Guiding Light: Bridging Adversity With Devotion

When you think of Sita-Ram, you also instantly think of Hanuman, such is the devotion of this most trusted companion of Shri Ram! And today, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, let us look at a few lessons that we can take from his illustrious life.

Adversity brings out the best in you: As Vayputra, Hanuman had several powers from an early age. However, being a mischievous child who enjoyed playing innocent pranks, he was cursed by an angry sage to forget all his powers. When Hanuman and the vanaras were helping Shri Ram to look for Sita, they finally got news that she was being held by Ravana on an island across the ocean. It is at this time that Jambavant reminded Hanuman of his powers, and through his intense desire to serve Shri Ram, they were restored. Oftentimes our most valuable qualities remain hidden until adversity strikes, and it is when we are forced to dig deep that we realise what we are really made of.

Think outside the box: When Hanuman was crossing the ocean, he encountered a demoness called Surasa, who insisted that she had been given a boon to feed on anything that crossed her way. After she refused to listen to reason, Hanuman, using quick wit, started to grow in form. Not to be outdone, Surasa also expanded, opening her giant mouth wide to swallow him. Quick-witted Hanuman then immediately shrank to a tiny form, flying into her mouth, and escaped before she could chomp down on him! In this way, he respected the boon and, at the same time, managed to outwit Surasa. In life, we are often faced with unexpected obstacles, and it is through sheer creativity and innovation that we manage to work around them to progress towards our goal.

Find opportunity in adversity: When Hanuman was captured (through his own choosing) and taken to Ravana’s court, the demon king ordered to set his tail on fire. Even while facing such adversity, Hanuman could think ahead and devised a clever plan to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. As the soldiers tried to wrap his tail with cloth and pour oil on it to set it afire, he kept elongating it, thus exhausting a huge amount of cloth and oil supplies, which would, otherwise, have been vital during the battle that was to follow. Thereafter, he flew all over the island, setting fire to the king’s defences and striking a critical first blow even before the battle had formally started. Problems are just opportunities disguised as such, and if we look closely, there is a silver lining to every challenge.

Hanuman is one of the strongest beings in the world, and yet he submits to the will of Shri Ram, and we, with our limited identities and human flaws, are constantly clamouring for reasons to make ourselves seem like a cut above the rest! His life is a great lesson in the virtues of obstacles, something we could all learn from today.