Within Earshot

“If you sway from the mission, Lakshmana’s exceedingly violent, vehement, ghastly and sharp arrows, travelling very fast and being difficult to even look at, will make you their target for destruction.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.19)

ati ugra vegā niśitā ghorā lakṣmaṇa sāyakāḥ |

apavṛttam jighāṃsanto mahāvegā durāsadāḥ

This is Shri Hanuman’s last attempt at getting the monkeys to remain steadfast on their assigned mission, that of finding an abducted princess. The task presented was difficult enough, as it had a time limit for completion attached, but now the monkeys were at a crossroad, facing the greatest obstacle towards success: lack of resolve. The time allotted for their mission having elapsed, the warriors in the lead party decided to either sit down and starve to death or take shelter in a beautiful cave. With both options, they would seemingly be protected from the wrath of their master, Sugriva, the Vanara king. Hanuman, by accurately pointing out the insurmountable fighting power of Shri Lakshmana, the younger brother of Lord Rama, hoped to get the monkeys to change their mind, but his efforts did not work. On top of trying to instill fear in the monkeys by reminding them that they wouldn’t be safe if they quit, Hanuman also tried to convince Angada, the leader of the monkey party, that Sugriva wouldn’t punish them should they return unsuccessful. But sadly, this tactic didn’t change anyone’s mind either, as Angada decided on the option of starving to death and the monkeys then followed his lead. Ironically enough, they were eventually saved by their inability to think of anyone else except Shri Rama, even while remaining in a somewhat peaceful condition.  Always keeping God on their minds, they could do nothing but talk of Rama’s exploits and discuss past events pertaining to His life. This remembrance of the Supreme Lord during the most difficult of times would end up saving them, allowing their mission to continue to its fruition.

Many thousands of years ago, during the Treta Yuga, the Supreme Lord descended to earth in human form as a prince named Rama. While residing in the forest of Dandaka, His beautiful and kind wife Sita Devi was kidnapped from the couple’s cottage. Not knowing her whereabouts, Shri Rama roamed the forests along with Lakshmana to look for the beautiful princess. Coming upon a forest called Kishkindha, which was inhabited by a race of human-like monkeys known as Vanaras, Rama forged an alliance with their leader, Sugriva, who had set up camp on the mountain called Rishyamukha. The now famous alliance was forged through the help of Sugriva’s chief minister and lead warrior, Lord Hanuman. After an agreement was reached as to what would be required from each side, Lord Rama went about helping Sugriva regain his kingdom from the powerful monkey Vali, who happened to also be Sugriva’s brother.

Rama having performed His part, it was now Sugriva’s turn to meet his obligation. He then dispatched his massive monkey army around the world to look for Sita. Though there were numerous search parties, only one group was deemed to have any chance at success. Not surprisingly, this group included Hanuman and Angada, who was Vali’s son and thus Sugriva’s nephew. Yet when the term for their mission expired, the monkeys became fearful of returning to Sugriva having been unsuccessful in locating Sita. Angada wanted to sit down quietly on the seashore and simply starve to death. This option would spare the monkeys the wrath which would surely come from Sugriva. Angada also thought the suicide option was the kinder one, as it would save Sugriva the potential sin of having to kill his dependents. Another monkey suggested that the group take refuge in a beautiful cave that was nearby. The monkeys as a whole asked Angada to come up with an option that would spare them punishment. But in any case, the decision to quit was already made.

Shri Hanuman did not like what he was hearing at all. He wanted to continue with the search or at the very least, return to Sugriva and let him know what had happened. Hanuman was not concerned about his own welfare, but only Sita’s and Rama’s. Even if the monkeys were not able to find Sita, they should at least tell Rama so that He would know what had happened. He could then make an informed decision as to what to do next.

Since Hanuman’s task of convincing all the monkeys to continue their efforts was quite difficult, the highly intelligent Vanara decided to employ the age-old tactic of dissension, something which is taught to aspiring leaders in the Vedic tradition. Along with pacification, donation of gifts and high posts, and punishment, bheda, or divide-and-conquer, is a legitimate and effective way of dealing with a detractor or an enemy. The key to dissension is doubt, especially when dealing with a large group. Hanuman planted the seeds of doubt by first praising Angada’s extraordinary strength, but then reminding all the monkeys of the immense power of Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana. In addition, Hanuman reminded Angada of the fickle-mindedness of monkeys, especially when they are separated from their loved ones. Since the monkeys would miss their wives and children, Angada should not expect any loyalty from them once the situation became dire. Just as blood is thicker than water, the attachment to family and home is much stronger than the will to starve oneself to death, especially when the species involved is naturally prone to sense gratification.

In the above referenced quote, Hanuman is accurately pointing out Lakshmana’s terrific fighting abilities. This statement is the conclusion of a nice hypothetical situation played out by Hanuman, wherein all the monkeys have abandoned Angada due to anxiety caused by separation from their loved ones. At the bottom of this slippery slope, after all preceding events have fired as planned, Angada would be so afraid and on edge that he would become scared at even the sound of the grass moving, thinking that it was Sugriva or Rama coming to attack him. Hanuman is increasing the anxiety of the scene by pointing out that Lakshmana’s arrows are powerful, swift and never miss their mark, so whoever is in their path will not be spared punishment. Simply by hearing of the decision to spurn Sugriva, Lakshmana would be forced to attack Angada.

Eventually, things would work out for the monkeys, due in no small part to Hanuman’s efforts. Yet, immediately following Hanuman’s attempt at dissension, Angada remained firm to his position, fearing the worst from Sugriva. Rather than return to Sugriva and deal with the consequences, Angada felt the better option was to sit down and quit. Though Angada told the monkeys to go back to Kishkindha, they all agreed to follow his lead. Touching water, the monkeys all sat down on the sacred grass, waiting for death to come. Just then, a powerful, elderly bird named Sampati came flying by. Seeing the monkeys sitting on the grass, the bird became overjoyed, as he had plans to eat them all.

While the monkeys were huddled up, they saw the bird coming their way. Thinking that death had come to take them, they couldn’t help but speak of Lord Rama and His activities. Angada, though he was frightened of the future situation, nevertheless spoke to Hanuman about Rama’s activities, the incidents that led to the Lord’s roaming of the forests, and the bravery shown by the bird Jatayu. When Sita was taken by the demon Ravana from her cottage in Rama and Lakshmana’s absence, a bird named Jatayu tried his best to stop the demon’s path. A terrible fight ensued in the air, with the bird eventually being mortally wounded by Ravana’s sword. Later on, Shri Rama happened to find Jatayu on the ground just before he quit his body.

“Anyone who quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

Angada was especially appreciative of Jatayu’s bravery and the fact that he attained the supreme destination after death. According to Vedic information, the person we refer to as “God” has an eternal, transcendental form which resides in the spiritual world. If one is able to concentrate the mind on this form at the time of death, they will be granted liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Any other consciousness while quitting the body leads to rebirth, a continuation of reincarnation. The effects of nature on the conditioned souls speak to the importance of the desires of the living entities; we always get what we want. If we want material enjoyment, wherein we make adjustments to the nature around us in hopes of sense gratification, we are allowed to remain in the material world.

Those who desire association with God are given spiritual bodies in the next life. Jatayu not only thought about God at the time of death, but he got to stare directly into His eyes as his life breath was leaving him. Overhearing the monkeys speaking of Jatayu, Sampati immediately changed his course. Jatayu was a hero and Sampati’s brother. Since he heard others speaking this way about his departed brother, Sampati decided to find out more information before making any attack.

As a result of their God consciousness, the monkeys were not only saved from being eaten, but they formed a friendship with Sampati, who subsequently gave them information about Sita’s whereabouts. Through the help offered by Sampati, the monkeys were able to learn that Sita was staying on the island kingdom of Lanka and their time was running short. Sampati remarked that since vultures like himself can fly at the highest altitudes, he was able to see all that was going on in Lanka. Due to his old age and injuries to his wings, he was unable to attack Ravana himself. Therefore he gave his blessings to the monkeys to go after Ravana and rescue Sita. Eventually, Shri Hanuman would be the only monkey able to leap across the ocean and reach the city. The rest was, as they say, history. Hanuman would find Sita, tell his monkey friends what he saw, and relay the information of Sita’s location back to Sugriva and Rama.  Then a massive fight ensued, and Sita would be safely rescued after Ravana’s defeat and death at the hands of Rama and the monkeys.

Though from this incident it appears that Angada was a bad character, he certainly was not. Just as Arjuna’s kind-heartedness caused him to temporarily deviate from the path of righteousness prior to the great Bharata War, Angada’s disappointment and lamentation led him to temporarily abandon the mission. Maya, the illusory energy pervading the phenomenal world, attacks every person, regardless of their physical and mental strength. What saved Angada and the monkeys was their total attachment and love for Rama and His associates. Though his unnecessary concern over trying to spare Sugriva the sin of punishing the monkeys caused a deviation from the righteous path, Angada, who was set on quitting his body through starvation, couldn’t help but talk about Sita, Jatayu and other people and events pertaining to Rama’s time on earth. The surrounding monkeys were not only benefitted in consciousness by hearing such transcendental talks, but the discourse also enabled them to achieve success in the mission. The monkeys struggle through adversity shows that talking about the Lord’s pastimes will always be beneficial. Even if we discuss the same transcendental topics over and over again, there are still new revelations to be discovered and fresh enjoyment to be found.

In this day and age, even if we can’t rattle off the Lord’s limitless activities, qualities and teachings, we can still talk about Him by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the lion guru and famous Vaishnava saint, said that even if a person is alone in a room, they should still chant this mantra regularly and loudly, for even the walls would benefit. The Lord’s name is completely transcendental, so naturally anyone who hears it will acquire pious credits, sukriti, in some way or another. Hanuman, the ever well-wisher of Shri Rama and His family, never talks of anything unrelated to God’s interests. His devotional attitude exhibited in the presence of the monkeys was infectious, and it soon permeated the entire army. Thus it is not surprising to see that they ended up successful in performing devotional service to the Lord.

Sleep With One Eye Open

“Bereft of your friends, well-wishers and relatives, you will be terribly afraid at even the movement of a blade of grass.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 54.18)

sa tvam hīnaḥ suhṛdbhiḥ ca hita kāmaiḥ ca bandhubhiḥ |

tṛṇāt api bhṛśa udvignaḥ spandamānāt bhaviṣyasi

Though this kind warning offered by Hanuman is aimed at changing an opinion, it also brings a smile to the faces of those who love the dear servant of Shri Rama. Religious life, including the attached scriptures, rules and regulations, are typically taken very seriously. This is justifiable because spirituality deals with the highest truths, issues pertaining to life and death and the future well-being of the soul. Yet there are also many humorous incidents described in the Vedic texts, with this interaction between Hanuman and Angada being one of them.

Hanuman’s statement illustrates his uncanny ability to pin his debate opponent into a logical corner. By presenting statements derived from accepted truths in such a perfect way, Angada really had no other option but to rethink his stated objective. The context of Hanuman’s statement is his attempt to raise dissension in a particular battalion of warriors who were tasked with finding the whereabouts of a missing princess. Many thousands of years ago, the goddess of fortune, the mother of the universe, appeared on earth in human form as a beautiful princess named Sita. When she reached an appropriate age, she was married, not surprisingly, to Lord Rama, an incarnation of the original Personality of Godhead.

“God” is too generic a term to sufficiently describe the Supreme Divine Entity who possesses a transcendental form that is eternally full of bliss and knowledge. To provide more information and enjoyment to the attentive listener, the same supreme entity can be referred to as Bhagavan, which means one who possesses every fortune, or estimable attribute. Since the size and scope of His presence are not limited, He kindly appears on earth at different times of His choosing. One such descent took place during the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation. A yuga is a measurement of time representing a division of the entire span of creation. The earth is not created just once; it goes through cycles of creation and destruction. As time and space are infinite, so is the number of life cycles of the innumerable universes and their many planets.

In the Treta Yuga, an epoch where man was still generally pious, the Lord appeared as a handsome and pious prince named Rama. For the title of king to have meaning, there must be a kingdom to rule over. In a similar manner, a divine prince must have an accompanying princess to enjoy life with. Thus Rama was married to none other than Sita, His life partner both on earth and in the imperishable sky. The two enjoyed married life for a long time, but they had to face separation on a few occasions. The nefarious activities of a very powerful demon named Ravana caused the most troublesome and fearful time of separation from Rama for Sita. This lusty individual, who was accustomed to eating animal flesh and drinking wine, created a ruse which allowed him to take Sita away from Rama behind the Lord’s back.

In His subsequent search for Sita, Rama, accompanied by His younger brother Lakshmana, made His way to the forest of Kishkindha, which was inhabited at the time by a race of monkeys known as Vanaras. A Vanara is usually taken to be a monkey, but we can think of them more as a simian species possessing human-like characteristics. They were forest dwellers, so they had a monkey form and animalistic tendencies, but they could still talk and behave in a somewhat civilized manner.

The leader of the monkeys was Sugriva, who forged an alliance with Rama through the help of Hanuman. Shri Hanuman is a celebrated figure in the Vedic tradition, and his worshipable status came into being with his initial meeting with Rama and Lakshmana. Through Hanuman’s efforts, Sugriva was able to befriend Rama and subsequently regain his kingdom from his brother Vali. In return for Rama’s help, Sugriva agreed to help find Sita. The monkey-king dispatched his massive army across the globe to look for the beautiful princess. Though many search parties were sent out, Hanuman’s group was understood to be the most capable, and thus all hopes for success were invested in them.

After a month, Hanuman’s party, which was led by Angada, Sugriva’s nephew, had yet to make any progress. Fearing the wrath of Sugriva, Angada decided to abandon the mission and starve to death. Angada, as a sweet and kind-hearted servant, thought it would be better to spare Sugriva the potential sin of having to severely punish the monkeys for failing in the mission. Yet another commander named Tara thought maybe the monkeys should take refuge in a beautiful cave that was adjacent to the seashore the monkeys found themselves on. Faced with all these options, the monkey host asked Angada for a solution to be crafted where they could remain alive. The logic behind the quitting option presented by the monkeys seemed pretty sound. “If we go back to Sugriva, he will surely be angry with us for not having found Sita. Plus Rama and Lakshmana surely won’t be happy either. Thus it is better to live out our days in this beautiful cave crafted by the demon Maya. Here no one will find us, so we will be able to live in peace.”

Hanuman did not like this new course of action at all. To him, personal comfort was not of any concern. Shri Rama was back at the camp waiting for information about Sita. If the monkeys were to give up and not tell anyone about it, Rama would be left waiting indefinitely. The longer He would have to wait, the more the chances of rescuing Sita would diminish. Even if Sugriva and Rama were to get angry, Hanuman wasn’t afraid to take the punishment, for then at least Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, would be informed of the present situation.

So what was Hanuman to do? According to Vedic tenets, teachings which originate from the Lord and have been passed down from the beginning of time, there are three ways for an administrator to deal with opposing elements. One option is to take to flattery, i.e. compliment the enemy and offer gifts. Another option is brute force; take to fighting the enemy directly to compel them to adhere to the dictates of the state. Shri Hanuman chose the third option, that of fomenting dissension.

Being privy to Hanuman’s thought process and knowing which tactic he was employing, studying the subsequent words he directed at Angada surely can evoke laughter. Hanuman addressed Angada in front of all the monkeys to make sure they heard everything he was saying. First, he praised Angada for his great fighting ability and strength. But then Hanuman also praised the other monkeys and said that they wouldn’t be able to stand separation from their loved ones for very long. Monkeys are naturally fickle-minded, as is common for any animal lacking real intelligence. Hanuman also accurately pointed out that Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother, would be able to rip apart their sanctuary cave by firing a single arrow from his bow. These arrows, which Lakshmana had a numerous supply of and were made of iron, would be so powerful that they would tear apart the cave like a leaf that is cut off from its bed by a sword. On top of the potential destruction, the monkeys would also remember the association of their wives and family members. Missing their company, the monkeys would indeed be prone to abandoning Angada’s course of action.

In the above referenced statement, Hanuman is warning Angada of what would happen once the monkeys would leave. Hanuman predicts that Angada, by living alone, would be so worried about outside attack that he would have to essentially sleep with one eye open. When a person knows they have done something wrong, they are usually quite fearful of getting caught. An innocent person has no reason to be afraid or nervous around people of authority, but a criminal has every reason to be. Since Angada knew he was doing something wrong by abandoning the mission, he would surely spend every minute of every day in trepidation.

Through his diplomatic presentation, Hanuman carefully worked his way through a hypothetical situation that resulted in the worst possible predicament for Angada. Once the monkeys would abandon him, they would surely return to Sugriva and inform him of what happened. Sugriva, Rama and Lakshmana would then search out Angada to punish him. They would know where he was because the other monkeys would reveal the location of the secret hideaway. Angada would thus have to be on the lookout for attackers coming to punish him for his transgression.

Hanuman tells Angada that he will be so afraid that even the movement of a blade of grass will scare him. Aside from those with allergies, grass is relatively harmless to all forms of life. Due to its humble position on the floor of the earth, it sways constantly from the blowing of the wind and the actions of others. Angada would be so nervous that the harmless movement of the grass would cause him great fear. In this way Hanuman has totally broken apart Angada’s stated objective of finding peace through renunciation. The premise of the courses of action presented by Angada and the monkeys was that no one would be able to find them in the cave or on the seashore. By informing Angada that the monkeys would eventually turn on him and reveal his location to Sugriva, the original premise was invalidated, thus also nullifying the conclusion of a peaceful condition.

“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty; for by working without attachment, one attains the Supreme.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.19)

Devotional service, or following the interests of the Supreme Lord, is always the better option. Upon hitting a fork in the road, the path which has the potential to lead to God’s satisfaction should be taken. When activities are adopted that strictly lead to personal interest, trouble lurks around every corner. Whatever pleasant condition one thinks they have accounted for can be picked apart in an instant, as it was with the monkeys in Angada’s party. The devotional path is always safer because it is directly tied to the Supreme Lord. He is the creator of every circumstance in this world, so if one takes to pleasing Him, Bhagavan will most certainly look out for the devotee.

More than just a lofty promise, the vow of Divine protection has played out time and time again. Angada and the other monkeys, after initially deciding upon the starvation option, would eventually continue their search for Sita. Yet their path was not easy in the least bit, with Hanuman meeting many obstacles along the way. But the Lord, as the supreme arranger, seeing that the monkeys were sincere in their service to Him, guaranteed their success. Even Sita Devi, the person whom the monkeys were searching for, granted benedictions to Hanuman after she met him in Lanka. The Lord is never alone; His wonderful and kind spiritual family is always there to offer a helping hand to the sincere soul.

The most important mission in life, the best way to satisfy the Supreme Lord, is to take the necessary steps to join Him in the spiritual world, a reunion which can only materialize through steady practice of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. The quintessential act of bhakti is the chanting of the Lord’s names. No sequence of words better incorporates Bhagavan’s names, potencies and kind nature than does the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Shri Hanuman, after serving Rama to the best of his abilities, received the benediction of remaining on earth for as long as the Lord’s story continued to be told. Thus Hanuman spends every minute of every day thinking about Rama, Sita and Lakshmana and chanting their holy names. He sleeps in peace because he knows that God is always with him. Following any course of action divorced of a relationship to the personal form of Supreme Spirit will lead to constant angst, where one must remain on the lookout at all times. But in spiritual life, the tables turn. When following the path of bhakti, instead of the individual always being on alert for potential enemy attack, it is the Supreme Lord who remains ever vigilant in His defense of His sincere devotee. As such, the latter option, the path of bhakti, is always superior.

Are You Better Off

“Remembering their sons and wives, always being hungry and in anxiety, lamenting their painful situation these monkeys will turn their backs on you.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.17)

smarantaḥ putra dārāṇām nitya udvignā bubhukṣitāḥ |

kheditā duḥkha śayyābhiḥ tvām kariṣyanti pṛṣṭhataḥ

Originating from Ronald Reagan’s famous debate with Jimmy Carter in 1980, “Are you better off today than you were before?” is now likely the most common question posed to voters by challengers looking to unseat incumbent politicians. More than any other barometer, the simple comparison of one’s life conditions between two periods of time can be enough to determine who will be supported in the upcoming election. Though civics can involve many levels of administration and decision-making and thus be difficult to comprehend, the voting public will ignore all the details and focus directly on the current situation at hand. If they are in a better predicament after having followed a particular leader’s implemented plan of action, they will likely approve of the incumbent’s remaining in office. On the other hand, if things turn sour, voters will turn their backs immediately on the existing leadership, choosing a different course of action. Indeed, a challenger often doesn’t even have to present anything substantive to the voters as far as policy goes. They can simply call for change, without actually defining what they will do differently, and still end up winning office. Shri Hanuman, the faithful servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was well aware of how constituents assess their leaders, and he used this knowledge to advance the interests of his beloved friend, master and worshipable object.

In a democratically elected and run government, passing legislation is not easy. Though presidents and prime ministers get the royal treatment upon assuming office and are viewed as ultimate authority figures, their powers are quite limited. In America for example, the head of the executive branch really can’t do much. At most the president can sign and veto legislation, appoint members to the Cabinet and judiciary, and decide where and when the armed forces go into battle. Even the power to make appointments to the Cabinet and federal judgeships is checked. A president may nominate a person for the Supreme Court, but the candidate must be approved by the Senate, which is the upper house of the legislature. All spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Due to these limitations, a president shouldn’t be given full credit or blame for legislation that deals with taxation and spending.

The executive takes on his true power when he speaks. The president, or leader of a nation, is deemed to have the “bully pulpit”, which means that the executive branch has a large platform from which it can attempt to persuade the minds of the members of Congress and the voting public. When the president speaks, people listen. Because of the large megaphone, so much power and influence is ascribed to the executive. When it comes time to vote, the current situation of the country is tagged directly to the leader. The fact that legislation can take years to really take hold is not considered during election season. Rather, the majority of voters make their decision based on the answer to the simple question of, “Am I better off today than I was when I voted for such and such officeholder in the previous election?”

At the heart of material life, or fruitive activity, is the family. Man usually can tolerate personal insults and hardships, but when the same are directed at wives, husbands, parents, or children, the harsh treatment becomes intolerable. For example, in the sport of professional baseball, it is not uncommon for batters to get hit by pitches. The pitcher is trying to get the batter out, and since this involves throwing the ball at varying speeds to different locations unknown to the batter, sometimes the pitcher will make a mistake with their pitch and accidentally hit the batter. Getting hit by a baseball travelling at one hundred miles per hour is not a pleasant experience, and the immediate pain that results can cause irritation that boils up to the point of rage. The batter is already angry at being hit, but by maintaining a rational mindset, they can understand that perhaps the pitcher made a mistake.

Yet self-control and rationality go right out the window if the batter gets hit in the head by the ball. Then the errant pitch is deemed a personal attack. “This pitcher is throwing at my head. He is trying to end my career, which will result in my family losing their source of income. Since the pitcher is attacking my family, I must retaliate.” The immediately available option of retaliation is violence. As such, the angered batter then charges the mound and takes swings at the pitcher. The impetus for this violence is the perceived attack on the family members. This speaks to the truth that the family represents the most potent form of material strength, comfort, attachment and affection. If ever a person wants to influence another’s behavior, they simply have to bring up issues of family and the effect a particular action will have on them.

The strong attachment man has to his family was well known to Shri Hanuman, a divine figure and object of worship who performed many wonderful pastimes many thousands of years ago on this earth. In fact, Hanuman lives for as long as the story of his supreme object of affection continues to be recited, honored and learned from. Who is Hanuman’s favorite person? Who is that one entity who gives Hanuman so much bliss that he refuses to quit his body for fear of being separated from the name, form and pastimes related to his object of worship? This entity is none other than the Supreme Lord Himself in His form of Lord Rama.

Rama may be considered a sectarian figure, a god of the Hindus, but there is no such thing as a god for one group of individuals and a separate primary deity for another. The Supreme Lord is a universal figure, the person to whom we are all attached based on our constitutional makeup. As individual spirit souls, our nature is to love, affection of the transcendental variety that is directed at one entity, the Supreme Soul. Upon taking birth in a perishable realm, the natural loving propensity gets redirected at other objects and entities. Every intense emotion of this world, even hatred, is related to the natural yearning to serve Supreme Spirit.

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

The purified souls, those who have transcended the three modes of material nature, can correctly identify the ultimate object of pleasure and worship. The modes of nature, which consist of goodness, passion and ignorance, are difficult to overcome due to their binding effect. Guna is a Sanskrit word that means “quality”, but it can also be translated to mean a rope. A rope keeps the enveloped object bound up in a particular condition. Freeing oneself of the bonds of a rope is not easy; it requires intelligence, strength, perseverance and help from others. Therefore, to become liberated from the effects of material nature, the strongest of which cause the redirection of the loving propensity, can take many successive lifetimes on earth.

Yet some notable personalities, such as Lord Hanuman, a kind-hearted individual beaming with divine energy who assumes the outward dress of a Vanara [advanced monkey], are eternally liberated. Man’s imagination and mental speculation has led to the making of classic adventure movies depicting a world run by apes and also theories that mankind has descended from the simian. But the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, not only give us concrete information about the soul but also of the types of body it can acquire while residing in the material world. The three aforementioned modes of nature can be combined into many different proportions. The result of this most intelligent of scientific experiments is the creation of 8,400,000 different species. Therefore it is not surprising at all to hear that there was once a time when human-like monkeys roamed the earth, as was the case during the Treta Yuga, the second time period [epoch] of creation.

The Treta Yuga is notable for the high level of piety present amongst members of society, and also for the Supreme Absolute Truth, the universal Lord, the non-sectarian Divine Figure, having descended to earth in the guise of a warrior prince named Rama during its time. As part of His glorious pastimes, Rama befriended a group of Vanaras living in the Kishkindha forest. Divine mercy is not the exclusive property of any religious sect or country, and it is also not reserved solely for the human beings. A soul is a soul, so any form of life is considered to be part and parcel of God. Just because one person is very intelligent and another is not does not mean that God only gives attention and protection to the more intelligent. The only difference between an animal and a human being is the potential for intelligence. A human being has a greater potential for knowledge acquisition and the ability to subsequently act off of that higher standard of information, but otherwise the basic nature of activities is the same as it is for animals.

The Lord befriended the Vanaras because He wanted help finding His missing wife, Sita Devi. Rama never requires any external information, wisdom, or effort, but since it is the natural tendency of the soul to love, Bhagavan facilitates the exchange of that pure service by creating situations where transcendental activities are required. In the absence of such situations, the purified soul would be prone to misdirecting its love towards things which are not personally God, or maya. The Vanaras living in Kishkindha were actually all celestial figures who had descended from the spiritual world. Indeed, Hanuman was the son of the wind-god, Vayu. Sugriva, a son of the sun-god, Surya, was the leader of the monkey kingdom in Kishkindha and Hanuman was his chief aide.

Following Sugriva’s orders, the monkeys divided up into groups and scoured the earth looking for Sita. Hanuman’s group had the most powerful monkeys in it, including Angada, Sugriva’s nephew. After searching for over a month, the monkeys grew weary. They came up on a beautiful looking cave which had many appealing aspects to it. The allure had no relation to the mission at hand and everything to do with the easy life, i.e. giving up or retirement. Angada convinced the other monkeys to abandon the mission and either take refuge in the cave or simply starve to death on the shore of the nearby ocean.

Hanuman did not like these new options. He thought that, at the very least, they should return to Sugriva and tell him that they had failed in the mission. The cave was appealing to those who wanted to quit because it appeared to be impenetrable and full of material delights. In fact, the hidden dwelling had been created by the demon Maya in days past. Hanuman, knowing that the chosen course of action was incorrect, went to work creating dissension amongst the members of the group. Bheda, or divide-and-conquer, is an age-old tactic taught to aspiring rulers in the Vedic tradition. Governments shouldn’t solely rely on public polling and the pulse of the electorate to make decisions; they should also employ trusted techniques aimed at maintaining peace in the land, methods that deal directly with enemies. While options such as punishment and pacification certainly prove effective, dissension is also a great way of dealing with an opposing element because it picks away at the enemy’s strength from within. Angada’s power came from the support he received from the other monkeys. Therefore Hanuman chose to create doubt in the minds of these monkeys while they were in Angada’s presence.

In the above referenced statement, we see Hanuman accurately pointing out that the monkeys would not remain supportive of Angada for long, especially once they started missing their wives and children. Angada, in this instance, was akin to a political leader who was about to choose a distinct course of action. In due time, however, the voters, represented by the members of the monkey army, would have to decide whether or not to reelect Angada. The appeal of Angada’s potential choice related to the sense pleasures available in the cave and to the lack of punishment from Sugriva. The king of the monkeys had given the soldiers one month to find Sita, otherwise they would face severe punishment. The option of starving to death on the seashore seemed more appealing than dealing with Sugriva’s wrath. But if either of Angada’s options were adopted, after a short while the monkeys would inevitably ask themselves the question, “Am I better off today than I was before?” Since their friends and family would not be around, surely the answer to this question would be “No.” Once this conclusion would be reached, Angada would be dethroned, the monkeys would return to Kishkindha, and all who had abandoned the mission would be punished.

What’s amazing is that Hanumanji realized this future sequence of events within minutes. Hanuman’s wisdom, quick-wittedness and ability to think on his feet are the result of acting in pure devotion, or God consciousness. Hanuman had no particular interest in politics or psychology, but he was more than willing to use whatever tools he had at his disposal to further Rama’s interests. His only concern was completing the mission given to him by Rama. Whatever he could do to achieve success for Rama is the course of action he would take.

The point of human life is to act in God’s interests, which are clearly laid out in the Vedas. The animal has no ability to even understand the presence of the soul, let alone take the necessary steps to free itself from the clutches of material nature that squeeze the life out of the senses at every second. Every person has certain qualities and work prescribed to them, so these duties should be performed with detachment and dedication. The highest duty of all is that of returning back to the spiritual world, where the natural loving propensity can be practiced in a pure way. In order to achieve success in the mission assigned to us, we have to be convinced of its validity. If we ask ourselves the question, “Are we better off today than we were at the time of our birth?”, the answer will surely be “No” if we are not God conscious. After all, at the time of birth, we had no attachments to anyone or anything. We didn’t even have any worries relating to work, school, or family. If our tremendous potential for divine love remains untapped all the way up until the time of death, the soul again gets placed in the material ocean, having to learn how to swim all over again.

Progress is not found in technological advancements or supposedly new theories that describe man as the ultimate enjoyer. When one gets closer and closer to reaching the spiritual kingdom, they have made the most permanent and irrevocable progress. The path that leads to the spiritual world is devotional service, a discipline that is open to every single person, regardless of their material qualities and prescribed duties. Any person can chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, and worship the Lord at all times. The resulting condition known as Krishna consciousness manifests in activities, as was seen with Hanuman’s behavior. As a reward for his dedication to the Lord, Hanuman would end up successfully finding Sita and returning the information of her whereabouts to Rama. The jewel of the Raghu dynasty, Shri Rama, would march to the island kingdom of Lanka, defeat Sita’s captor and rescue the divine princess. At the end of the day, everyone, including Angada and the Vanaras, would be better off as a result of their perseverance in executing the sublime mission assigned to them. If we follow the example set by the great Vanaras, we too can surely find the best situation in the future.

Then It All Crashes Down

“O chastiser of the enemy, as soon as you settle upon this, all the monkeys will decide to abandon you with fixed determination.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.16)

avasthāne yadā eva tvam āsiṣyasi parantapa |

tadā eva harayaḥ sarve tyakṣyanti kṛta niścayāḥ

The workings of life are certainly a great mystery. Just when you think everything is finally settled and all obstacles in the way of the stated objective have been removed, everything just gets swept right from underneath you. As soon as power is consolidated through great effort, it all crashes down in an instant. What causes the constant toggling of gain and loss? Why can’t life be peaceful, especially for those who are providing protection for others? These constant changes in fortune are rooted in desire and fickleness of mind. One notable warrior and historical personality was fully cognizant of these features of the uncontrolled mind, and he used this knowledge to his advantage. Understanding full well the dangers of complacency formed in response to being given important tasks, this dedicated warrior and servant of the jewel of the Raghu dynasty voiced words of reason to those who were doubtful of the proposed plan of action. The statements emanating from the lotus mouth of Sugriva’s famed emissary were presented with a purpose, that of achieving success in one of the most difficult and important missions ever presented to a faithful servant.

Though not directly perceptible to the naked eye, life around us is changing at every second. The earth is constantly moving, so the exact positioning of the sun in relation to the earth is never steady. The growth of the outer body of the numerous life forms inhabiting the world also occurs subtly, so it is not easy to tell when someone has gained weight, lost hair, or grown in height. Usually when seeing someone after a long time, these changes are distinct in their appearance, but for those who are around the same person every day, the gradual changes go unnoticed. Of all the shifts that constantly take place, the most rapid and unpredictable are those pertaining to the mind. It is the nature of the individual spiritual spark to crave activity. Even sleep, which is seemingly the antithesis of fruitive work, involves activity. In fact, a sudden spike in brain activity is precisely what precedes the sleeping state. It is not until the mind starts racing from one thought to another that the fatigued individual lying in bed finally falls asleep.

“One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.66)

The desires of the mind prove to be peace’s greatest enemy. Who in this world isn’t looking for peace? Fruitive workers spend long hours at the office for the purpose of coming home to a happy condition, one where no deadlines have to be met and no pressures are present. The stressed out worker desperately seeks this condition because as soon as the next day starts, the pressures of occupation come to bear once again. It is not uncommon for the worker disturbed by an overburden of responsibility and the fear of failure to dream of retirement, a time when they can live in peace without anyone around to bother them. This very temptation once tugged at the mind of a noble and powerful warrior named Angada. Though he was initially unable to resist the allurement of sudden renouncement, the urge to abandon his prescribed duties, through the help of one of his associates, he was eventually able to realign himself with the proper course of action.

Many thousands of years ago, the prince of Ayodhya, Lord Rama, graced this earth with the impression of His soft lotus feet and the vision of His divine form. As He was so ordered by His father, Maharaja Dasharatha, Rama roamed the forests of India for fourteen years. Since His beautiful wife, Sita Devi, was with Him, there was special attention given for her protection. Unfortunately, Rama was unable to keep her from being taken away by a Rakshasa demon named Ravana. When Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana subsequently went looking for her, they made their way to a forest named Kishkindha. At the time Kishkindha was inhabited by forest-dwellers known as Vanaras. These inhabitants were monkeys in appearance, but they were also very human-like. Their leader was Sugriva, and he immediately forged an alliance with Rama, crafting a sort of “I scratch your back, you scratch mine” compact.

Rama met His end of the deal by getting Sugriva his kingdom back. Sugriva returned the favor by dispatching his massive monkey army around the world to look for Sita. The strongest party included Angada, Sugriva’s nephew, and Hanuman, Sugriva’s chief minister and most trusted aide. Indeed, it was Hanuman who had brokered the deal between Sugriva and Rama. Shri Hanuman is the most capable fighter, scholar, teacher, servant and adherent to the dictates of the Supreme Lord. Upon their initial meeting, he correctly identified Rama for who He was, an incarnation of the original Personality of Godhead residing in the spiritual sky. Therefore Hanuman took Sugriva’s mission as his life and soul, for he knew the task presented was really for Rama’s benefit.

Unfortunately, the monkeys found the mission to be very difficult. Angada at one point decided to give up and either take refuge in a beautiful cave by the seashore or simply sit and starve to death. Hanuman did not like the change in plans. If the monkeys were going to abandon the mission, they should at least return to Kishkindha and let Sugriva and Rama know what happened. Angada, as the de facto leader of the group, had tremendous pull with the other monkeys. Therefore his decision to quit would influence the other monkeys into renouncing the mission as well. Angada figured the monkeys would be safer staying away from Sugriva and living out their remaining days on earth without conflict.

In the above referenced statement, Hanuman is accurately pointing out the dangers of such a tactic. In actuality, Hanuman was playing a psychological game, trying to create dissension amongst the ranks. If he could raise doubts in the minds of the monkeys and in Angada, the chances of abandoning the decided faulty course of action would increase. Angada was thinking his life would be peaceful and secure by remaining in the cave along with his monkeys or by simply sitting quietly and waiting for death to come. With the cave option, Angada would essentially become the king of a new land. Yet Hanuman points out that the monkeys would surely abandon Angada very quickly, for their wives and relatives were all back home.

A king can rule for only as long as his subjects are happy. Moreover, as soon as the subjects flee, the king loses his authority and his position. In order to be considered a ruler, there must be subjects to control. Hanuman warns that as soon as Angada’s powerful position would be established through abandoning Sugriva’s mission, the new kingdom would immediately come crashing down due to the fickle-mindedness of the monkeys. Not only would the monkeys abandon Angada, but they would be fixed in their determination to leave him. They may have been on the fence about quitting and siding with Angada, but as soon as the path of renouncement would prove to be futile, their dedication to the new path of leaving Angada behind would be even stronger.

This pattern of behavior predicted by Hanuman shows that in order for one to be happy, their desires must be satisfied. In order for desires to be fulfilled, the activities adopted must provide happiness and satisfaction to the soul. Giving up surely wasn’t going to secure any real happiness. In this instance, quitting was simply a way to avoid a negative condition, punishment from Sugriva. The monkey-king gave them one month to find Sita, and since that time period had elapsed, they would surely face his wrath upon returning without any information of the princess’ whereabouts. Yet even with the supposed absence of distress that comes with quitting, the mind will still wander towards those engagements that aim to fulfill new desires, hopes of maybe finding a greater happiness elsewhere.

The monkeys had two other choices that didn’t seem so palatable. They could continue with their mission and try to find Sita, or they could return to Sugriva and tell him what had happened. Of these two options, the former was actually better because it involved devotional service to the Lord. As mentioned before, the mind always desires something, a penchant derived from the natural loving propensity of the soul. Individual spirit, being part and parcel of God, is always blissful, knowledgeable and full of love. In the uncontaminated state, love is directed at the soul’s life partner, the Supreme Soul. In the conditioned state, love turns towards friends, family, community, nation and even enemies. Hate is simply the complete reversal of the loving propensity.

When love is directed at God, the activities that result are of the topmost variety. Yet dedication to these activities is difficult to maintain. The world we live in is full of material allurements, objects which are competing for the love we want to give. In Angada’s case, his inclination towards service was misdirected towards sensual enjoyments that would come from taking refuge in a cave that was crafted by the demon Maya or by simply sitting quietly and abandoning assertive action related to the mission. The word “maya” means that which is not, or something illusory. Hanuman is exposing this illusion by letting Angada know that the monkeys wouldn’t remain his subjects forever. The monkeys, though kindly engaged in the mission given to them by Sugriva, had a natural bond of affection for their family members back home. Since in this instance, the king, Angada, was serving his senses, service to the king would only be facilitating illusion. When the soul’s love is offered to something transient, the resulting happiness is short-lived and destined to fizzle out.

Hanuman’s words were guided by his pure desire to only offer his service to Rama, the Supreme Lord. The wonderful opportunity to personally serve Bhagavan was available to the other monkeys as well, but through hesitancy, fear and the perceived safety of complacency they weren’t taking advantage of their tremendous fortune. Through the help of Hanuman and the subsequent meeting with the bird Sampati, the monkeys would end up successfully finding Sita and returning to Sugriva and Rama with the good news. For those of us who find ourselves in a predicament similar to Angada’s, we can heed Hanuman’s advice and be saved from potential disaster in the future. In the manifested world, around every corner there are the allures of maya, those things which are not personally Bhagavan, quietly whispering in our ear to abandon righteousness, piety and the proper course of action in favor of a condition deemed more peaceful. But maya’s advances can never eliminate the natural inclinations of the mind towards loving service, as was correctly pointed out by Hanuman when he told Angada that the monkeys wouldn’t remain satisfied for long by deviating from the divine engagement handed to them.

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.66)

Just as the monkeys eventually took to devotional service, we too can carry out the Lord’s orders by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Since this sacred formula carries the holy names of the Lord, it acts as a torchlight resting on the tongue, illuminating both the inside and outside of the body. As the doorway to the heart, which carefully protects the individual soul, the tongue that regularly recites the non-different names of the Absolute Truth directly responds to Krishna’s call in the Bhagavad-gita that one should surrender unto Him and be delivered from all sinful reaction. The desire to separate from God represents the original sin and most grievous transgression, a poisonous gift that keeps on giving by leading to the worst of negative conditions, continued separation from the Lord. Giving up the will to fight is what constitutes real surrender. When attached to spiritual life, surrender equates to abandoning the hope of being a greater enjoyer than God.

Taking to devotional service by adhering to regular practices like chanting and worshiping is the easiest way to surrender because the sincere step towards the unrelenting spiritual light represents a true waving of the white flag. More than just professing an allegiance, those faithfully engaged in Krishna’s service back up their claims of religiousness and piety. Whether one starts out religious or not, the chanting process will be successful in quelling harmful desires. There is no difference between the Lord and His name, so even if one is inclined towards sensual enjoyment and the illusory happiness it brings, constant recitation of the holy name will be effective nonetheless.

The greatest servant is one who serves the master without motivation and without interruption. When actions are continually performed under this mindset, without any concern for success or failure, the servant actually surpasses the master in stature, as was the case with Shri Hanuman, who became so endeared to Rama, Lakshmana and Sita that he is worshiped today by millions. Wherever there is Hanuman, there is love, dedication and perseverance leading to the param gatim, or highest destination. Since Hanuman was with them, Angada and the other monkeys were never in any danger of failing.

Iron Arrows

“Lakshmana has many naracha arrows [made of iron] that are just like the thunderbolt hurled by Indra and lightning in the potency of their impact, as they can even split mountains.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.15)

lakṣmaṇasya ca nārācā bahavaḥ santi tat vidhāḥ |

vajra aśani sama sparśā girīṇām api dārakāḥ

Shri Lakshmana, the kind, compassionate, devoted and sweet younger brother of Lord Rama, is composed entirely of pure goodness. He possesses every desirable trait imaginable, and he uses all of his potencies to protect the interests of the Supreme Lord. God, as the all-powerful and omnipresent Lord, certainly doesn’t need a protector, but He derives tremendous pleasure from pure association. We too enjoy spending time with our close relatives, friends and children, so why shouldn’t the Lord have a penchant for the same activity? He is everyone’s father after all, so He is inherently tied at the hip to every single individual spanning every type of body. Yet since God is the Supreme Pure, He has a higher standard for enjoyment. As such, divine satisfaction only comes from association with those who want to be with God. Lakshmana cannot survive in Rama’s absence, a feature which makes him worthy of worship from all of mankind. Yet Lakshmana’s desire for association is not of the selfish variety. He is ready, willing and able to do whatever Rama asks of him, and even sometimes things the Lord doesn’t openly request.

What does this mean exactly? When love is very strong, the lover will take to action they deem to be beneficial for the object of their affection. Sometimes the loved will not ask for such dedication or maybe they will outwardly voice their displeasure at a particular behavior, but the lover nonetheless continues on their decided course. This is the case with Lakshmana, who as a great bow warrior, was ready to attack anyone who wronged his brother during the duo’s time spent on earth many thousands of years ago. This isn’t to say that Lakshmana was impious in any way, but since Rama, as a prince devoted to the rules of propriety and religion, was completely pure and free of sin from the perspective of ordinary piety, anyone who would wrong Him would surely be worthy of punishment. Keenly aware of this, Lakshmana always stayed by his brother’s side and was ready to attack any enemy with his arrows. This behavior was noted, appreciated and remembered by Shri Hanuman, another faithful servant of Rama’s, who kindly reminded a dear friend of Lakshmana’s nature during a particularly difficult time.

During the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, the Supreme Absolute Truth, the one person beyond duality and illusion, appeared in this temporary and miserable world out of His own free will. The perceptible world is considered miserable because there is no single permanent condition. Therefore even a turn in fortune deemed positive and beneficial will eventually have to fizzle out. This world is not a permanent home for any person, but rather a prison house aimed at reforming those spirit souls whose desires became polluted to the point that they wanted to imitate the Supreme Absolute Truth. God is known as the only truth because there is no denying any of His potencies or attributes. Even the atheists worship God in His separated feature of matter. One may deny the Lord’s existence and refuse to say His name, but they will meet Him anyway at the time of death, for even the greatest skeptic of religion must succumb to the forces of time. We may be very wealthy, beautiful and wise, but since death is imminent, these attributes eventually disintegrate. Since God never dies, the truths which describe Him can be considered absolute. There is no logical proof or series of statements that can be taken together that will nullify the Supreme Lord’s authority.

When the wayward spirit souls become envious of God’s position or when they too would like to enjoy the benefits of being supremely powerful, a temporary realm is created for them to act out their desires. The flawed desire to imitate God cannot be acted upon in the spiritual world; therefore a temporary realm is needed. Since no one can actually become God, the temporary playing field automatically becomes a place full of miseries. Competition for supremacy in small and large scales results in cheating, lying, stealing, war, famine, pestilence, etc. When the individual residing within a specific body type runs out of ammunition, their present body is destroyed and a new one is immediately given. Hence the process of reincarnation continues until the desires of the conditioned soul completely change. When desire is purified, the soul returns to the spiritual world, where it once again enjoys God’s association, but this time for all of eternity.

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

In order to facilitate the purification of desire, the Supreme Absolute Truth descends to earth from time to time. Since He is the creator of matter, which is the predominant agent of the temporary realm, the Lord cannot be subject to its forces. There is an energy that governs this world which fools us into thinking that there is no God and that mundane enjoyment is actually of the topmost level. The influence of this energy is best seen in the activities of lower grade animals. A pig rolls around in its own stool all day. Yet the pig is not concerned at all with the uncleanliness of such a living situation, nor is it worried about what others will think of their behavior. To the intelligent human being, such a lifestyle is repugnant.

Just the ability to compare and make judgments on behavior shows that the human being has a heightened level of intelligence. The higher potential for knowledge acquisition was given to man for a reason. It was not meant to be squandered away through acts of sense gratification, which bring a level of enjoyment already available to the less intelligent animal species. Rather, the mature human being has a chance to see the temporary nature of the world and the influence of overindulgence in sense gratification. Yet even with the heightened potential for intelligence, mankind still falls victim to maya’s influences. Even those who are directly engaged in God’s service can fall off the straightened path when faced with temptation. The Vanaras of the Kishkindha forest many thousands of years ago had a brief departure from the path of dharma, but fortunately they had one of the Lord’s dearest servants with them to keep the torchlight of transcendental knowledge ablaze.

During the Treta Yuga, God appeared on earth as Lord Rama, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty. Roaming the earth alongside His wife, Sita Devi, and Lakshmana, Rama took up residence in the forest of Dandaka for some time. On one occasion, Sita would be kidnapped by a demon named Ravana. Not at the hermitage at the time, Rama and Lakshmana returned to see that she was missing. In their subsequent search for her whereabouts, the two brothers made their way to the forest of Kishkindha, which was inhabited by a group of Vanaras, an elevated race of monkeys. The ruler on Mount Rishyamukha in Kishkindha was Sugriva, and through the efforts of Hanuman, Sugriva’s chief minister, Rama and the monkey-king forged an alliance. Rama first delivered on His promises, which then left the burden up to Sugriva to come through on his. Sugriva had agreed to help Rama find Sita, so in order to achieve this end, the monkey-king dispatched his massive army around the world. The task was pretty straightforward: the monkeys had one month to find where Sita was and return that information to the camp.

Hanuman was part of the strongest group dispatched by Sugriva. Yet after a month had passed, the monkeys were unable to find the missing princess. Making their way to a beautiful cave and then to a seashore, the leader of the group, Angada, decided to abandon the mission and not return to Kishkindha. Though he was deputed by Sugriva to perform a task of devotion for Shri Rama, Angada fell victim to maya’s influence. Ironically enough, an actual demon named Maya had constructed the cave and filled it with wonderful material opulences. The comfortable lifestyle was very appealing to one of the monkeys who was advising Angada and also to the other soldiers. As such, they decided to stop the mission and either take refuge in the cave or simply starve to death on the seashore.

Hanuman did not like the decision at all. He had no desire to stop, for he is not influenced by maya in any way. In order to convince Angada and the other monkeys to continue the mission, Hanuman took to the ancient tactic of diplomacy known as division. His goal was to create dissension amongst the ranks, raise doubts about the validity of the decision to quit. In the above referenced statement, we see Hanuman correctly reminding Angada of Lakshmana’s powers. Lord Indra is the king of the heavenly realm, which, as a part of the material world, is only a land of increased enjoyment. The demigods, or suras, are always in battles with the asuras, or demons. The struggle between the pious and the impious has been going on since the beginning of time, and there is no end in sight to the hostilities. Good and evil will always clash, so in order for the good to win, they must be very strong. Indra, as the leader of the “good guys”, uses his thunderbolt to attack the demons. He had even previously attacked the same demon Maya in the cave that the monkeys were now thinking of taking refuge in. Indra was able to make a small dent in the cave, as is the case with thunder and lightning. The amazing mountain structures that we see around the world are all the result of natural forces. We could never think of making a beautiful mountain ourselves, but with the help of thunder and lightning, these structures are carved out very nicely, as their original forms split on impact.

Hanuman here states that Lakshmana’s arrows are each like thunder and lightning in impact, and since his quiver is filled with arrows made of iron, Lakshmana can hurl weapons of destruction at will. The intent of this statement is quite obvious. Lakshmana is Rama’s faithful younger brother, and should he find out that the monkeys abandoned their mission without due cause, he would most certainly be angry. In attacking the demon Maya, Indra was only able to make a small dent with his weapon of choice, the thunderbolt, in the illustrious cave. But since Lakshmana possesses even greater strength, he would most certainly destroy the entire cave and whoever was seeking refuge in it. In this way Hanuman is trying to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of the monkeys who had failed to carry out their prescribed duties. Though Angada would subsequently choose the suicide through starvation route, Hanuman’s tactic would eventually bear fruit after the monkeys got further information of Sita’s whereabouts. Not ironically, it would be Hanuman tasked with jumping across the ocean to Lanka, where Sita was. Finding her location and successfully returning to Kishkindha, Hanuman and the monkeys would end up completing their mission and satisfying Rama.

Though they were presented through a psychological tactic, Hanuman’s cogent words of advice, which were grounded in the highest truths, show that there is no safe haven in this world from tasks and responsibilities. We cannot seek refuge in one area and hope to forever be free of pressure, loss and heartache. Rather, the exact nature of the material world is one of misery and pain. Despite this gloomy outlook, the more potent positive aspect of the human form of life can be discovered from studying the behavior of the same monkeys who were ready to quit. Through Hanuman’s efforts and dedication to action, the monkeys were eventually able to see the light and continue with their prescribed duties. All of mankind shares a common occupational duty, that of returning to the spiritual land after the time on earth is finished, which trumps all other responsibilities. Maya’s influences are very strong, for she repeatedly attempts to lure us into taking to intoxication, gambling, meat eating and illicit sex life. But these activities don’t represent any real refuge. Though Lakshmana may not personally attack us for our transgressions with his iron arrows, the punishing forces of all-devouring time will knock us down from whatever lofty position we ascend to.

To fend off maya’s advances, strength of conviction that is reinforced through the association of saintly personalities like Hanuman, someone who is above the influences of duality and the allurements of the contaminated senses, is required. Therefore one of the central Vedic tenets is that we should try to associate with pure souls, those who are devoted to always serving the interests of the Supreme Lord. In this day and age the true mission of life can be accomplished by taking to positive activity, those actions which are part of the sublime engagement of pleasing Bhagavan, the most fortunate entity in all the worlds. The quintessential act of devotion is the chanting of the names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Though these names come from the Sanskrit language, the sound vibrations are open to any person to produce. The material world is not miserable only for Hindus or those born in a family with Indian traditions. The constitutional position of the soul is absolute, and so are the truths relating to the flawed material world. Therefore the incidents documented and described in the Ramayana can help all of us stay on the straightened path.

As an added bonus, if we sincerely take to devotional service, the mission entrusted to all of us, Lakshmana will use his same iron arrows to protect us. Though Hanuman correctly pointed out the potential of Lakshmana’s wrath to those transgressing the Supreme Lord’s dictates, during the subsequent battle with Ravana and his Rakshasa army, Lakshmana would use his arrows to protect the same band of monkeys. Devotional service is never overlooked by the Supreme Lord. If He sees someone sincerely trying to please Him, He will take whatever steps are required to ensure that such service continues uninterrupted. It was no accident that Hanuman was sent with the party of Angada and other strong monkeys. Hanuman is forever the Lord’s messenger, the spiritual guide that keeps maya’s influence at a distance. For this and many other reasons, Hanuman is deserving of the highest adoration, worship and love.

Cutting Through Illusion

“Formerly this cave was slightly damaged by the thunderbolt hurled by Indra [which drove away the demon Maya], but Lakshmana, using his very sharp arrows, can cut it apart like a leaf being removed from its stalk.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.14)

svalpam hi kṛtam indreṇa kṣipatā hi aśanim purā |

lakṣmaṇo niśitaiḥ bāṇaiḥ bhindyāt patra puṭam yathā

This comparison made by Shri Hanuman, the faithful and loving servant of Shri Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is completely rooted in the truth, yet is beautiful and humorous at the same time. The humor comes not from the validity of the statement, but rather is found in the lengths that Hanuman goes to to show his deep love and affection for Lord Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana. Indeed, Hanuman will stop at nothing to defend the interests of his beloved objects of worship, showing that he has no other concern than the eternal engagement of divine love. Indra, who is known as the chief of celestials, the most powerful demigod, is often used as a reference point in Vedic literature to compare strength and ability. In this instance, Hanuman is essentially belittling Indra’s fighting potency as a way to properly convey the level of strength possessed by Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana, who is a divine figure and one of the most powerful bow warriors to have ever roamed this earth. Hanuman had no gripe with Indra, nor was he trying to purposely insult the great demigod. Hanuman is so loyal and affectionate towards Rama and His family members that he doesn’t mind criticizing others or putting their strengths into proper context. Hanuman is a supreme authority figure on the Absolute Truth, so he was not afraid to expound on It to Angada during one particularly troubling time.

These events took place many thousands of years ago. when there weren’t any formal written books. As such, the details of significant events were related through poetry in the Sanskrit language. Maharishi Valmiki penned the Ramayana, which is a tale of the journeys and triumphs of the Supreme Lord during His travels on earth in a specific time period. The person we all know as God, the Supreme Being who is beyond fallibility, comes to earth from time to time to enact pastimes, punish miscreants, and give future generations of adherents endless waves of pure bliss in the form of stories describing historical events to swim in. Watching movies and televisions shows are quite popular pastimes in the modern age. While these activities focus on fictitious settings and storylines, taking the mind back in time to when the Supreme Lord roamed the earth brings the highest benefit, both spiritually and mentally. The effects of the senses are so strong that we are always looking to escape. Some methods of escape, such as drinking and doing drugs, prove to be harmful in the end. Yet escapism in the form of reading novels and watching movies tends to be less harmful, as there is no chemical reaction. When the desire to mentally leave the mundane platform takes the mind to a transcendental realm, a place where the Supreme Lord resides alongside His closest associates, the resulting bliss is unmatched. Therefore hearing the sacred stories found in the Ramayana is the best way to transcend the effects of the senses which give us so much pain.

The Ramayana is quite lengthy and chronicles many different events. Rama roamed the earth in the guise of a warrior prince, so He naturally had to deal with many opposing elements. The leader of the opposition at the time was a Rakshasa named Ravana. He devised a way to take Sita Devi, Rama’s wife, away from the Lord behind His back. In the subsequent search for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana made their way to the Kishkindha forest, where they ended up forming an alliance with a band of Vanaras, or a monkey/human species. Within each creation the events of the Ramayana take place in the Treta Yuga, which is the second of four delineations of time, or eras. Since the Treta Yuga is a more pure age, there are different types of species that roam the earth during this time. Even the monkeys, who are known as forest dwellers, are advanced in intelligence and ability.

Sugriva was the king of the Vanaras in Kishkindha, and he kindly dispatched his massive monkey army around the world to search for Sita. The lead party included Hanuman, Sugriva’s most faithful, pious and powerful servant. In fact, any and all beneficial attributes the mind can conjure up are possessed by Hanuman. He is lacking nothing with respect to stature or content of character. The mission given to the monkeys was quite straightforward: find Sita within a month and return to Kishkindha with news of her whereabouts. After a month had passed, Hanuman’s group was unsuccessful in finding her. They came upon a beautiful cave which then led them to a seashore. The cave was very appealing to the eye since it had every opulence imaginable. The de facto leader of the monkey group, Angada, decided to abandon the search and either starve to death on the seashore or take refuge in the adjacent sanctuary-like cave.

Seeing the sudden change in plans, Hanuman became quite upset. Though he is supremely powerful, courageous and pious, Hanuman has no desire to please any of his own senses. Instead, he is always thinking about Rama’s happiness and the well-being of his friends. Seeing the other monkeys contemplate quitting, Hanuman decided to play a little politics to get his way. Though today most major governments are run through a parliamentary style system where votes determine the course of action, Vedic teachings provide a nice guideline for how to conduct diplomacy. There is even a section which describes how to deal with an enemy, someone who is unwilling to listen to your point of view. There are generally three options available to a king when faced with this situation. The ruler can win the dissenter over with words of flattery or they can also use brute force.

Seeing that both of these options weren’t feasible, Hanuman took to the third option: division, or bheda. This is a method commonly adopted by weaker parties, those who don’t have the strength to use brute force or the wherewithal to properly flatter the opposition. Hanuman surely could have fought with his fellow monkeys, but since he needed them to help him find Sita, it wasn’t a wise tactic. Therefore he took to fomenting dissent by directly challenging Angada in front of all the monkeys. First Hanuman praised Angada, but then he praised all the other monkeys as well. He told Angada that monkeys are generally fickle-minded, so even if everyone was agreeing to give up the mission right now, their minds might change very quickly, especially when they would start missing their wives and children.

In the above referenced statement, which was part of the bheda tactic, Hanuman is very nicely using a comparison to illustrate Lakshmana’s supreme strength. By invoking Lakshmana’s name, Hanuman is reminding Angada and the rest of the monkeys of what might happen should they fail to carry out Rama’s orders. Lakshmana is extremely kind and compassionate to the pious, for he is a part of Lord Vishnu, a non-different form of the original Godhead. Yet Lakshmana is the greatest defender of Rama, so if he sees someone disrespecting his dear brother, he will not sit idly by.

Hanuman’s reference of Indra and his effect on the cave in question has practical meaning to everyday life. Angada and the other monkeys were essentially lured into a form of procrastination. The demon Maya had created the wonderful panacea of enjoyment, which seemed to be well-protected. The monkeys had a choice: perform their prescribed task or take refuge in maya by giving up. Though this particular incident references the demon named Maya and the cave he created, the word “maya” also means “illusion”. Maya is the governing agent of the world that we live in. It is not that the world around us is false, but rather it is temporary. All objects of the phenomenal world are ultimately destined for destruction. The illusory forces really take hold when one gains an attachment to the temporary world. If we view an object as our life and soul even after knowing that it will be destroyed at some point, then certainly we have fallen victim to illusion. Reality, or not maya, is God. The aim of spiritual life is to break free of the effects of maya and take refuge in God.

The monkeys in this instance became victims of maya’s influence. They had been given a task directly by a representative of God, but through fear of failure, they were contemplating taking refuge in the comforts offered by the illusory surroundings. This is similar to how many of us procrastinate when we have a difficult job to do. Life is full of pressures, especially when we have a major homework assignment to complete or a project to work on for our job. The reason companies have physical office locations is to increase productivity. If we were to work from home all the time, the chances of procrastination would increase. Say, for example, we are working on a project in our bedroom at home. If we hit a bump in the road, a moment of difficulty, it would be very easy to take refuge in the bed. There is no better sleep than that which is evoked through procrastination. Normally when we go to sleep there is a pressure to wake up at a certain time the next morning. The procrastinator’s nap brings solace and comfort, a feeling of security, as there is no set time for waking up. When we are underneath our covers and enjoying the resulting warmth, we feel as if we are safe from all the pressures and stresses of life.

But in reality, this comfort is simply illusion. We can certainly feel safe underneath our covers, but it would be silly to think that a blanket could protect us from the negative effects that result from not performing our duties. Shri Hanuman is basically making the same point to Angada. The monkeys, provoked by the sentiments of a commander named Tara, thought they would be safe living in the cave full of illusory enjoyments. Indeed, even Indra, the chief celestial, was only able to make a slight dent in the cave with his thunderbolt when he rooted out the demon Maya. The power of thunder and lightning is unimaginable. They say that if man could just figure out how to harness the power of one bolt of lightning, he could have enough power to last a very long time.

Yet as Hanuman accurately points out, Indra’s thunderbolt is not nearly as strong as Lakshmana’s arrows. During the Treta Yuga, warriors fought with bows and arrows. Though this method of fighting seems primitive today, the warriors used to invoke sacred mantras which would greatly augment the power of their arrows. Lakshmana, being a part of Vishnu Himself, had the most powerful arrows in the world. Hanuman says that Lakshmana’s arrows would treat the seemingly heavily fortified cave as a leafstalk. Tearing apart a leaf from its bed is not very difficult at all, even for the weakest person.

When the leaf is removed, it obviously loses its life and ultimately wilts away. In this way, Hanuman is saying that by angering Lakshmana and abandoning the mission, the monkeys would easily be found and killed. Angada’s strongest case for taking refuge in the cave related to the anger that Sugriva would show them for having failed in their mission. But through Hanuman’s cogent words, the monkeys were correctly informed that they would actually be punished more severely for not carrying out Rama’s wishes even after their allotted time had expired.

“The worker who is free from all material attachments and false ego, who is enthusiastic and resolute and who is indifferent to success or failure, is a worker in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.26)

Lakshmana’s strength is very great, as is Hanuman’s love for him. The monkeys would eventually continue their mission after they received some helpful words of advice from the elderly bird Sampati. Hanuman’s crafty attempt at playing mind games kindly reminds us that there is no safety in life. Maya cannot provide us security from the forces of death, which take hold through all-devouring time, kala. Therefore it is better to carry on with our prescribed duties, regardless of the success or failure we meet. We may win or we may lose, but either way, there is no avoiding the realities of life. Maya is certainly a strange bedfellow, someone we definitely don’t want to remain attached to. By regularly remembering Hanuman and his dedication to Rama and Lakshmana, maya’s influence can be reduced and the shelter of the Divine Nature of the Lord can be had. The most potent form of protection available to the sincere souls of today is the transcendental sound vibration of the name of the Supreme Lord, a shelter which can be permanently erected by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. When it comes to spiritual life, there is no need to procrastinate. Chanting can be practiced at any time and at any place. Remembering God and His dearmost associates is never a waste of time. Morning or night, awake or asleep, if we remember Hanuman, Lakshmana, Rama and Sita, our time will be well spent.

Indescribably Endeared

“Based on what you have heard [from Tara], you regard this cave as being capable of providing protection, but tearing it apart will be easy work for Lakshmana’s arrows.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.13)

yām ca imām manyase dhātrīm etat bilam iti śrutam |

etat lakṣmaṇa bāṇānām īṣat kāryam vidāraṇe

When someone is convinced of a particular way of thinking or is overly confident of a certain ability, an effective way to debunk their viewpoint and shake their resolve is to make a comparison to an entity of secondary or tertiary authority. Every person, regardless of their cognizance of the fact, has a belief in an ultimate controller, a supreme power. Those who are not devout to the original dharma of the soul will take the supreme authority to be nature, a series of chemicals, or an elevated personality. When arguing in support of a particular doctrine or philosophy and against another, it is not ideal to invoke the powers of established supreme entities because the capabilities are inherently implied in their names and anointed titles. Rather, to stress the severity of the error prescribed by a competing viewpoint, the debate counterpart will make comparisons to objects which aren’t obviously deemed to be the most powerful or the most capable. In this way the dissenter can very emphatically get their point across and hopefully make an impression on the person they are trying to convince. This was a tactic employed by Shri Hanuman many thousands of years ago when he found himself in an uncomfortable position, with his close associates having fallen victim to a faulty viewpoint espoused by one of the leaders of the group.

To help us understand the effectiveness and proper use of this particular weapon of argument, let’s break down a simple example. Say we have one person who is boastful of their powers in a particular field. Say they are a great basketball player who is well skilled at scoring, defending and rebounding. This player is quite confident of their own prowess and not afraid to share their viewpoint with others. A dissenter, one who disagrees strongly with the opinion of the self-anointed star, will have to carefully craft their arguments so as to convince the other party of their errors. Indeed, if anyone else is privy to the argument, they too can be convinced of the dissenter’s point of view through the use of this nice tactic. In basketball, the consensus opinion is that Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. In fact, every new star player that comes along invariably gets compared to Jordan. Analysts will compare height, reach, speed, and dribbling and shooting abilities of the two players. Since Jordan is considered the greatest player, every new star thus becomes a candidate to surpass his legendary stature.

The Jordan comparisons get old very quickly though, with the reason being that Jordan set such a high standard for excellence that it is nearly impossible for anyone to ever equal his records and influence on the game of basketball. Continuing with the example, if the dissenter were to invoke Jordan’s name as a means of supporting their viewpoint, the argument wouldn’t hold that much significance. By saying, “You’re not that good of a player. Michael Jordan could run rings around you on a basketball court”, the person making the claims of greatness wouldn’t be that phased. After all, Jordan is widely considered the greatest of all time, so there really is no argument as to what would happen on the basketball court if Jordan were there to compete.

A better way for the dissenter to get their point across is to make a comparison to a player that is close to Jordan in abilities but not as widely talked about or hyped up. For example, say the dissenter were to invoke the name of Scottie Pippen, another legend of the game and teammate of Jordan’s. By saying, “Scottie Pippen could easily take you down. You wouldn’t even stand a chance against him in a game”, the dissenter is establishing the fact that even someone who isn’t deemed as superior as Jordan would be able to surpass the player’s abilities. This line of argument serves as praise for Pippen and also augments Jordan’s stature at the same time. If the player making the claims of greatness could easily be defeated by Pippen, then surely Jordan’s abilities must be all that much greater.

A similar technique was invoked in an argument by one of the most intelligent divine figures, Shri Hanuman. Lord Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama, a non-different form of the original Personality of Godhead, didn’t employ this style of argument as a mere mental exercise, but rather as a part of a crafty game of psychology aimed at achieving the highest end. Many thousands of years ago, Shri Rama roamed the earth in the guise of a warrior prince. When His wife, Sita Devi, was taken away from Him through underhanded methods, He joined forces with a band of Vanaras to help locate the beloved princess. The Vanaras were headed by their king Sugriva, whose lead warrior was Hanuman. Those familiar with Vedic traditions surely know who Hanuman is, but for those who don’t, he is widely recognized as the greatest servitor of God, someone who possesses every noteworthy attribute to the highest degree. He is loved and adored so much that he is the principle object of worship for millions around the world.

Hanuman achieved his legendary status not only by dint of his qualities described by others, but also through activities performed under the greatest duress. One such troublesome time was when his band of Vanaras, which were deputed to find Sita, decided to abandon the mission in favor of either starving to death or taking refuge in a pleasant-looking cave. The de facto leader of the group, Angada, was advised by a commander named Tara that it would be better to give up the mission rather than risk impending death at the hands of Sugriva. The monkey-king had given strict orders to his warriors to not return to Kishkindha without information of Sita’s whereabouts. He gave them one month to find her, and after the time period had elapsed, the monkeys in Angada’s group were at a crossroad. They could either forge ahead by continuing the search for Sita, or they could return to Kishkindha and face Sugriva’s wrath. Angada chose a third option, that of giving up completely. His plan was to starve to death on the shore of an ocean, while the plan recommended by Tara called for taking refuge in a cave guarded by a very thick wall, a place the monkeys had just escaped from to reach the shore.

Hanuman didn’t like either of the two new plans. He always takes God’s interests to heart, as he would rather die than not act out divine orders personally delivered to him. Sita was taken away by a Rakshasa demon after all, so obviously she couldn’t have been in a pleasant situation. Rama was probably feeling even worse, for He had no idea where Sita was; she could have been dead for all He knew. All of Sita and Rama’s hopes lay with the monkeys dispatched by Sugriva. In actuality, the Supreme Lord can never be subject to the ups and downs of material life, but in this instance He was simply carrying out His desire to imitate the regular activities of ordinary men. This wonderful display of mercy allowed service to be offered from Rama’s most sincere servants, those who had abandoned all desires and hopes for happiness through association with maya, or that which is not God. The Absolute Truth is everything, for His influence is seen even in the atom, but in the conditioned state man tends to forget Him. Maya is material nature, or the illusory enjoyments that we see before us. When the sneaky influences of maya are realized, inquiries about the Absolute Truth and how one can go about associating with it are made. Upon realizing that the only Truth is God, the wise take to acts of devotion, or bhakti-yoga. We can think of bhakti-yoga as the religion of love, where every action is performed for the benefit of the Supreme Lord.

Shri Hanuman is an eternal adherent to bhakti-yoga. The monkeys in Sugriva’s army were similarly devotees, but on this occasion they were victims of maya’s influence. Thinking that they would be more happy and peaceful remaining in the cave or starving to death, they decided to abandon the mission. Hanuman knew he couldn’t convince them of the folly of their ways simply by force or by lecturing, so he tried his hand at the age old tactic of division.

To foment dissension amongst the ranks, Hanuman directly addressed Angada in front of the other Vanaras. Hanuman first praised his great fighting abilities, for Angada was the son of Vali, Sugriva’s late brother and an extremely powerful warrior in his own right. After complimenting Angada, Hanuman then praised the other monkeys and warned Angada that they were all independent thinkers who had their own interests to worry about. If things should turn sour, they would all turn on Angada in a second.

In the above referenced statement, Hanuman is continuing his psyops campaign by tearing down the argument of security being found in the cave. Due to the influence of an unintelligent advisor named Tara, Angada was considering that the monkeys would be safe in the cave they had settled upon. Hanuman easily could have invoked Rama’s name and reminded Angada that God is capable of finding and destroying anyone. But that comparison would have been too obvious and maybe would have initially missed the mark. Instead, Hanuman first invoked the name of Shri Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother. This earth, and the universe for that matter, has never seen a brother like Lakshmana, and it won’t ever again until the time of the next creation when Rama will return to reenact His pastimes. Lakshmana was Rama’s younger brother, but He was the most faithful servant. As a member of the warrior caste, Lakshmana was equally as powerful as Rama, but since he loved Rama so much, Lakshmana made sure that Rama got all the attention and glory. These are the ways of devotional service. There is always give and take, back and forth as it relates to the praising and extolling of virtues between the object of pleasure and those providing loving service. Lakshmana was actually a partial incarnation of the Supreme Divine Being, so the supremacy of his powers was never in doubt.

“Rama’s younger brother, Lakshmana, has reddish eyes and a voice that resounds like a kettledrum. His strength matches that of Rama’s, and his face shines like a full moon. Just as wind gives aid to a raging fire, Lakshmana has joined forces with his brother. It is that best of kings, Shriman Rama, who has brought down the Rakshasas fighting in Janasthana.” (Akampana speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 31.16-17)

By invoking Lakshmana’s name and prowess, the argument presented was that even the perceived second greatest fighter in the world would easily be able to root the monkeys out of their hideaway. Lakshmana’s arrows were very powerful due to His divine nature and His expert knowledge of the proper mantras used in warfare. Therefore if the monkeys were to seek refuge in the cave, Lakshmana would surely become angry and look for them. Lakshmana never took well to any ill-treatment directed at Rama. Hanuman, Lakshmana’s dear friend, well-wisher and representative, is kindly reminding Angada that Rama’s beloved younger brother could defeat and kill all of them if he decided to.

Hanuman’s dissension tactic wouldn’t work immediately, but it would further endear him to the monkeys as well as to future generations of admirers, our humble self included. When the monkeys eventually decided to resume their search after receiving information from the bird Sampati, they still found themselves stopped on a shore and unable to make their way across the giant ocean to Lanka, where Sita’s captor Ravana lived. Fear not, as Hanuman would end up leaping his way to the majestic island, where he would find Sita and give her the news of Rama’s impending attack. All would end well, in no small part due to Hanuman’s efforts. This incident relating to Angada and the Vanaras contemplating abandoning their mission illustrates the pure love that Hanuman has for all of Rama’s family, including the dear Vanaras. The relationship between Shri Hanuman and Rama’s family can never be accurately described in words. He is their beloved friend, servant and well-wisher. Wherever there is Hanuman, there is Sita, Rama and Lakshmana. Wherever Hanuman is present, effort, perseverance and confidence in the discharge of devotional duties is well represented. By remembering Shri Hanuman every day, we will never fail to act in accordance with the Lord’s wishes.

Only the Strong Survive

“It is said that it is possible for a stronger party to live if they develop enmity with a weaker party. Therefore a weaker man desiring self-preservation should not develop enmity with one who is stronger.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.12)

vigṛhya āsanam api āhuḥ durbalena balīyasā |

ātma rakṣā karaḥ tasmāt na vigṛhṇīta durbalaḥ

The bullies on the playground are able to get away with their tactics because they are the stronger party. If a stronger attacks a weaker, it is possible for the aggressor to survive. On the other hand, a weaker party tries to avoid direct conflict because they know it will lead to trouble. This basic tenet of self-preservation strategy, one that every good government and military employs, was reiterated by Shri Hanuman, the faithful, loving and eternal servant of Lord Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As part of his psychological operation to foment dissension amongst a hesitant clan of soldiers, Hanuman spoke sound words of advice to Angada, the leader of the group, in front of all the other soldiers. By so doing, Hanuman revealed a glimpse of his vast storehouse of knowledge and his willingness to tap into his bountiful resources to further the cause of the Supreme Lord. If we combine the truths presented by Hanuman in the statement above and the fact that no one is stronger than God, we can logically conclude that no one can survive after raising the Supreme Lord’s ire, a point that Angada and the monkeys needed reminding of.

The above referenced incident is documented in the Ramayana, the ancient poem penned by Maharishi Valmiki. Lord Rama, a non-different incarnation of the Supreme Lord, appeared on earth to grant His darshana to those fortunate individuals who were eligible for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Just as every day signals a new beginning in a sense, every instance of birth represents a new type of body that the spirit soul can occupy. Since we are born into ignorance, it is difficult to see the subtle changes of the body and the temporary nature of life around us. It takes a keen observer to perceive the presence of the energetic spark inside of the body which serves as the basis for action. The internal spark never dies, nor does its power diminish. When the outer covering is discarded at the time of death, the minute in size spiritual entity immediately travels to a new body and once again begins development. The actions and reactions seen pertaining to the outer covering can only continue while the spark remains within.

“The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.10)

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, identify the occupant of the temporary body as the atma, or soul. The soul never takes birth, never dies, and never changes in constitutional makeup; just the outer covering changes. In the conditioned state, the uninformed living entity is unable to decipher the cause and nature of these changes, or at least there is no firm belief in the presence of the soul, even if told otherwise. It takes a trained eye with a basic understanding of outward symptoms to realize the existence of the soul and subsequently take to activities guided by the highest knowledge. The movements of the hands, legs and heart signal the presence of life; they serve as symptoms of occupancy by a spiritual entity. Life can stop within a particular body, but the movements of the external world never cease because spirit always exists and never diminishes in power.

There is a Supreme Spirit from which the individual sparks emanate. Since the giant spirit is the reservoir of all energy, He is known as the Supreme Energetic. The individual spirit souls are meant to always be in the company of the original, self-illuminating energetic storehouse. In the material world, the souls occupy a temporary outer covering and thus become forgetful of their original surroundings and life partner. To aid the sincere souls desiring liberation from the cycle of birth and death, the Supreme Soul comes to earth periodically in forms which appear similar to those of outer coverings already possessed by the common man. Lord Rama was one such form. Though He gives off the appearance of possessing material attributes, or saguna, the Lord is always free of defects. He is never conditioned by any coverings of matter, nor is He under the stringent laws of karma. Rather, He takes on the ordinary appearance to facilitate loving association with the conditioned souls.

Lord Rama played the role of a kshatriya prince. God is the most powerful person, so if He comes to earth, He could easily just will everybody into serving Him. Yet such behavior would go against the free will nature of the individual souls. Therefore the Lord creates opportunities for service. One such instance of this benevolence came when Rama’s beautiful wife, Sita Devi, was taken from Him to the island kingdom of Lanka, an event which normally wouldn’t represent good fortune for any pious individual. To find Sita’s whereabouts, the Lord enlisted the help of a band of Vanaras, or monkey-like animals, who were living in the forest of Kishkindha. Their leader was Sugriva, who dispatched his large monkey army around the world to look for Sita.

Sugriva’s main brigade, the force he had the most confidence in, included Angada [Sugriva’s nephew] and Hanuman, the most powerful and perseverant monkey in the group. The monkeys had trouble finding Sita, and upon making their way to a sea shore after exiting a mysterious cave, Angada thought it would be best to abandon the search. Since the allotted time for their mission had expired, Angada considered sitting quietly and starving to death to be the best way to spend their remaining days. Another option bandied about was reentry into the cave they had just left, a place full of material opulences. If they would return to Kishkindha, Sugriva and Rama would certainly be angry with them for not successfully finding Sita.

Hanuman then stepped in to try to change the hearts and minds of the individual members of the group. Using the diplomatic tactic of bheda, or division, Hanuman spoke directly to Angada in the presence of all the other monkeys. Though he first praised Angada for his tremendous fighting abilities, Hanuman then also took to praising the other monkeys. He told Angada that the other monkeys, including Jambavan and Nila, were very powerful and that once their minds would change they would never remain under Angada’s control. In this way he praised both Angada and the monkey warriors, while essentially pitting them against one another at the same time. Hanuman kindly reminded Angada that monkeys, by nature, are fickle-minded. They may agree to one plan on a particular day but then completely change their minds the next. Therefore there was no safety in Angada’s plan of remaining idle.

In the above referenced statement, a continuation of the divide-and-conquer strategy, Hanuman is invoking a common-sense, yet often overlooked, aspect of diplomacy and warfare. Hanuman states that a stronger party can certainly survive by creating hostilities with a weaker party but that the reverse situation doesn’t hold true. By strategically inserting this principle of warfare, a concept that should be understood and incorporated into diplomatic dealings by all world leaders, into his psychological game, Hanuman is telling Angada that he is weaker than Rama, His younger brother Lakshmana, and Sugriva. Hanuman is also complimenting the other monkeys for being extremely strong. If Angada were to raise hostilities with Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva, or the other monkeys, as the weaker entity, he would not be able to survive; hence the proposed path of least resistance would end up being the most detrimental.

Though this cogent truth presented by Hanuman pertaining to warfare isn’t commonly known or taught, its implementation can be seen all around us. The practices of the modern-day terrorists are built solely around this principle. Countries and religious groups only take to terrorism – a system of warfare where innocent women, children and civilians are killed through suicide bombings and the like – because they are the weaker party. If these groups were powerful and possessed large armies and stockpiles of weapons, surely they would have no reason to take to underhanded methods that really serve no other purpose except fomenting constant apprehension in the innocent population. Terrorism works because it doesn’t directly raise the ire of the stronger party. Instead, acts of terrorism are hard to trace out; it’s difficult to actually prove that a tiny, insignificant force directly called for a specific terrorist attack.

A weaker party, keeping in mind the inability to survive when raising hostilities with a stronger party, also is better served by taking to peace negotiations. If the weak were to openly declare war on the strong, the strong would win very easily. Therefore the weak take to other tactics which don’t involve direct conflict. In this particular instance, Angada’s plan to quit wasn’t going to get the monkeys anywhere. They were given a job to do, and they should see it to its completion. Lord Rama was God Himself, so surely he would find them wherever they were hiding. Hanuman, for his part, had no desire to abandon the mission. As an eternally knowledgeable and beautiful individual, Hanuman takes Rama’s instructions to be his life and soul, so he would never want to let the Lord down. He would rather die trying than give up.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 8.5)

Surely man is susceptible to maya’s influences every now and then, but the objective is to remain strong and dedicated to the mission at hand. Our aim in life is to be God conscious at the time of death so that we’ll receive a spiritual body in the next life. Does this mean that Rama and Lakshmana are vengeful towards those who disobey the orders of the Lord kindly passed down by the Vedas? Actually, just succumbing to maya, or material nature, is punishment enough. Hanuman is actually using the monkeys’ momentary lapse in judgment as an opportunity to praise Rama and Lakshmana’s strength. As part of his strategy to create division amongst the ranks, Hanuman’s goal is to scare Angada into continuing to fight. Angada was thinking that by quitting he would avoid punishment, but in fact just the opposite would hold true. There is no safe haven in this world. There is no place that we can go to hide from the effects of birth, old age, disease and death. Faced with guaranteed obstacles, it is better to forge ahead with our prescribed duties.

What are our duties in this day and age? Who are we fighting and what is the mission? Though we take on different responsibilities based on our qualities and surroundings, the ultimate occupation for every individual is bhagavata-dharma, or devotional service. Devotion to God can be practiced easily by regularly chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Wherever there is Hanuman, there will be victory against the impeding forces of material nature. Being blessed with Hanuman’s company and the intelligence later provided by the bird Sampati, the monkeys would forge ahead and eventually succeed in finding Sita and then help Rama and Lakshmana kill her captor and his army; brave acts which would secure the rescue of the beautiful princess. The monkeys of Sugriva’s army are forever dear to Lord Rama; His affection for them is as strong as it is for anyone else, as they selflessly acted in His favor. Angada’s temporary deviation from virtue and the situation it created simply served as a reminder of Hanuman’s unique qualifications and attributes. He is the gate-keeper to the celestial kingdom where Sita, Rama and Lakshmana eternally reside. Those who are fortunate enough to say the name of Hanuman every day and regularly remember his glorious nature will surely succeed in life’s ultimate mission and defeat the strong enemy of maya.

Strength of Conviction

“I tell you this directly: All these monkeys will never follow you. Just as with this Jambavan, Nila and the great monkey Suhotra, I too along with all these monkeys can never be turned away by you from Sugriva’s mission, even if you employ means of diplomacy such as pacification [sama], giving in charity [dana] and so on, or even through punishment [danda].” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.10-11)

tvām na ete hi anuyunjeyuḥ pratyakṣam pravadāmi te |

yathā ayam jāṃbavān nīlaḥ suhotraḥ ca mahākapiḥ ||

na hi aham te ime sarve sāma dāna ādibhiḥ guṇaiḥ |

daṇḍena na tvayā śakyāḥ sugrīvāt apakarṣitum

Is there one path for success in spiritual life that is universally applicable? Since every person takes on different qualities at the time of birth, different ultimate conclusions, or reasons for living, result. A person may read from a specific philosopher’s book one day and be thoroughly convinced of their ideas, but then the next minute something else will be heard that causes the mind to completely shift. The constant changes in philosophies, priority systems and desires make the path in life much more difficult to decide upon. In order to find the proper roadmap, one that can be followed without deviation, an exemplary character with strength of conviction is required; an individual who not only strongly believes in a particular philosophy, but also abides by its principles. The role model must be free of any doubts relating to the supremacy of their adopted path in life, and they must be able to defend their position against detractors and their passionate counterarguments. There can be no better role model in this regard than Shri Hanuman, a divine figure and supremely intelligent living entity, the faithful servant of Lord Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. During the prosecution of the missions assigned to him, Hanuman never wavered from the righteous path, even when faced with the greatest opposition. Moreover, he stood up against detractors and protected those sincere souls who became doubtful of the chances for success due to bad association.

What is the meaning of life? Why are we put on this earth? By default, the living entity, in any form, takes to sense enjoyment as their main business. The proclivity for stimulation of the mind and the various aspects of the body doesn’t have to be taught, for the behavior is seen even in infancy. Enjoyment of the senses involves meeting the demands of the tongue, stomach, eyes, ears, and overall body. The animals are involved exclusively in seeking sense gratification. They have no concept of tapasya [austerity], niyama [regulation], or dhyana[meditation]. When an animal wants to eat, it will search for food and then eat. When they want to sleep, they’ll sleep. When they want sex life, they’ll go find a complementary sexual partner. The mature human being, armed with a higher intelligence level, has the ability to think critically and analyze both the cause and effect of unregulated sense gratification. The infant can play all day and do whatever it wants, but unregulated behavior ideally doesn’t continue into adulthood; the reason being that overindulgence in sense gratification leads to unpalatable conditions. Eating too much leads to disease, excessive sleep, and a mental and emotional imbalance. Increased sexual activity leads to lust, anger, rage and extreme disappointment. Excessive sleeping results in attachment to inactivity and the loss of ability to earn a living. Excessive fighting leads to the severing of friendships, loneliness and physical harm.

Based on these results, which are commonly encountered and readily perceptible, we see that the human being, in order to live a peaceful life, must regulate their activities in some way or another. This fact alone debunks the theory that human life should be all about sense gratification. We see that too much enjoyment in the material sense can be very harmful. So if sense gratification is not the aim of life, then what is? The inquisitive mind, wanting to transcend animalistic tendencies, will go searching for higher truths, answers to the most puzzling questions of life. In the arena of ideas, there will be many competing theories that aim to solve the timeless riddles of life on earth. One of the more popular theories is that the true aim of life is to serve humanity, or mankind. “After regulating activities to the point that the basic demands of the body are met, one should take to acts of charity, philanthropy and benevolence.” The belief is that if the down-trodden are helped, life will remain peaceful, and both parties, the givers and the takers, will feel mental satisfaction. Yet the superiority of the service to man model falls apart based on the transient nature of sense gratification. If the enjoyment we feel from satisfying our own senses is limited, then surely the same would hold true for those that we help ascend to the identical platform of enjoyment.

When material enjoyment is tossed aside as a viable aim of life, the inquisitive soul may look to the other extreme, the path of severe austerity and restriction on enjoyment. “Since sense activity brings so many unwanted side effects, it is better to just remain in a neutral state, keeping interactions with the outside world limited.” The objectives under this model can vary. Some simply want to avoid any pain and trouble, while others are looking for a spiritual awakening, a nirvana if you will. The benefits of the path of least resistance seem plausible enough, but cessation of activity also has several puzzling aspects to it. If we sit in meditation all day and hope to one day merge into a state of nothingness, how is this any different than remaining in a coma? If we had the misfortune of receiving traumatic head injuries that caused us to remain in a catatonic state for an extended period of time, wouldn’t there be an absence of discomfort? If we’re not even conscious, there is no way for us to feel pain. Surely the aim of human life can’t be to one day reach a permanent state of coma?

Based on identified limitations of their ideal outcomes, we can rule out sense enjoyment and dry renunciation as being the ultimate activities in life. There is another championed discipline that appears to be unique, but actually has results similar to those of sense enjoyment. This philosophy posits that the ideal outcome in life is to acquire mystic perfections, or powers that transcend the limitations put on the soul by the body and the senses. The positive engagements prescribed in this model involve meditational yoga coupled with austerity of fruitive engagement. As an example, a yogi may sit in one position for days on end without eating any food. Some yogis will remain fixed in trance and test their dedication under severe hot and cold scenarios. These practices are indeed successful since the influence of the senses is severely limited. When the senses are controlled, including the life breath, a larger portion of the natural potency of the individual spirit soul is revealed. The body, which includes the outer covering and the internal senses, is simply a shell, a temporary dwelling for the individual. Individuality is rooted in the atma, or spirit soul. Spirit is extremely powerful and the driving force to all activity, a fact evidenced by the limpness of a dead body. When the soul exits the body, the same individual is deemed a corpse, a fact which proves that the soul is the catalyst for activity, the essence of life.

When yoga is practiced properly and to fruition, siddhis, or mystic perfections, are acquired. The resulting perfections can include the ability to travel through space, become infinitesimally small or large, and even hold one’s breath for days at a time. But to the keen observer, these wonderful abilities are simply enhanced versions of sense enjoyment. The resulting happiness is fleeting, for the derived enjoyment is still dependent on the time factor. Time will eventually empty any reservoir of enjoyment. Our pleasurable interactions with nature can be thought of in terms of a car with a gas tank. In order to enjoy, we must fill the reservoir of energy through various activities. Since the resulting enjoyment is limited and thus requires constant repetition of activity, the reservoir eventually empties out. To refill the tank, we must repeat the same difficult activities that were performed before. In this way, we are constantly toggling between favorable and unfavorable conditions. When you add equal parts favorable and unfavorable, you get nothing, or a neutral state.

“I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. This is beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.13)

From the nature of the results, we see that meditational yoga, pure sense enjoyment and dry renunciation all essentially lead to a neutral state, one that is dependent on all-devouring time, kala. The purpose of life can’t be the achievement of a neutral footing; otherwise there would be no need to take birth. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, through a variety of forms, present the real meaning of life. A conditioned living entity must first realize that they are not their body; they are spirit soul. The soul is a product of Brahman, or pure spirit which is full of knowledge and bliss. Individual instances of Brahman have a companion, a life-partner if you will. Though the constitutional makeup of the soul is purity, power and knowledge, there is another soul, known as Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is more knowledgeable, powerful and pure. In His most complete and original form, Bhagavan is Lord Krishna, who is all-attractive in every area imaginable. Krishna was never created, nor will He ever die. As part and parcel of the original storehouse of spiritual energy, we living entities are also eternal in our makeup. In addition to being uncontaminated and knowledgeable at the core, the individual spirit soul has an active propensity: love. This love is nothing like what we are accustomed to. Since this love is originally directed at the proper object, one who is able to wholly accept and reciprocate feelings of affection on the grandest of scales, it leads to the greatest benefit.

If we love Krishna, why are we put into the material world? Moreover, why isn’t everyone aware of their supposedly natural attraction to Supreme Spirit? When the inherent loving propensity is directed at Krishna, it is pure and uncontaminated. But when it is directed at any other object or entity, it becomes contaminated. Tainted love goes by different names such as affection, benevolence, lust, romantic love and kindness. Even hatred is rooted in love; it is simply the inverse of the natural loving propensity. The contaminated variety of love can only exist in a world that is devoid of God’s personal influence. Since Krishna is everything, His influence is certainly everywhere, but there are specific realms He takes no direct interest in. The world we currently occupy is one of those places. In the material world, the natural loving propensity is clouded through affection and rejection of perceptible temporary objects and enjoyments. The aim of human life is to reawaken the natural spiritual spark, the burning for divine love that is currently in a dormant state. Those who have achieved the constitutional position are deemed liberated and thus become candidates for returning to the purified spiritual realm of the Personality of Godhead.

To rekindle our natural love for God, many of our present activities can be taken to but with a change in the ultimate object of enjoyment and service. Instead of viewing ourselves, friends, family, pets, countrymen, etc. as the ultimate objects of affection and power, the focus must be shifted to Krishna. When we perform fruitive activity, or karma, there are both unintended and intended consequences. When we take to acquiring knowledge, or jnana, there are similarly various intended results. The same goes for yoga practice. When we take to the same activities prescribed by these various disciplines, but pay no attention to the favorable and unfavorable results, and work for the benefit of Supreme Spirit, or God, we will be purified of all contamination. Purified activities, be they visible work or mental effort, go by the name of bhakti. Since purified work involves linking the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, it is also known as yoga. Therefore the most pure form of work, which is based on the highest philosophy, the sublime engagement, is known as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service.

Devotional service can involve nine different processes, the simplest and most effective of which is the regular chanting of the holy names of the Lord, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Another process of devotional service is carrying out the Lord’s orders, or becoming His servant [dasyam]. Usually these orders are provided by a bona fide representative of God, the spiritual master. For the most exalted individuals, however, the orders come directly from the Supreme Lord in His personal form, as was the case with Shri Hanuman, who had the great fortune of associating directly with Lord Rama, a celebrated incarnation of the original Divine Being.

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 15.7)

Many thousands of years ago, Rama roamed the earth in the guise of a powerful and kind prince. On one unfortunate occasion, His beautiful wife Sita Devi was kidnapped from the forest of Dandaka. After forming an alliance with a band of Vanaras, Rama gave His new friends the difficult task of finding Sita’s whereabouts. Rama is God, so He most certainly doesn’t require any help from anyone. Yet due to His kind nature and His knowledge of the ultimate objective in life for the living entities, who are His spiritual sparks, He creates situations which allow others to kindly offer service to Him. In Kishkindha, Rama gave the Vanaras, who were headed by their king Sugriva, the opportunity to directly carry out God’s orders.

Sugriva’s most powerful and trusted servant was Shri Hanuman. In the Vedic tradition, Hanumanji is worshiped and adored as one of the most exalted divine figures. This worship came into being as a result of his sincere dedication to Rama. Tasked with finding Sita, the monkeys divided into groups and scoured the earth. Sugriva gave specific orders that no monkey should return to Kishkindha without information of Sita’s location. Moreover, they had one month to find her, and if they didn’t, they would be severely punished. After a month had passed, Hanuman’s party, which included powerful monkeys such as Angada, Jambavan, and Nila, was unable to find Sita. They made their way to a beautiful seashore after having escaped from a majestic cave that had every amenity available.

Seeing that they weren’t getting anywhere and that the time for their mission had expired, Angada thought it might be wise to give up. One option presented to him called for the monkeys to return to the demon Maya’s cave and live out the rest of their days in illusory comfort. Angada was leaning towards remaining by the seashore and starving to death. After all, the monkeys had run out of time, so they couldn’t return to Sugriva and inform him of their failure. Hanuman, for his part, was ready to continue searching. As a great devotee, Hanuman’s only interest is to serve Rama and make Him happy. Yet he found himself in a tough situation. The other monkeys looked to Angada as their leader, so the starvation proposal carried some weight. Since Hanuman is extremely intelligent, he decided to employ an authorized tactic of diplomacy known as dissension [bheda], which is described in the Vedas as dividing and ruling, i.e. turning members of a party against one another.

Hanuman began his psychological game by first praising Angada and calling him the most powerful monkey. But then immediately Hanuman changed course and reminded the son of Vali that all the members of the group were monkeys by nature and thus fickle-minded. Since they were away from their wives and children, they would not be able to remain steady on the path of starvation for long. After a while, they would have no reason to listen to Angada anymore, and thus the seemingly peaceful condition of avoiding Sugriva would be ruined. In the above referenced statement, Hanuman is further stirring the pot by praising members of Angada’s army, saying that they are not inferior to Angada in any way. This was a beautiful tactic by Hanuman, since he was essentially encouraging others to continue the fight for Rama’s benefit. Hanuman easily could have chastised everyone for their weak-heartedness and their violation of the mission assigned to them, but he chose a more appropriate tactic. The other monkeys weren’t very convinced of Angada’s position, but at the same time, they didn’t have much confidence in themselves. Hanuman bucked up those sincere souls who really had no desire to give up. He gave them a viable alternative to quitting, and he substantiated his viewpoint with words of praise and logic.

It must be noted that Hanuman’s statement is also very humorous in one sense. He asserts that even if Angada would employ different diplomatic tactics such as pacification, giving in charity, and even punishment, the monkeys still would never divert their attention from Sugriva’s interests. Yet conspicuous by its absence from Hanuman’s list is dissension, the very tactic he was employing against Angada! “You can try persuasive tactics on us monkeys, but none of them will ever work. Oh by the way, I’m trying out the divide and conquer method on you right now.”

Angada certainly can’t be blamed for his transgression. The material world is governed by maya, or illusion. She is the sincere servant of Krishna; she facilitates the perverted love that the condition living entities want to act upon. Since maya is very difficult to overcome, the aid of one who is immune to her temptations is required. Hanuman is one such individual; he is never tainted by material nature in any way. He is a pure lover of God, and that loving propensity never changes or diminishes. Indeed, the monkeys who helped Rama are also very dear to him, as Angada’s slight lapse in judgment served primarily as an opportunity to allow future generations, present company included, a glimpse of Hanuman’s glorious nature. The monkeys were fortunate to have Hanuman there; as he would be the one to eventually cross over the massive ocean, their greatest obstacle towards success, and find Sita.

The competing theories and ultimate conclusions posited by intellectuals, government leaders and scientists certainly can leave the sincere soul seeking the Truth very confused. The proper path can only be found through studying the exemplary behavior of the sincere devotees. Shri Hanuman shows that the aim of life is to always serve the Lord’s interests through the practice of bhakti-yoga. Since the soul has a natural inclination to bhakti, once devotional service is adopted with any level of sincerity, success, that of attaining an eternal link with God held tight by the bond of transcendental love, will surely come. Those who practice bhakti on a regular basis can teach others by their example and their precepts, for there are many sincere souls in this world who are not convinced of abandoning hope for spiritual enlightenment. Shri Hanuman can never be praised enough for his kind services and his loving nature, as he continues to teach generations of sincere souls how to tie all the various pieces of Vedic information into a singular path that can guide all behavior, thoughts and deeds.

From Weakness to Strength

“Certainly the monkeys are always restless in mind, O best of the monkeys. Being without their sons and wives, they will not abide by your orders.” (Hanuman speaking to Angada, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 54.9)

nityam asthira cittā hi kapayo hari puṅgava |

na ājñāpyam viṣahiṣyanti putra dārān vinā tvayā

Shri Hanuman is here continuing his psychological game with Angada, the de facto leader of the band of monkeys who had to choose between fighting on and giving up. Hanuman never employs any diplomatic tactic or elaborate scheme to get some personal benefit. The group in question was tasked with a most daunting mission of searching for a princess who was nowhere to be found. After explicit instructions were given regarding the time frame for success, those responsible for carrying out the mission became fearful of the repercussions awaiting them on account of failure. Thinking that success was impossible and that returning back to the commander without any good news was also out of the question, a suicide pact or enjoyment in illusory surroundings seemed more appealing. Hanuman, the faithful servant of the Supreme Lord and the most pious individual, didn’t entertain the thought of quitting for even a moment. Knowing the difficulty of getting others to come over to his point of view, the great devotee employed psychological tactics aimed at creating dissension amongst the individual members of the group. Though the tactic wouldn’t work out as planned immediately, the glorious nature of Hanuman shone through nonetheless.

Since the events in question took place during the Treta Yuga, which occurred many thousands of years ago, many of the races on earth were more advanced than they are today. The monkeys looking for Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama, were known as Vanaras, which is a Sanskrit word meaning “of the forest”. Though they can walk, talk, and speak, Vanaras are usually described as monkeys because of their predominant outward features. Monkeys are certainly a strange choice to lead a reconnaissance mission, but the circumstances were anything but ordinary.

During the specific time period, the Treta Yuga, the Supreme Absolute Truth, the person we all know as God, descended to earth in a spiritual form which appeared to the ordinary person to be a human being. The Absolute Truth in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, is often described as being both nirguna and saguna. Guna refers to material qualities which bind one to the cycle of birth and death. We all possess gunas, for that is part of the makeup of the living entity residing in the material world. Our identity comes from the atma, or spirit soul, residing within the heart, but the spiritual spark is not visible. Rather, it is covered up by material qualities, or gunas. Since these qualities are temporary and eventually destined for destruction, they have no bearing or influence on the identifiable aspect, the soul.

The Supreme Lord, being the creator of matter and gunas, can never assume a material body. The nirguna description serves as a reminder that His hands, legs, face, etc. aren’t limited in the way that an ordinary living entity’s are. The Supreme Truth possesses a spiritual body, something which is not conceivable to the conditioned living entities. Nirguna can also refer to the expansion of the Lord that resides within the heart of every living entity. Just as the atma forms the basis of our identity, the Paramatma, or Supersoul, represents God’s expansion resting within everyone’s heart. As such, every living entity has God inside. Since the nirguna form is neither visible nor perceptible to the conditioned eye, the Supreme Lord periodically descends to earth in the form of an avatara. The avatara, and their complementary deity representations, are known as saguna, or with attributes. This doesn’t mean that the avatara possesses a material body. It has qualities and attributes which are visible to the eyes of the individuals residing in the material world. There is no difference between the nirguna and saguna forms since they both represent the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has an ever-existing spiritual form. The difference lies completely with the angle of vision of the conditionally situated subordinate entities.

Shri Rama enacted wonderful pastimes and set the standard for dharma, or religiosity. Through His behavior He allowed others to get an idea of what God looks like, what His nature is, and what makes Him happy. The Lord also allowed a select few individuals, who now hold an exalted status, to serve Him personally. The Vedas enumerate the inherent qualities of the spirit soul, the foremost of which is an affinity to the Supreme Soul. The Supreme Lord is meant to be served, and the individual soul is meant to perform that service. Working for the pleasure of Supreme Spirit is not the kind of service we are accustomed to. Transcendental service, in its most pure form, is performed voluntarily and without motivation or interruption. When an individual living in the material world becomes aware of the need for this service and subsequently takes to performing it properly, they become liberated from the cycle of birth and death, never having to associate with gunas again.

To allow others the chance to serve Him, Lord Rama had to create situations where it appeared that He required help. What does this mean exactly? As the original Supreme Lord who is nirguna, Rama can never be baffled, distracted, or put into any distress. All the defects of the phenomenal world only affect those who are enamored by its most powerful governing agent, the master of illusion, maya. Shri Rama is the creator of maya, as the illusory energy works at His pleasure. The individual souls at some time in the past wanted to be deluded into thinking that they could imitate Divine power, similar to how the alcoholic wants to enjoy the temporary and illusory happiness of being drunk. Since the desire to compete with God cannot be facilitated in the flawless spiritual realm, Bhagavan created a world where gunas reign supreme. To keep the effects of gunas at full strength, an illusory agent was required; a position maya fit into very nicely.

Since maya is God’s servant, the Lord can never be deluded by her. Nevertheless, Rama created various situations where it appeared that He needed help. One such predicament involved the rescue of His beautiful and chaste wife, Sita Devi, from the forest of Dandaka. As a faithful and pious individual, Shri Rama always abided by the orders of His father, King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. On a previous occasion, Dasharatha had ordered Rama to exit the kingdom and not return for fourteen years. More than just an exercise in austerity, Rama had to relinquish all ties to the kingdom. He was set on travelling alone, but His wife and His younger brother Lakshmana refused to allow Him to suffer in solitude. They insisted on accompanying Him, demanding to offer service to their beloved Lord.

While in the forest of Dandaka, Sita would be kidnapped by a Rakshasa demon named Ravana. Not knowing where she was, Rama made His way to the Kishkindha forest along with Lakshmana. The two brothers forged an alliance with the Vanara king Sugriva, who agreed to help Rama find Sita. When the time came to make good on his promise, Sugriva dispatched his giant monkey army to comb the entire earth. The most powerful soldier in the army, and Sugriva’s trusted aide, was Shri Hanuman. Hanuman is no ordinary figure. He is a divine incarnation of the wind-god Vayu and Lord Shiva, the most exalted Vaishnava and eternal servant of Shri Rama. As such, from birth Hanuman was endowed with godly qualities and inclined towards service to the Supreme Lord.

Prior to the egress of the monkey search parties, Sugriva especially took confidence in Hanuman. The most powerful monkeys, including Angada, who was Sugriva’s nephew, were sent with Hanuman’s group. After a month had passed, the monkeys were still unsuccessful in finding Sita. Sugriva had explicitly told his monkeys that they should not bother returning without successfully finding Sita. Indeed, they would be punished severely if they came back with no information. Since the time allotted for their mission had elapsed, two options were presented before the monkeys.  Angada recommended fasting until death, while one of the leading commanders advised that the monkeys stay in a guarded cave by the sea shore and simply enjoy the nice surroundings previously created there by a demon named Maya.

Hanuman, not happy with the sudden divergence in plans, then stepped in to change the course of action. Angada had essentially become the leader of the pack, so Hanuman focused his psychological efforts directly at him. Since the word Veda means “knowledge”, the Vedic scriptures contain information on all different facets of life, including how to properly govern a kingdom. In the sections describing good governance and diplomacy, one of the areas of interest relates to how to get what you want from a hostile party. There are different methods that can be employed, with one of them being dissension, which was the route Hanuman chose. First he praised Angada for being very powerful and capable of fighting off anyone. Then he stated that the monkeys were very fickle in nature and that since they were without their family members and wives, they wouldn’t listen to Angada’s words for very long. Though Angada thought the monkeys would be better off starving to death or hiding in the beautiful cave, Hanuman essentially said just the opposite, that Angada wouldn’t be safe hiding out from Sugriva because the monkeys would eventually turn on him.

Aside from being cleverly crafted and aimed at fomenting dissent, Hanuman’s words were full of fact and completely based in reality. A monkey behaves similar to a human being, for even many scientists have erroneously mentally speculated that man evolved from the ape. Yet the monkey is considered inferior to the human being because of the intelligence factor. A monkey is more inclined towards animalistic activities, which focus primarily on eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The influence of these activities causes their minds to be very fickle, and when their cherished activities are interrupted, they lose all sense of rationality and good judgment. Thus Hanuman invoked a common stereotype about monkeys to reach his desired outcome of continuing the search for Sita.

Since as human beings we are similar to the animal species, we too are, by default, fickle-minded. Sex life serves as the strongest attachment, to which spouses and children are closely related. Therefore the greatest cause of distress and loss of rationality comes from the disturbance in family life, the breaking of the bonds formed with our loved ones. Yet as mentioned before, the only way to become nirguna, or free of material qualities, is to take to service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we take to devotional service, which can involve one or a variety of distinct processes, the primary of which is the chanting of the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, we can hopefully achieve liberation by the end of life.

The problem we may encounter, however, is that devotional efforts, when undertaken alone, can cause disruptions in family life. Since human beings are also fickle-minded like the monkeys, distresses caused by tension in family life will likely take one off the straightened path of devotional service. Refraining from intoxication, eating meat, gambling, and illicit sex is not easy to do when one is constantly under duress and pressure. To remedy the situation, we should use whatever attachments we have and whatever deficiencies in terms of weaknesses we possess to our advantage. What does this mean exactly? If we are attached to family, we should perform our devotional service with them. Obviously this isn’t always possible, but if it is, we should most certainly take advantage. Through adding God to the activities we are accustomed to engaging in, we can turn our weaknesses into strengths.

Success in spiritual life results in the purification of consciousness. The pure mindset is not dependent on any factor except the sincere desire of the aspiring transcendentalist. Unlike other spiritual disciplines which may require strict rules and regulations, the only abiding principle in devotional service is that one should employ whatever practical means are available to them that can effectively change their consciousness. This was the method employed by Hanuman, even though his consciousness never needs purifying. Though he is well-versed in the military arts and the ins and outs of diplomacy, Hanuman has no attachment to any mundane knowledge. Nevertheless, when the time came to serve Rama, he tapped into his storehouse of material wisdom to help further the cause. Hanuman’s only desire was to serve Rama and to find Sita. His psychological tricks would prove to be most wonderful, for even though Angada would initially settle on starving to death, the monkeys would eventually end up trusting Hanuman fully with the most difficult task of crossing over the ocean that stood in between them and the shores of Lanka, where Sita had been taken. Not surprisingly, due to Hanuman’s heroic efforts and his ability to rally the monkey forces, Sita would eventually be found and all would end well.

“Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If, by illusion, one gives up his prescribed duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.7)

For those already married and with children, the ideal option is to remain in family life and continue performing prescribed duties. There is no need to renounce anything artificially. We carefully should weigh every option against its effect on the final outcome. We should reject anything which is unfavorable towards the execution of devotional service and accept anything which is favorable. If we turn our attachments into favorable conditions, we can turn our material qualities into spiritual ones. The liberated souls such as Shri Hanuman always possess spiritual bodies. By kindly invoking their names and remembering their wonderful and heroic feats, we can one day hope to have the association of the original Personality of Godhead, the Lord who always possesses a sweet, blissful, and transcendental form.