7 Life-Lessons We Can Learn From Lord Hanuman

Lord Hanuman, also known as Anjaneya or Pavanputra, is one of the most popular and revered Gods of Hinduism. He is the son of Vayu, the wind god and according to many, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Hanuman is a dominant character in the famous epic of Ramayana and is often depicted as a monkey, with a muscular body, wearing a loincloth, and carrying a gada or mace in one hand and a mountain in the other. He is mentioned in many other religious scriptures and epics, like the Mahabharata and Puranas.

Besides being known for his devout worship of Lord Rama, Hanuman is also the embodiment of power, wisdom, tact, and humility. Here are seven important lessons you can learn from Lord Hanuman:

1. Believe in your inner strength

Hanuman was blessed with many powers and possessed a great deal of physical strength. When Rama's brother Lakshman was injured in a fight with Indrajit (Ravana’s son), Hanuman was asked to bring the Sanjeevani booti before sunrise in order to cure him. Hanuman was unable to identify the herb, and thus, lifted the entire mountain from the Himalayas by himself and brought it to Lanka. Apart from physical strength, Lord Hanuman also demonstrated mental strength. He faced every difficult situation with courage and had faith in himself and his Lord.

Lesson: Even in our lives, there are times when we come across sticky situations which make us feel discouraged and we lose hope. In such times, we can take inspiration from Lord Hanuman and try to deal with every problem with our inner strength.

2. Be Pragmatic when the situation demand so

Whenever Lord Hanuman encountered a challenging situation, he undertook a practical approach to deal with it. Rather than following general ideas or rules, he focused on the task at hand by acting sensibly according to the situation. This can be seen through various instances, such as when he uses his tail to burn down Lanka, lifts a mountain to bring the medicinal herb, and changes his form during his encounter with Sursa. He also saved many lives with his war-winning tips and tricks.

Lesson: Like Lord Hanuman, even we should learn to adapt to any situation and act as per the need of the hour rather than relying on established habits.

3. Loyalty, selflessness and humility

Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and dedicated a major part of his life to the Lord and his wife, Sita. Stories of his loyalty and selflessness towards them have gone down in history. Putting his life at stake, he went alone to Lanka, to bring Sita back. Also, despite being so strong and powerful, he was always humble and down-to-earth.

This can be illustrated by the following incident - When Hanuman was crossing the sea on his way to Lanka, the Gods sent Sursa, the mother of the nagas (serpents) to test him. She assumed the form of a fearful rakshasi and told Hanuman that he cannot pass without going through her mouth. Hanuman acknowledged her strength and acted tactfully by expanding himself larger than Sursa’s mouth. She too made her mouth bigger and bigger, when suddenly, Hanuman shrunk into his original size and quickly entered her mouth and came out before she could trap him. This way Hanuman respected Sursa’s condition and saved his life too. Impressed by this, Sursa assumed her actual form and blessed Hanuman.

Thus, only being competent or strong doesn’t always lead to victory. Humility and modesty are equally important. Even in pictures, Hanuman is mostly seen kneeling down with folded hands when next to Rama.

Lesson: Being well aware of our strengths is good, but that doesn’t mean that we should consider ourselves superior to others. We must always be humble no matter how much we have achieved in life. Also, many times challenges cannot be won by force only. One should use their intellect to adapt to the situation and find the best possible solution.

4. Never compromise on your ideals

During the war between Hanuman and Indrajit in Ashok Vatika, Indrajit chose to use the power of Brahmastra to vanquish Hanuman. Hanuman could have used his strength and broken the Brahmastra but did not because he didn't want to reduce the importance of a weapon that was made by Lord Brahma. Instead, he bowed in front of it.

Lesson: In life, we may come across situations where it may be easier to do something that is against our morals. Still, it is never good to compromise on your ideals just to achieve something.

5. Communication is the key to effective Leadership

While constructing the stone bridge in the sea, it was Hanuman who organised and encouraged the mischievous monkeys in getting the work done. Even during the battle against Ravana, he managed and led the entire Vanara army.

Lesson: Knowing how to communicate well and manage people effectively is a skill that is very useful in today’s times. At the same time, we must be kind and respectful too.

6. Look at the brighter side

Even during complicated situations, Hanuman maintained his composure and showed his sense of humour. For instance, when he visited Lanka to find Mother Sita, he was captured, denied a seat in Ravana's court, and made fun of his monkey form. Instead of getting angry or feeling insulted, Lord Hanuman increased the length of his tail and coiled it on the courtroom floor. He sat on top of the coiled tail seat with dignity and as the emissary of the Lord, communicated Lord Rama's message of peace to Ravana.

Lesson: We should not let difficult times get the better of us. Keeping a positive attitude is essential in overcoming any situation.

7. Value Your Relationships

Hanuman played an important role in initiating the meeting between Ram and a troubled Sugreev, because of whom Ram fought Vali and gave Sugreev his kingdom back. Similarly, as an ardent devotee of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Mother Sita, Hanuman did everything in his power to help the holy couple reunite.

Lesson: If we get a chance to help a friend in need, we should not hesitate to help him or her. Like Hanuman, we should value friendship and promote goodwill among others.

Mythological epics teach us important values and lessons of life. Through the character of Lord Hanuman in Ramayana, we learn various beneficial qualities that we can imbibe in ourselves even today. What other lessons have you derived from Lord Hanuman? Tell us in the comments below.

AUTHOR

Ria Kanchan

Pratha Content Writer Intern