Pt. Balram Persad
From an online service at Swaha Om Shakti Mandir on April 7, 2020 on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti
In these times of social distancing, where physically we may be separated, let us join together to worship Hanuman Baba, our protector and destroyer of negativity. We pray for all, including our health care workers, persons who are ailing from this virus and for families who have lost their loved ones. Let us appeal to the Lord to remove this cloud of darkness engulfing humanity and restore happiness. Let us create strong spiritual vibrations and positive energies, which we as a people need more than ever.
In the Hindu calendar there are two days that are celebrated as Hanuman Jayanti. The observance in Chaitra (the month of March-April), deals with the day that Hanumanji was showered with blessings by all the Devtas. Hanumanji became extremely blessed and was endowed with great powers.
Let me share a modern-day incident of the power of Shri Hanuman in the lives of his devotees: a devotee once dreamt that he was in a glass case. He could see all around him but as it was enclosed, he began having difficulty breathing. He was worried and when we are in distress and difficulty, as we are now, there can be many solutions. The best advice we can follow now is that given by our medical workers, the laws of our land, and of course, turning towards God. Man minus God is zero. Man plus God is all happiness. We cannot do without Him. We need Him more than ever. God is like the air we breathe and the food we eat. In this very distressing state, the individual remembered that when he used to go to satsang and yagya he had heard the pundit saying, “Bhoot pisach nikat nahee avei, Mahaabir jab nam sunawei.” In any distress or difficulty, focus on the form of Hanumanji, chant His name. He started to chant the name: Jai Hanuman, Jai Mahabir, Jai Bajrangbali. He heard a loud noise and saw Hanuman with his mukdar smashing the glass case.
In another incident, a girl was returning home at night after work. She saw a man and became afraid as she realised he was looking at her as a victim. In this world, there are people who pray to God and those who prey on others. She remembered the words of her mother, that whenever she felt alone or afraid, recite the name of Hanuman Baba and the Hanuman Chalisa. She began chanting the name of Hanumanji and she passed the man safely. On returning home, she explained what had happened to her mother.
The next day, she learned that another woman had been victimised at that place. She went to the police station and identified the man whom she had encountered the previous night. She was permitted to talk to him and she asked him why he had committed the crime. The man replied that he was going to steal from her but when he was moving towards her to strangle her, he saw two large monkeys standing on either side of her. Through her prayer, she had benefited from the blessings of Hanumanji.
One of the benefits of being a devotee of God is protection from fear and harm. There are times when we will be alone at home, at work, or in other situations. We must remember the power, grace and might of Shree Hanuman. We cannot live without Hanuman. He is like the air that we breathe; He is the son of Vayu, the wind God; He is the representation of praan vayu, the five vital airs in the body and the symbol of the restrained mind. In these times, we need His blessings more than ever. We must continue chanting the Hanuman Chalisa, performing havan and following the instructions of the health personnel. We are thankful and grateful to them.
We are all experiencing the effects of the pandemic because we are all interconnected. We must remember that we are spiritual beings and that these situations remind us of our spiritual duty. As Bhagavan Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, “Think of me, serve me, honour me, worship me, bow down to me, my blessings shall be upon you.”
