“Every line of the Hanuman Chalisa is a Mahamantra.” ~Neem Karoli Baba
On January 3rd 2010, I set out to learn the Hanuman Chalisa so that I could sing it to my son and inspire his spiritual growth. On May 21st 2011, I chanted the whole Chalisa to him, from memory.
Am I Hindu? No. Do I believe there is a white monkey who flies over the oceans with RAMA (the name of the Lord) inscribed on every cell of his body, and that The Lord has taken the form of a green-skinned King who saved the world by killing a 10 headed, 12 armed demon? Why not? I have found more spiritual inspiration in this story than in any other. The concepts are universal. Worship of one form of the Divine is worship of all aspects of the Divine. “Whatsoever form any person shall worship with faith, that same faith I make firm and unflinching” ~The Bhagavad Gita, VII.21.
Hanuman is the master of all three types of Yoga: Bhakti (the yoga of devotion), Jnana (the yoga of knowledge), and Karma (the yoga of action. Raja yoga is an offshoot of Karma yoga. Hatha yoga [any yoga focusing on physical exercises and breath control] is an offshoot of Raja yoga. When you go to a class, you are practicing Karma yoga). In The Ramayana, Hanuman always acts in service of the Lord, represented by Rama. Hanuman constantly holds His name, sings His praises, and helps fellow devotees.
The Hanuman Chalisa (Forty verses in praise of Hanuman) recounts Hanuman’s deeds and abilities, and offers him praise. The story goes that as a young monkey, Hanuman angered some sages by playfully disrupting their ritual. For this, he had to be punished. The sages recognized that Hanuman was a divine being (the son of the god of the wind, and an avatar of Lord Shiva), so they didn’t want to punish him too much. They cursed him so that he would not remember all of his divine powers unless someone reminds him. The Chalisa, written by Tulasi Das, is for that purpose.
The act of learning The Chalisa is an act of devotion. It is long, 40 verses with an introductory prayer and a concluding prayer (these probably have specific literary or musical names, if anyone knows, please let me know. I call them intro and outro…), and it is in Hindi. The English translation really does not matter. Tulasi Das, who lived in the 15c or so, wrote this poem and an updated version of Valmiki’s Ramayana (the world’s first poet and poem). He is, in fact, considered to be an incarnation of Valmiki. I learned The Chalisa one verse at a time, listening every day, reading every day, and reciting what I had memorized every day to my son as I put him to bed.
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| Each verse was transcribed to an index card and posted next to my computer. |
The Chalisa cannot be learned. I am certain of that. It truly learns you. Each verse becomes a part of you as you chant it over and over. Through faith and constant practice the poem and what it represents becomes a part of you. It is not a matter of rote memorization. Hanuman is the breath of Rama. Without Rama there is no Hanuman. Without Hanuman there is no path to Rama. The goal of The Chalisa is to serve the servant, thereby serving the Lord.
As long as I have a mind and breath I will chant these verses to my son so that he can hold the Lord in his heart.
राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम
राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम
राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम
राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम
“My Daddy taught me how to pray, and if I ain’t praying all of the time it ain’t nobody’s fault but mine.” ~Bhagavan Das, “Shiva Shambo” from the album Now
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