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chanting
September 2007 
Praising a Monkey God in this Day and Age
Posted on May 2nd, 2007
by 
Chris
Chris
(Crossposted from The Ordinary Mystic)
Why would a person who doesn't believe in or worship "idols" enjoy listening to a forty-verse devotional anthem to a monkey god?
That's right, a Hindu monkey God - the divine monkey - also known as Hanuman.
To look at the devotional images of the Hindu religion, most people raised in a western religious environment would think that it is full of nothing but polytheistic idol worship. But that isn't the case. I've made the point in a previous post that the Hindu religion uses stories and characters to explain various aspects of the divine.
The story of Hanuman appears in the epic tale Ramayana â?? where he is given the assignment of locating Rama's wife Sita, who was abducted by Ravana, a demon king. Hanuman is always on Rama's side in constant battle against evil forces. He is looked upon as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance, and devotion, and represents the perfect devotee, the ultimate disciple. His loyalty to Rama was such that he never tired, and from that we can start to appreciate the unlimited potential that we all have.
Sometime in the 16th century, the Hindu poet Tulsi Das composed a 40-stanza poem praising Hanuman. Many Hindu families today recite this poem - the Hanuman Chalisa - as a prayer on a regular basis. And in the west, it is becoming more and more popular among those who enjoy chanting, kirtans, and other expressions of bhakti yoga.
The first time I heard it I didn't know what it was - it was just another enjoyable tract on the CD Now
by Bhagavan Das. Later I caught one of Krishna Das' renditions, and that was when I started paying closer attention to the flow of the words. Krishna Das' chanting style is a little bit more accessible to westerners like myself.
This stands out from the style of repetitive chanting, but because it's spoken in the same spiritual language of Sanskrit, the same principles are involved in its recital. It is said that the devotee who recites the Hanuman Chalisa 108 times will overcome all obstacles. No, I don't believe that there is an actual entity that appears to assist you. Rather, it's the nature of the vibrations that has the effect. After finding a version that resonates with you and then listening to it for awhile, you'll feel something very positive in the words - even if you don't know the translation. And as we honor the loyalty, strength, and purity of Hanuman, we also honor that part of ourselves.
You can find the words to the Hanuman Chalisa here.
Recommendation: Flow of Grace by Krishna Das. An entire CD devoted to the Hanuman Chalisa.
Why would a person who doesn't believe in or worship "idols" enjoy listening to a forty-verse devotional anthem to a monkey god?
That's right, a Hindu monkey God - the divine monkey - also known as Hanuman.
To look at the devotional images of the Hindu religion, most people raised in a western religious environment would think that it is full of nothing but polytheistic idol worship. But that isn't the case. I've made the point in a previous post that the Hindu religion uses stories and characters to explain various aspects of the divine.
The story of Hanuman appears in the epic tale Ramayana â?? where he is given the assignment of locating Rama's wife Sita, who was abducted by Ravana, a demon king. Hanuman is always on Rama's side in constant battle against evil forces. He is looked upon as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance, and devotion, and represents the perfect devotee, the ultimate disciple. His loyalty to Rama was such that he never tired, and from that we can start to appreciate the unlimited potential that we all have.
Sometime in the 16th century, the Hindu poet Tulsi Das composed a 40-stanza poem praising Hanuman. Many Hindu families today recite this poem - the Hanuman Chalisa - as a prayer on a regular basis. And in the west, it is becoming more and more popular among those who enjoy chanting, kirtans, and other expressions of bhakti yoga.
The first time I heard it I didn't know what it was - it was just another enjoyable tract on the CD Now
by Bhagavan Das. Later I caught one of Krishna Das' renditions, and that was when I started paying closer attention to the flow of the words. Krishna Das' chanting style is a little bit more accessible to westerners like myself.This stands out from the style of repetitive chanting, but because it's spoken in the same spiritual language of Sanskrit, the same principles are involved in its recital. It is said that the devotee who recites the Hanuman Chalisa 108 times will overcome all obstacles. No, I don't believe that there is an actual entity that appears to assist you. Rather, it's the nature of the vibrations that has the effect. After finding a version that resonates with you and then listening to it for awhile, you'll feel something very positive in the words - even if you don't know the translation. And as we honor the loyalty, strength, and purity of Hanuman, we also honor that part of ourselves.
You can find the words to the Hanuman Chalisa here.
Recommendation: Flow of Grace by Krishna Das. An entire CD devoted to the Hanuman Chalisa.
Access: Public
I love Krishna Das and I had the privilege of seeing him live in Toronto a few weeks ago his concert was amazing. I'm fascinated with the symbol of the Hanuman and your blog has captivated me even more. I have most of Krishna Das collection except for Flow of Grace I think I'll be purchasing that soon. Thanks for posting : )
Yep, I plan to get Flow Of Grace as well. I throughly enjoy the two versions I've heard from a couple of his other CDs - to have an entire CD devoted to the Hanuman Chalisa will be awesome. Thanks for your comment.