Do You Know Why Hanumanji Is So Powerful?

Hanumanji is very powerful.

शौर्यं दाक्ष्यं बलं धैर्यं प्राज्ञता नयसाधनम् विक्रमश्च प्रभावश्च हनूमति कृतालयाः

These qualities –
शौर्यं – bravery, valour, heroism
दाक्ष्यं – निपुणता – expertise – whatever he does, he does like an expert, perfectly, without any fault.
बलं – strength – both physical and mental. He wouldn’t budge under pressure.
धैर्यं – courage, to do anything, to face any situation.
प्राज्ञता – wisdom, intelligence
नयसाधनम् – diplomacy – just because he is so powerful, he is not brash. He is very diplomatic.
विक्रमः – intense power, special power, special style.
प्रभावः – प्रतापः – command – when he talks, everyone listens.

All these qualities, they have made Hanumanji their home. They all reside in him. If you want to see these qualities, you only have to look at Lord Hanuman.

But then, why is he so powerful?
Of course, he is the eleventh avatara of Rudra. Naturally, he has to be powerful. Omnipotent Rudra’s power is with him. He is the son of Vayudeva, who can uproot a huge forest, or the whole earth in one stroke with a storm. He has to be powerful.

पवन तनय बल पवन समाना

There is more to it. More behind his power.

शाखामृगस्य शाखायाः शाखां गन्तुं पराक्रमः उल्लङ्घितो यदम्भोधिः प्रभावः प्रभवो हि सः

As a monkey my power is limited to jumping from branch to branch. If I could jump across the ocean, that’s not my power, that’s his power, my prabhu’s power, which acted through me. This recognition is behind Hanumanji’s power.

Jambavan reminded him –
कवन सो काज कठिन जग माहीं। जो नहिं होइ तात तुम्ह पाहीं
राम काज लगि तव अवतारा। सुनतहिं भयउ पर्बताकारा

Is there anything in the world that you cannot do? Because, you are here to execute the Lord’s wish, to do his work. When Hanumanji heard this, he became so excited that he grew up to the size of a mountain.

This simple realisation – that I am here to do the Lord’s work, I don’t have any agenda of my own – this is his strength.

Jambavan also tells him –
You are more powerful than Sugreeva. In terms of physical power, you are as powerful as both Sri Rama and Lakshmana. Your hands are as powerful as the two wings of Garuda. You are also as fast as Garuda. You are stronger and more powerful than every living being in this world.

And his devotees also develop this attitude. They also become strong.

बुद्धिर्बलं यशो धैर्यं निर्भयत्वमरोगता | अजाड्यं वाक्पटुत्वं च हनूमत्स्मरणाद्भवेत् ॥

By praying to him, by remembering him, by meditating upon him, the devotee also gets all these – buddhi, balam, yashas, dhairyam, nirbhayatvam, arogata (health), ajadyam (intelligence), vakpatutvam – vak samarthyam.

The devotee would get all these because the devotee would also develop this attitude – that I am here to do divine work.

When you do work that is in line with dharma, work that is divine, work that is meant for the world, not for yourself, then this power comes.

बलं बलवतामस्मि कामरागविवर्जितम् – says Geeta.
Because this power is not for the attainment of any personal desire. It is dispassionate. This power comes when you realize that you are just a tool in God’s hand – a tool which doesn’t have power of its own. Power comes from the person who is using the tool.

This is the power in Hanumanji. The power in Hanumanji comes from the realization that he is here to do Lord Rama’s work – nothing of his own.

If the universe is running as it is running now, there is divine will behind it, divine supervision behind it. We should understand this. Whenever an imbalance happens, divine intervention also happens – like an avatara. There are crores of avataras happening every day, every moment. They are like trouble shooters – whenever there is disturbance to the divine order, divinity interferes, intercepts and sets it right. We should have the patience to appreciate and understand this.

When the evil forces such as Ravana disturbed world peace, Ramavatara occurred. Mahadeva also took avatara as Lord Hanuman to aid Shri Hari in this.

Hanumanji is the epitome of devotion, selfless service and commitment to his work. Looking at him only we realize how important these qualities are. He has only shown us the power and effectiveness of these qualities.

If you are dedicated to selfless service, then divine power becomes enhanced in you. Then it is no longer your physical or mental power. You are no longer restricted to your physical and mental power.

We see this all around us – good people working tirelessly without any fatigue even in their seventies, eighties. Where does this power come from? It is divine power. It is blessing.

Like how Seetha Matha blessed Hanumanji –
अजर अमर गुननिधि सुत होहू। करहुँ बहुत रघुनायक छोहू
Son, you will be immortal, there is no death for you, and you will have all the blessings of Raghu Nayaka.

With this boon only, Hanumanji is still alive in Kaliyuga. No scripture mentions about his disappearance. Lord Rama went back. Lord Krishna went back. But have you ever heard or read anywhere that Lord Hanuman left his body?

He is still there with us – in the body that he assumed during Treta Yuga, through Dwapara Yuga, and now in Kaliyuga. Many have seen him.

Our Hanumanji is such a unique god – a role model – an example of how divine power will act through you if you are aligned with dharma, what is right – if you stand for dharma, stand for what is right.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi