pray to you, Lord Hanuman - the son of the Wind. Please help me with strength, wisdom and knowledge and take away all those traits that cause sorrow in my life.

When we go to someone asking for help, we praise them and then we state our problem statement to them upfront. When we request for help, we must offer something in return as well. We must let the person know clearly what we want, this will make it easy for the other who does not has to guess in how to help us. At the same time, it is important to add a disclaimer and ask for forgiveness before you make a mistake. This is a wonderful tact when you meet with a person of superiority. 

In easier terms, we are invoking Lord Hanuman in our minds that has been cleansed with blessings from our teachers and others. Hanuman is referred to here as the son of the Wind or the Vayu god. In the Vedic though, Wind is considered as the god of life sustenance, while in the Pauranic thought, the Wind is the life itself. We are worshipping the god of life, the one who is making the life sustainable and grow. We pray to the Lord requesting for forgiveness in case we make any mistake in worshipping him or mistakenly make any offer that might irritate him. We are requesting the Lord to grant us three important qualities in life and in return take away any of the things that may case sorrow for us or others. 

The qualities we request from Lord Hanuman are - 

1. Strength - To lead a happy and a courageous life, we all need strength. Whether it is physical or mental strength we need it both to fight the battles within our mind or outside our body. Who better than Hanuman can provide them to us, when his physical strength is so well known to the world - in the way he defeated and killed that Ravana's Army or he lifted the entire mountain looking for Sanjeevani. His mental strength is mismatched in tales that we see in Ramcharitmanas and later in Mahabharata too. A person without strength but with wisdom or knowledge has no meaning as they can not implement or spread their wisdom or knowledge. 
2. Wisdom - Strength without wisdom can lead us to being a weapon that has a high destruction potential and can be misused by someone who can control us. A person without wisdom is just like an animal, who can be tamed or will react as his master tells him to. Hanuman is known as an epitome of wisdom the way he deals with Sursa or even Lankini. It was his wisdom that baffled Ravana more than the fact that he destroyed his gardens. Hanuman is also seen with his wood in humbling Bhim during the Mahabharat age. Hanuman is seen as a monkey, but has the ability to talk in Sanskrit and can reason with any sages or learned people. 
3. Knowledge - Hanuman is known to have immense knowledge and is known to have read all the vedas in his childhood. It is said that Rishi Yagnavalkya gained his knowledge of vedas from the Sun. Sun is known to be most learned as he is observing everything as he is always present. It is said that Hanuman wanted to learn and gain knowledge so badly, that he requested Sun to teach him. But Sun refused as he had to continuously travel from east to west. Hanuman then flew constantly in front of the Sun's (Surya's) chariot facing the sun at all times. In another story, Hanuman had knowledge of all the vedas by the age of three, by the grace of Lord Brahma. But when as a child he jumped to eat Sun, believing it to be a fruit, Indra and other gods conditioned Hanuman in such a way that he forgets his knowledge until it can be put to use for others. A person with knowledge, wisdom and strength has a mind that is well expanded to think about others, their own self and is fully grown to be a human from an animal. 

We thank Lord Hanuman for the three most powerful gifts that he can give to us. 

In return we offer our qualities back to Lord Hanuman that can be a cause of quarrels, sorrows and displeasure amongst us. These qualities include - 

1. Anger
2. Disobedience
3. Jealousy
4. Addiction
5. Pride

These qualities can cause issues within our mind and also with others. We request Lord Hanuman to take them away thus giving him the title of "Sankat Mochan" - One who removes all obstacles.

Shri Hanuman Chalisa - an attempt to explanation - 2

 Shri Hanuman Chalisa

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

In the previous article, I started providing an introduction to Shri Hanuman Chalisa as written by Goswami Tulsidas. 

As We understand that Shri Hanuman Chalisa is actually not 40 chaupai verses but 43 - 2 Dohas at the beginning and 1 doha at the end of the 40 verses. 

A Doha is a couplet with 2 lines, often conveying moral lessons, spiritual insights, or reflections on life. They are characterized by their simplicity and depth. Each line usually consists of 24 syllables, split between 13 in the first half followed by 11 in the next. 

A Chaupai is a quatrain (four-line verse) that can vary in syllable count but typically has a rhythmic and lyrical quality. Chaupai are often devotional reflecting themes of reverence and love.

In our daily matters, we often try find ways to start a small talk before getting into the think of the things. And then after the business is done, we depart with another small talk with a promise for followup. 

The Hanuman Chalisa starts with the 2 Dohas, before the poet proceeds to worship Lord Hanuman. The 2 Dohas are like invocation of Lord Hanuman. Until the Bhakti movement gained momentum, the invocations and all rituals related to worship were in the hands of the Brahmins who understood Sanskrit and could recite the mantras. Goswami Tulsidas created Shri Hanuman Chalisa in the colloquial dialect of Hindi so that it could reach masses and help all who can read it. 

श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि

बरनऊं रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि

Shri Guru Charan Sarooja-raj Nija manu Mukura Sudhaari

Baranau Rahubhara Bimala Yasha Jo Dayaka Phala Chari

In the opening Doha, the poet prepares the mind to be able to invoke Lord Hanuman. 

The poet says I would use the earth from the feet of the teacher that has the potency to bloom my mind into a flower. In the initial words the poet uses the word "श्री" before the teacher. According to some learned people, they refer to this being a depiction of the Lord Hanuman's devotion to Sita Ji or Shakti. 

The poet says that with the use of the blessings from my teacher, I would want to expand my mind and decorate it as a temple to invoke Lord Hanuman. I want to invoke Lord Hanuman by talking about the stories of Lord Ram who is utmost example of purity. With this invocation I request Lord Hanuman to give me the four most sought after fruits - Dhrama, Artha, Kama and Moksha. 

The four fruits sought from Lord Hanuman have a very special connotation - 

• Dharma - Ability to follow a discipline to run your life using the rules that help you and others
• Artha - Ability to work with economics to keep the life and family running
• Kama - Ability to enjoy the gifts of life
• Moksha - Ability to detach oneself from the circumstances and ability to handover the control to others

All of these traits are possible from no other than Lord Hanuman as he is an embodiment of knowledge, strength, devotion and practice. He is no doubtedly the greatest Servan to Lord Rama who is devoted to him and seeks nothing in return. 

This devotion and servitude is what we all need in life. The detachment from the rewards is what shall make us better every time. 

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.