Hanuman Jayanti Reflection

Bal Hanuman once saw a shiny apple in the sky and flew to eat it. What Hanuman thought was an apple, was in reality the sun shining bright. Surya Dev, the Sun God, was scared to see Hanuman and asked Indra Dev for help. To save him, Indra hit Hanuman with his thunderbolt and he fell from the sky. Nevertheless, he was impressed by the feats of the child who had scared even the mighty gods.

The gods descended to earth and granted Hanuman several boons. Blessed with powers, he was a mighty warrior but still a mere child, and that too quite a mischievous one. The exuberant kid would interrupt sacrificial fires, break vessels, and nettle the hermits and sages living in the forest. One such incident angered the sages and they cursed Hanuman to forget his powers.

When Sita was abducted by Ravana, Hanumanji travelled south with a group to find her. However, no one could cross the huge ocean that lay before Ravana's kingdom, "Lanka". At this moment, Jambavan reminded Hanuman of his powers, and the curse was lifted. From this moment on, Hanumanji always used his power to help Rama, not for childish antics. His powers restored, Hanuman flew to Lanka, and played a key role in the rescue of Sita.

On the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti today, as we sing praises of the mighty Lord Hanuman, his life story is a reminder for us to use power for helping others. Hanuman was always powerful, but as a kid, he used his powers for mischief and entertainment, while after being reminded of the powers again by Jambavan, wielded them to help others.

As the humanitarian crisis unfolds in India, we as individuals and as a country should use our resources and efforts to help our fellow countrymen gasping to breathe. Helping others in their hour of need is one of the most pivotal lessons we can learn from Hanuman's life.

Jai Hanuman!