The worship of Anjaneya Swami...
Sri
Kanchi Kamakoti Jagat guru
Sri Jayendra Saraswathi
Sankaracharya swamigal
THE FOLLOWING TEXT IS FROM THE DISCOURES GIVEN BY H.H.PERIYAVA DURING HIS
HOLINESS'S DELHI VIJAYAM DURING THE YEAR 1973.
In many temples, Anjaneya has been installed. Ofcourse, in the Rama temple,
Anjaneya in bound to be there. But even in other temples, Anjaneya is often
installed. For instance in the Vinayaka temple at Sarojini Nagar, New Delhi,
whose Kumbhabhishekam was performed on the 13th June 1973, there is an
Anjaneyasannidhi.
What are the fruits that we get by worshipping Anjaneya? These are
beautifully summed up in the following sloka:
बुद्धिर्बलमं यशॊ धैर्यं निर्भयत्वमरॊगता ।
आजाड्यं वाक्पटुत्वं च हनुमत्स्मरणाद्भवेत् ॥
The order in which these fruits are mentioned is very significant. First
buddhi is mentioned. By worshipping Anjaneya, one will get sad buddhi or good
intellect. If the buddhi is all right, then everything else will become all
right automatically. The second fruit is balam or strength. They have not put
strength first in the list of fruits. If strength comes before buddhi, the
one does not know in what direction one will go. Therefore, priority has been
given to buddhi.
In Soundaryalahiri Adi Sankara says:
सरस्वत्या लक्ष्म्या विधिहरिसपत्नॊ विहरते
रते: पातिव्रत्यं शिथिलयति रम्येण वपुषा ।
चिरं जीवन्नेव क्षपितपशुपाशब्यतिकर:
परानन्दाभिरब्यं रसयति रसं त्वद्भजनवान् ॥
In this sloka also, it is Saraswati who is mentioned first and then only
Lakshmi. Saraswati, the Goddess of knowedge, gives us knowledge, while
Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, gives us wealth. As between wealth and
knowledge, first priority has been given only to knowledge. If money comes to
a person without Sad Buddhi then he would not know how to make use of it and
how to spend it properly. But if a man gets buddhi first, and then he gets
money, he can make proper use of the wealth he got. Therefore, first, one
should have Saraswati kataksha and then pray for Lakshmi kataksha.
The same idea is found also in the Taittriya Upanishad, which says:
स मेन्द्रॊ मेधया स्पूणॊतु ततॊ मे श्रियमावह ।
Here also, the devotee prays first for Medha or intellect and then only for
wealth. Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada in his commentary says:
एभवमदीनि कुर्वाणा श्रीर्या तां ततॊ मेधानिर्वर्तनात् परम् आवह आनय ।
अमेधसॊ हि श्रीरनर्थायैवेति ।
He says that only bad things will happen to a person who gets money but who
has no intellect. If a person has no knowledge or intellect, then he will use
the money only for wrongful ends.
Then, the other fruits that flow from worship of Anjaneya are : fame, glory,
courage, the gift of the tongue and good health.
A person may be well-versed in the Vedas and in philosophy but weak in body.
A person may have mental strength but may be physically weak. A person may
have a well-built body but have no mental strength. A person may be
physically strong but have no bhakti. a person may have just bhakti wothout
any knowledge. But Anjaneya gives such persons buddhi as well as mental
strength and so many other things.
It is said that Anjaneya was an expert in nine Vyakaranas or grammar systems.
Rama describes him in the Ramayana as Navavyakaranavetta (नवव्याकरणवेत्ता)
So, Anjaneya is the best person to give us buddhi, (knoweldge). He gives us
buddhi, (knowledge), mental strength as well as physical strength and good
health.
The worship of Anjaneya is prevalent throughout India. In Andhra Pradesh, He
is worshipped as Anjaneyulu; in Maharashtra, he is worshipped as Maruti. In
North India, He is worshipped as Mahavira. But the name Hanuman is commonly
known everywhere.
The worship of Anjaneya will do everyone immense good, Anjaneya is a symbol
not only of bravery but also of a true bhakta.
As the Dhyanasloka says:
यत्र यत्र रघुनाधकीर्तनं तत्र् तत्र कृतमस्तकाञ्जलिं ।
बाष्पवारिपरिपूर्णलॊचनं मारुतिं नमत राक्षसान्तकं ॥
Wherever the utterance of "Ram Ram" is heard, there Anjaneya is sitting and
meditating on Sri Rama.
वैदेहीसहितं सुरद्रुमतके हैमे महामण्डपे
मध्ये पुष्पकमासने मणिमये वीरासने सुस्थितम् ।
अग्रे वाचयति प्रभञ्जनसुते तत्त्वं मुनिभ्य: परं
व्याख्यान्तं भरतादिभि: परिवृतं रामं भजे श्यामलं ॥
Sri Rama is giving upadesa about truth to all the maharishis assembled around
Him, keeping Anjaneya at the forefront. This shows the prominence given among
bhaktas to Anjaneya.
The worship of Anjaneya, therefore, will give us many coveted fruits in
practical life. Therefore, let us all pray to Anjaneya and obtain His grace
and be happy.
|| jaya jaya shakara hara hara shankara ||