Shri Hanuman

Lord Hanuman-My painting shows his surrender to the divine cause and his devotion to Lord Rama which was unique, exemplary and unconditional. With regard to character, strength and ability, Hanuman was far superior to even humans. Wherever the name of Lord Rama is chanted or mentioned, Lord Hanuman is always listening to the chanting and absorbed in his thoughts. Agni, the god of fire, blessed him with immunity to fire. Surya, the sun god, gave him the power to change the size of his body. Yama blessed him with good health and immortality. Vishwakarma, the divine architect, offered a boon that he would be safe from all objects of his creation. Invincible and immortal are the words primarily associated with him. He is the “mind-born” son of Vayu, the wind god, and Anjana. It is said that he can move with the swiftness of the wind as a result of his family line. In the Ramayana, he is a great ally to Rama and Laksmana Rama had said that “everywhere, even among the animals, can be found good creatures that follow the ways of righteousness, that are brave and provide a sure place of refuge”. This statement fits the description of Hanuman, for he is a loyal and virtuous being, and he is willing to endure the risk of crossing into Ravana’s land to save Sita. Hanuman does find Sita, but she refuses to return with him because of her loyalty to her husband. She is unwilling to touch another man, and believes that it is Rama’s duty (dharma) to save her himself. Hanuman also demonstrates a few great powers that are useful in his role in the Ramayana. In the Sundarakanda [5th book of the Ramayana], Hanuman becomes a major character, with a talent for jumping extremely far distances. This is demonstrated in his jump between Mount Mahendra to Lanka’s Mount Trikuta His duality as a monkey-hero is demonstrated in this leap between the two territories and his search for Sita. Hanuman’s essential presence in the story is indicated by “the fact that the poet devotes nearly two hundred verses to the description of his jump”. Hanuman further demonstrates his unique powers by his ability to change his size at will, for example during Hanuman’s leap to Lanka “he takes on a size that is said to be immeasurable. As he flies along, his shadow on the sea below is said to measure ten leagues in breadth and thirty in length”.

This painting by artist Dr. Chaitali Mirajkar (44 years), Shortlisted in Khula Aasmaan Ramayana art contest.

See the short video about this artwork