How do we unleash the power of the mighty Lord Hanuman through Hanuman Chalisa? 

And what if it were indeed possible to invoke His energy to help us navigate the many challenges we are faced with in our lives? And what if there was a way to be at the receiving end of a love that stands the test of time? Sounds too far-fetched? It’s actually not. To unleash the power of the mighty Lord Hanuman, we can meditate upon and chant the potent Hanuman Chalisa. The Hanuman Chalisa, a collection of 40 verses, is a sacred prayer to Lord Hanuman. Penned by Tulsidas, a saint of the 16th century, it is a potent hymn of devotion. 

The Hanuman Chalisa describes the glory of Lord Hanuman’s life, His mystical powers, His heroic feats and His selfless service to His master. By reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, we can invoke His grace and tap into the same qualities of courage, perseverance, and devotion that He embodies. 

                       “ Every Line of the Hanuman Chalisa is a Mahamantra”

                                                                                          –  Neem karoli Baba

Here are a few pointers to getting the best out of chanting the powerful Hanuman Chalisa :

• Visualisation
• Reading the stories mentioned in the Chalisa
• Understanding the deeper meaning behind the stories

Visualization

What is Visualization?

Visualization is a powerful tool for forging a bond with the deity of our choice. Visualize Lord Bajrangbali by going through the description of Lord Bajrangbali’s physical attributes such as His golden-hued body, gold earrings, powerful arms, curly hair and brown eyes that radiate compassion and wisdom. This helps us in visualizing a picture of the Lord in our minds. Before chanting, do a short visualization exercise.

How to do the Visualization?

• Sit comfortably in a quiet place. 
• Keep an image of Lord Hanuman in front of you. Choose an image that appeals the most to you. 
• Look at the image, close your eyes and then visualise the image in your mind’s eye. 
• Try to hold the image for as long as you can. 
• If the image disappears, open your eyes and look at the image again. Try to hold the visualisation of the image without opening your eyes. 
• Continue to do this for 5 to 7 minutes. 
•  We can begin our practice by doing this visualisation exercise and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa once a day.

Read the stories of Hanuman imbibed in the Hanuman Chalisa

Woven within the Hanuman Chalisa are Anjeneya’s many stories. These stories connect you with Him and enhance the bond. Here are two of His most popular stories:

Lord Hanuman flies across the ocean

Prabhu Mudrika Meli Mukh Maahi. Jaladhi Laandhi Gaye Achraj Naahi.

Hanuman Chalisa verse 19

These lines allude to the mammoth task that Hanuman was given of locating Mata Sita. His great contribution to rescuing Her is legendary. But things weren’t all easy for Him.

Lord Rama’s wife, Mata Sita, was abducted by the evil Ravana and held captive in Lanka, which lay across the ocean. It was the most trying time in Lord Rama’s life. The entire army of monkeys (Vanar Sena) led by Sugriv had pledged their allegiance to Him. Lord Hanuman, who was Sugriv’s minister, was chosen to cross the mighty ocean, locate Mata Sita and assure Her that Lord Rama was indeed coming to get Her. The task was enormous. As Ram Bhakt Hanuman sat facing the ocean, He was full of self-doubts. Jambuvan, the wise old king of the bears, was also present there. He realized what was going on and gently reminded Ram Bhakt Hanuman about His latent powers, His true nature. The enormous power is unlocked within Lord Hanuman. He took Lord Rama’s name and within minutes, He increased in size to that of a mighty mountain and flew across the ocean, making it seem like an easy task. Not only did He find Mata Sita and give Her the good news thus keeping Her hopes alive, but He also caused considerable damage to the city of Lanka by burning a huge part of it when Ravana tried to harm Him by lighting His tail on fire!

Lord Hanuman saves Laxman’s life

Laaye Sanjeevan Lakhana Jiyaaye. Sri Raghuveer Harashi Urr Laaye.

Hanuman Chalisa verse 11 

These lines bring out the gigantic effort of Lord Hanuman in saving Laxman’s life.

As the efforts to get Mata Sita back from Lanka intensified, Lord Rama, along with his Vanar Sena, reached Lanka. During the course of the battle that ensued, Ravana sent Meghnath, his son, to overpower them. Meghnath shot a poison-tipped arrow at Laxman that made him unconscious. The only thing that could revive him was a herb, which could be found deep in the Himalayan ranges. 

Lord Rama was beside Laxman. He was in great grief seeing His beloved brother’s health deteriorate with every passing moment. Everyone present there turned to Vayuputra Hanuman. They knew if anyone could get them out of this, it was Him. Vayuputra Hanuman knew that something had to be done immediately. He took Lord Rama’s blessings and flew to the mountain, Dronagiri, to find the herbs. When He reached there, He realized that all the herbs on the mountain looked similar. Since there was no time to spare, He grew in size and picked up the entire mountain and flew back with it to Lanka. Laxman was saved and Lord Rama was eternally grateful to His devotee. Shri Hanuman has a special place to this day in Shri Rama’s heart. It is said in the Hanuman Chalisa that to get to Bhagwan Shri Ram, you have to go via Shri Hanuman! 

Understand the deeper meanings behind the stories in Hanuman Chalisa

• By understanding the deeper meanings behind the stories in Hanuman Chalisa we can all draw a parallel between these stories and our own lives
• There are countless moments when we, like Kesari Nandan, are met with obstacles that feel insurmountable. We feel helpless and devoid of hope. Kesari Nandan reveals that we have been tricked by our conditioned mind into believing that we are incapable of achieving our goals. He helps us to rise above our conditioning, come out of our comfort zone and become ‘bigger’ than what we think we are. By doing this time and again, with discipline, we can loosen the hold that the mind has on us. As we become free from the doubts crippling our minds, we can live life to the fullest.
• The significance of the Hanuman Chalisa extends to the profound value it places on selfless service, a virtue of utmost importance. Lord Hanuman exemplified this virtue of selfless service through his unwavering dedication to Lord Rama. It is through such a virtue that individuals attain self-purification, which serves as the cornerstone of spiritual growth.
• Surrendering to a higher power, as Lord Hanuman did to Lord Rama, allows us to transcend our ego, which often acts as the greatest obstacle to our personal growth.

Tulsidas, in his hymn, continues to sing the praises of Lord Hanuman. He tells us how the Hanuman Chalisa is a wish-fulfilling mantra. Its recitation wards off evil forces, remove obstacles in our path and brings success and prosperity. The hymn is also believed to have healing properties as is experienced by many seekers. With each recitation of the Chalisa, the burden of all the difficult tasks of the world seems lighter. We begin to feel a sense of fearlessness and security; and a divine love, Lord Hanuman’s love, envelopes us.

Such is the power of this divine hymn. 

The intellectual in us is always curious to unravel the hidden symbolism concealed within the characters and narratives of sacred texts. Though this is absolutely essential, the path of devotion, in no uncertain terms, lies in believing that God functions at a much higher level of consciousness than us and in worshipping Him with great persistence and perseverance is the only way. Such disciplined worship elevates our consciousness as well. A child-like feeling of awe and wonder is imperative to get to your Bhagwan’s heart. That needs to be remembered while chanting the Chalisa. 

Did you know – Lord Hanuman is said to be a Chiranjeevi, which means He is still alive and very much around our plane of existence? And He is easily pleased. So let’s try invoking Him, shall we?

The Hanuman Chalisa is a part of the Sadhana app. Let’s start by heading to Kishkinda every morning and chanting it to experience its potential for ourselves. It is under the title Nitya Pooja once you enter Lord Hanuman’s Temple. Let us make Hanuman Chalisa in Sadhana app a part of our spiritual journey.

A beautiful rendition of the hymn is also available on YouTube here.

                        “Prayer is the key of the morning and a bolt of the evening”

                                                                                             –     M.K.Gandhi