The Crown Jewel

This series is a commentary on six invocation verses on Sri Hanuman, found in Hanuman Namaskaram..An Immense InspirationSri Hanuman, the great, mighty monkey hero, is an intriguing and captivating personality. Right from my childhood, he has always fascinated me. Much later, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda took the sankalpa (resolve) to bring Veer Hanuman to Sidhbari, and Pujya Guruji encouraged us to chant the Hanuman Chalisa at the place where this deity is presently installed. Hanuman has been a great inspiration in my life, with the Chalisa providing me with strength and solace at all times.The very thought of this remarkable personality fills everyone with fortitude, courage and inspiration. Sri Hanuman is a delight for children, a motivator for youth, a shining ideal for the devotee, and a most absorbing icon for the wise. Even though he appeared as the son of Anjana (also known as Anjani) in the form of a vanar, Hanuman showed incomparable spirit, energy and strength—right from his childhood..A Mere Monkey?Sometimes, we wonder why one of the most exalted personalities in our epics is a monkey. Why did our great Rishis take a monkey to be one of the highest inspirations in our lives? We know that our mind is like a monkey; it is never in one place at one time; it is always restless, jumping here, there and everywhere. We also know that without consistency of purpose, concentration and conviction, success is impossible. Hanuman provides us with an incredible illustration of how we can master this monkey mind and convert it into a powerhouse of knowledge and devotion. Who could be a better ideal for our minds to follow than Sri Hanuman—a monkey himself, a symbol of outstanding success and achievement?People often ask me, ‘Swamiji, where did you learn the secret of success?’‘From a monkey!’ I proudly proclaim. ‘A monkey who is worshipped as God Himself.’In the life and accomplishments of Hanuman, we see God’s expression in all His beauty and magnitude. Look at his life! There is no project he undertook in which he did not just achieve success, but exceeded it.

The Crown Jewel

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