Not an Idol – an Ideal :

The word worship has been badly misunderstood to be a mere ritualistic exercise of no significance to a person living dynamically trying to fulfill his ambitions and seeking success in the world. Worshipping God and seeking His grace seems to be a mere blind belief meant only for escapists and failures. However, true worship is not a mere ritual, but an attunement with the ideal, that one invokes through one‘s thoughts, words and deeds.

Our Hindu culture has provided for us great ideals in the forms of idols and heroes we look up to invoke their qualities and live like them. Thus, not only can we make our own lives successful and happy but, by spreading peace, harmony and joy around ourselves, we can transmit them to others.

There is one personality that shines out as an ideal for all dynamic youngsters and that is Shri Hanuman. Even though pictured as a monkey, Hanumanji is an embodiment of knowledge, love and service. Each one of us is today what our mind is and this mind of ours has been compared to a monkey. Unlike a self-disciplined monkey like Hanumanji, we humans have a mind like a monkey, unsteady and restless, very often not capable of much. At the same time, a creator of innumerable mischief, creating sorrows for ourselves and havoc in the world outside. If this mind were to be trained like Hanumanji it would be a mighty force with which to achieve anything in this world. Worship means to admire with a heart full of love and expresses itself in the form of imitation.

Hanumanji‘s fruitful search for Sita, who represents not only material success but also spiritual peace and harmony, is a perfect example of how every person can achieve success in one‘s life. When Hanumanji’s vanara sena looked across the shore, saw that 800 miles had to be crossed, they sat back, and thought about their limitations and inability to perform. They thought the feat to be impossible due to their failures in the past, or the fear of the future as to how they would face the situation in Lanka. None of them dared to take the leap. Hanumanji‘s single-mindedness towards his goal did not make him sit back but rather carry on with confidence taking the Name of the Lord. When the goal is noble one should set out for achieving it without any hesitation and one will recognize within oneself a source of infinite strength.

There were three obstacles that Hanumanji had to face in his journey towards success. First was the mighty mountain – Mynaaka – not obstructing his way by strength, but rather by tempting him to rest for a while on his long and tiring journey. On any journey towards success, the greatest obstacle is the tendency to rest. According to Hanumanji and all men of success to rest is to rust. As the Upanishads say and so did Swami Vivekananda, ” Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.” Hanumanji did not succumb to this temptation.

As he proceeded further, he was met with another obstacle and that was Surasa who was out to test him. She wanted to swallow him up. Hanumanji became big, Surasa opened her mouth bigger. This drama continued. Surasa represents greed. The more you satisfy greed the larger its mouth opens to devour. The only way to conquer greed is to keep our needs to the minimum. Hanumanji became very small and came out of the devouring mouth of Surasa. The person who is on the path of success to achieve anything nobler and higher must keep his needs to the minimum. Mahatma Gandhi said, “There is enough in this world for everyone’s needs but not enough even for one man’s greed. ”

Hanumanji proceeded further…………… .

Then came on his way a unique obstacle and that was Simhika. Simhika had the power to pull and drag down anybody who went over and above her and, eventually, devour it. Hanumanji played no games with her, like he did with Surasa, but killed her right away. Simhika represents that negative quality in our hearts known as jealousy. Jealousy in our hearts towards others, as well as jealousy invoked in the hearts of others by us, both are obstacles to our path towards success. All such negative tendencies in our bosom should be mercilessly destroyed just as Hanumanji killed Simhika.

Hanumanji crossed all these obstacles and reached Sita. True invocation or worship of Hanumanji is living upto the ideal that he represents. Pujya Gurudev had kept Hanumanji as the highest ideal for any youngster. May we invoke his presence in our hearts; as dynamism and courage to achieve the noblest in life, as love to share and serve others, as knowledge to destroy all our ignorance and imperfections, and finally, as virtues to end all negativities within ourselves and all around us.

 Hari Om !