Significance of Hanuman Jayanti 2023

Best wishes on Hanuman Jayanti ! In this blog, I will explain the real essence of Hanuman Jayanti. Over the period, this essence is missed out and we simply follow fictitious stories which are fabricated in chamatkars and away from scientific reasoning. That may be the reason, our educated generation does not believe in our festivals. Once they know the real purpose behind it then they will develop a scientific outlook toward festivals. This is my second blog on Festivals. A few days before, Ram Navami was celebrated on 30th March 2023. You can read here about Ram Navami, why and how we celebrate it.  As you read earlier Ram Navami is celebrated to inculcate important values and to make our life wholesome, the purpose of Hanuman Jayanti is also the same. Keep reading.

Significance of Hanuman Jayanti

What is the meaning of Hanuman?

The meaning of Hanuman is 'lifted chin' and 'puffy cheeks'. In Sanskrit, Hanu means chin. So Hanuman means a person with 'lifted chin' and 'puffy cheeks'. Hanuman is well known by other different names, Pawansut / Vayuputra (son of wind), Kesari Nanadan (son of Kesari), Anjanisuta / Anjaneya (son of Anjani), Maruti (son of wind in Marathi), Mahabali (strongest), Mahaveer (courageous), Bajarangbali (powerful as lighting), Ramdoot (messenger of Lord Ram), Ramdas (servant of Lord Ram) and many more.

What does Hanuman represent?

Hanuman represents our mind. Hanuman is in a Vanar or monkey form. A monkey is not stable. It keeps jumping from one branch to another and keep doing foolish work. It mimics other people. Just like a monkey, our mind is not stable. We keep thinking about one after other things. We learn from others and keep imitating them. On top of that, we believe that we cannot control our minds.

Hanuman shows that with devotion and complete surrender to Lord Ram, he can become a great Bhakt. Same way, we can control our minds with devotion and self-control. Once our minds will be in control, we can become powerful, strong and courageous like Hanuman. 

The stories say that Hanuman could fly, he could become small and tiny, big and huge and no one could defeat him. All these stories are symbolic and mention the qualities of the mind. Our mind can fly anywhere, the mind is not having any shape, sometimes we think minutely sometimes we think big, no one can catch and defeat anyone's mind. Just like Vayu (air) mind can go anywhere, so we consider Hanuman as the son of wind.

Who are Lord Ram and Sita?

If we consider symbolically Hanuman as mind then who are Lord Ram and Sita. Symbolically, Lord Ram is our true self and Sita is our lower self. Ravan is the ego and worldly comforts who takes over our lower self (Sita) and do not allow us to meet our true self (Ram). In meditation, by controlling our breath (wind), we can control our mind (Hanuman). Then it will be easier for our true self (Ram) to conquer ego and worldly comforts (Ravan) and our lower self (Sita) can merge with it.

I know it's very complicated and a mass of people could not understand this in ancient times so this great knowledge is translated into stories for their better understanding. But today, we have forgotten the real essence and keep reading and telling stories. 

Which values can we learn from Hanuman?

1. Great devotion

2. Complete surrender (Das mudra at Ram darbar)

3. Unbreakable faith (Tearing the chest and showing an image of Lord Ram)

4. Free from luxuries of life (Brahmachari nature)

5. Control over senses 

6. Ocean of knowledge and virtues (gyan gun sagar)

7. Achieving the impossible (flying with a mountain in hand)

Once you control your mind, you can achieve impossible and difficult things. He could find Sita in vast Lanka. Once you control your mind, you can find your inner potential. Just like Hanuman, anyone can control the mind with service (Seva), devotion (Bhakti) and surrender (Samarpan) and the animal-like nature of ourselves can transform into calm, stable and controlled nature.

Why is Hanuman in red/orange colour?

You must have seen Hanuman murti in red or orange colour. There is a story behind it. Once Sita was using Sindoor. Hanuman asked her the reason. She replied it was for her love towards Lord Ram. Hanuman put sindoor all over his body to show his Bhakti towards Lord Ram. This is again a story that shows his devotion.

Why is Shani afraid of Hanuman?

Shani is a symbol of trouble. Once you control your mind, you will be very strong and powerful and all troubles will fear you. In short, you can find solutions for all the problems when your mind will be stable.

How to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti?

Observe a fast, chant Hanuman Shlokas, recite Maruti Stotra and Hanuman Chalisa. Practice Pranayam (Breathing exercise) and Meditate on breathing. Pray to Lord Hanuman for a stable and calm mind. If you are not used to the above practices then you can follow Bhakti marg. Offer flowers (Jasmin or marigold), garland made up of Rui leaves (wild plant signifies that I am offering my wild mind to you to make it stable), oil (to make Shani calm and remove your troubles) and worship Lord Hanuman.

Hanuman Sholkas

This Hanuman Jayanti chant following Shlokas to control your mind,

|| ॐ श्री हनुमते नमः ||

|| श्री राम दूताय नम: ||

|| ॐ ऐं भ्रीम हनुमते, श्री राम दूताय नम: ||

|| ॐ रामदूताय विद्महे कपिराजाय धीमहि ||

|| ॐ आञ्जनेयाय विद्महे वायुपुत्राय धीमहि। तन्नो हनुमत् प्रचोदयात् ||

|| मनोजवम् मारुततुल्यवेगम् जितेन्द्रियम् बुद्धिमताम् वरिष्ठम्।

वातात्मजम् वानरयूथमुख्यम् श्रीरामदूतम् शरणम् प्रपद्ये ||

Maruti Stostra

भीमरूपी महारुद्रा, वज्रहनुमान मारुती | वनारी अंजनीसूता रामदूता प्रभंजना ||१||

महाबळी प्राणदाता, सकळां उठवी बळें | सौख्यकारी दुःखहारी, दुत वैष्णव गायका ||२||

दीनानाथा हरीरूपा, सुंदरा जगदांतरा | पाताळदेवताहंता, भव्यसिंदूरलेपना ||३||

लोकनाथा जगन्नाथा, प्राणनाथा पुरातना | पुण्यवंता पुण्यशीला, पावना परितोषका ||४||

ध्वजांगे उचली बाहो, आवेशें लोटला पुढें | काळाग्नी काळरुद्राग्नी, देखतां कांपती भयें ||५||

ब्रह्मांडे माईलें नेणों, आवळे दंतपंगती | नेत्राग्नीं चालिल्या ज्वाळा, भ्रुकुटी ताठिल्या बळें ||६||

पुच्छ ते मुरडिले माथा, किरीटी कुंडले बरीं | सुवर्ण कटी कांसोटी, घंटा किंकिणी नागरा ||७||

ठकारे पर्वता ऐसा, नेटका सडपातळू | चपळांग पाहतां मोठे, महाविद्युल्लतेपरी ||८||

कोटिच्या कोटि उड्डाणें, झेपावे उत्तरेकडे | मंद्राद्रीसारिखा द्रोणू, क्रोधें उत्पाटिला बळें ||९||

आणिला मागुतीं नेला, आला गेला मनोगती | मनासी टाकिलें मागें, गतीसी तुळणा नसे ||१०||

अणुपासोनि ब्रह्मांडाएवढा होत जातसे | तयासी तुळणा कोठे, मेरू मंदार धाकुटे ||११||

ब्रह्मांडाभोवतें वेढें, वज्रपुच्छें करू शकें | तयासी तुळणा कैची, ब्रह्मांडी पाहता नसे ||१२||

आरक्त देखिलें डोळा, ग्रासिलें सूर्यमंडळा | वाढतां वाढतां वाढें, भेदिलें शून्यमंडळा ||१३||

धनधान्य पशूवृद्धि, पुत्रपौत्र समग्रही | पावती रूपविद्यादी, स्तोत्रपाठें करूनियां ||१४||

भूतप्रेतसमंधादी, रोगव्याधी समस्तही | नासती तूटती चिंता, आनंदे भीमदर्शनें ||१५||

हे धरा पंधरा श्लोकी, लाभली शोभली बरी | दृढदेहो निसंदेहो, संख्या चन्द्रकळागुणें ||१६||

रामदासी अग्रगण्यू, कपिकुळासि मंडणू | रामरूपी अंतरात्मा, दर्शनें दोष नासती ||१७||

॥ इति श्रीरामदासकृतं संकटनिरसनं मारुतिस्तोत्रं संपूर्णम् ।।

Hanuman Chalisa

Click Here to Buy Hanuman Products Online on Amazon

Click Here for Audible Audiobooks Free Trial and more

Share this Article with your family and friends in following Social Media 👇