Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti or Hanuman Janam-Utsav is a Hindu religious festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Sri Hanuman, who is immensely venerated throughout India and Nepal. This festival is celebrated on different days in different parts of India. In most states of India, the festival is observed in the month of Chaitra – usually Chaitra Purnima, the 15th day of the bright half of the month. in year 2018, this translates to Saturday, 31 March.


Hanuman Jayanti – a festival of Hinduism

In Hinduism, it is taught that through the act of aspiring to divinity, one reaches divinity. Here, with Hanuman, we learn of one who aspired to be the selfless servant of the Divine, Lord Rama. The fruit of his devotion and service unto the Divine, Hanuman was gifted with immortality: whereever the Story of Lord Rama (the Ramayana) was told, there Hanuman is present.

Hanuman – sometimes called the “monkey god” was a vanara – a member of a now extinct race of intelligent monkeys. In the Ramayana they are represented as humans (va nara) with their speech, clothing, habitations, funerals, consecrations, etc., and as monkeys with reference to their leaping, their hair and fur. This race of intelligent simians is thought to have become extinct with the Fall of Atlantis.

Hanuman is known as Maruti, Pavanakumara, Vayusuta, Anjaneya, Kesarinandana, Mahavira, Bajarangi, Sankatmocana. He is presented as a simian – monkey figure kneeling with joined palms beside Rama, Sita and Laksmana, or tearing his chest open to reveal Rama’s image in his heart.

Hanuman is a vanara (the extinct species of monkey-humanoid), a devotee of Lord Rama, and one of the central characters in the Indian epic poem, the Ramayana. Folk tales acclaim the powers of Hanuman. The qualities of Hanuman – his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Lord Rama and the many names by which he was known – are detailed in the Hanuman Chalisa. Recitation or chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa is a common religious practice. The Hanuman Chalisa is the most popular hymn in praise of Lord Hanuman, and is recited by millions of Hindus every day.

 



 For the text\translation of Hanuman Chalisa, see here (opens in new window)

 

Hanuman and Lord Shani Dev (Planet Saturn)

 

Hanuman is said to have rescued Shani from the clutches of Ravana. Ravana had become invincible because Shiva and Brahma’s boons. So he had defeated all the Devata and Lokpaal and kept then under his foot. They could not do anything, but Shani told them he might help them. Ravana was a great astrologer. When Ravana’s son Meghnath was born, Ravana placed all the planets in his 11th House so that he could also be invincible and immortal. The Devata’s were very afraid of this and looked to Shani. Then Shani slowly stretched his leg a little bit from Ravana’s clutches towards his 12th House. Ravana knew that this will cause Meghnath’s death, so he imprisoned Shani in a dark tiny cell so that nobody could see Shani’s face again.

After some time, when Hanuman was searching for Sita, he heard Shani’s cries from a deep place. When Hanuman looked here and there, he found Shani imprisoned in a cell. Shani requested Hanuman to free him. Hanuman freed him, but as he freed him, Shani looked at him and thus Hanuman became the victim of Shani’s gaze. In gratitude, Shani promised Hanuman that those who would pray to him on Saturday would be rescued from the painful effects of Shani. When Hanuman was burning Lanka, he found that he was not able to burn it properly. Then as Shani promised to Hanuman to help him in degrading Ravana, he looked at Lanka and turned it into black instead of a heap of gold.

Sunrise on Hanuman Jayanti

 

Sunrise on this day of Hanuman Jayanti sees the Sun in the First House (Meena) in its own nakshatra, Uttarabhadrapada. The Sun taught the Vedas to Hanuman. Without the Vedas, the world would be in darkness. Conjunct the Sun is Mercury, retrograde and also in its own nakshatra, Revati. Mercury is in its debilitation, requiring care and patience in communications.

In the second house we have Venus in Aries. Venus in Aries is not good for management of lust nor sexual impetus. On this occasion we recall that Hanuman is famed for his celibacy (it gives him immeasurable strength and willpower) and his devotional focus on Lord Rama. We may pray to Hanuman that he give us proper direction that we might manage lust and sexual impetus for our good and the good of all who reside on Earth.

In the seventh house, we find the presiding deity of the Mind, the Moon. The moon is in a nakshatra of the Sun, Uttara Phalguna. The Sun, representative of Ego is certainly all over the Moon as it oversights the Moon from a position of strength. Ego mulitplying Ego will go before a fall. The key recollection about Hanuman is his humility. Hanuman is the role model of the immortal devotee, perfected in humility in service of his Lord, Rama. Keeping Hanuman close to mind – praying to Hanuman on a Saturday – will have the effect of receiving the blessings of Hanuman and mind management: good management of ego.

 

 

 

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