The Indian Dharma

In the previous episode we witnessed that Hanuman successfully defeats Lankini who is the presiding deity of the city of Lanka. She was protecting Lanka from all the directions and to check if any intruders are entering the city from any corner. While Hanuman was successfully defeating her, we learnt a very important leadership lesson that leaders at ay situation should remain calm and composed. If leaders get angry and panicked, it might be a morale booster for the opposition and can easily be able to defeat them. This is exactly the strategy that Hanuman followed. He tries to irritate Lankini to the maximum, thus making her angry to the core! The moment her anger went out of control, it was very easy for Hanuman to defeat her – With just one blow on her head!

As Lankini was defeated, she blesses him of success in his mission of searching for Sita in Lanka. Boosted with confidence, Hanuman now enters into Lanka. He was simply unstoppable at that moment and his self-confidence knew no bounds! His motivation levels were extremely high too. He was very confident that he would be able to find Sita quite easily. Was the search mission as easy as he thought? Let’s find out from today!

As Hanuman enters Lanka, he was astonished with the huge and vibrant city! He was astounded with the innumerable number of forts, palaces, houses, roads, gardens, lakes, forests, etc. For a moment he was perplexed as to where to begin the search operation! Thus, Hanuman starts going into each of the houses, palaces, etc. one by one in search of Sita. As mentioned before, Hanuman is searching the city in such a way that he goes unnoticed by anyone!

“Sadadaa tathgruham drushtvaa mahaa hataka thoranam!

Praakaramrutha marthyantham dadarshacha mahaa kapihi!!”

Thus, Hanuman starts to search each fort, each palace, each house, each road, each garden… Wherever he goes, he is able to see the amount of richness and wealth that the citizens of Lanka were enjoying. He was surprised with all of that and proceeds with his search. He was able to see the Raakshasaas enjoying their nighttime with drinks, with women and with all other things that would give immense joy. The entire city was full of vibrance and joy on all four directions.

Crossing all of this, Hanuman comes up to the all-important palace of the great king Raavana. It was a huge and an unimaginable palace by human beings with all its beauty and shine. Innumerable Raakshasaas guarded it heavily on all sides. Hanuman was thinking as to how to enter inside the palace. As he enters successfully inside the palace, he starts searching each and every room and every garden. He was astonished with the amount of richness the palace possessed! He was sure that no other palace in the world was as rich as Ravana’s.

“Sa ni kaamam vimaaneshu vicharam kaama roopadhrik!

Sachaara hanumaanstathra raavanasya sameepathaha!!”

As Hanuman passes through the length and breadth of the palace, Hanuman spots a very beautiful “Vimaana” (An object that can fly in the air). He soon realized that this was the “Pushpaka Vimaana” that Ravana used to abduct Sita from Panchavati. Hence he has a look at the Vimaana angrily and starts to search further!

For Hanuman, now it is proving that the search operation was not as easy as he thought initially! As he searches on and on, he slowly has lot of doubts in his mind. What were the doubts? How did he handle them? Did he continue the search further, or did he give it up mid-way? The action continues in the next episode, with few extremely important lessons for modern-day leadership and management! 🙂

In the previous episode we witnessed an interesting event wherein Hanuman tries to enter into the city of Lanka. He precautiously enters during the wee hours of the night, thinking that he can go unnoticed! However, Hanuman was proved wrong! As he tries to enter inside through a gap in the compound wall, Lankini, the deity that protects the city of Lanka as per the instruction of King Ravana, quickly noticed him. She is protecting the city in all four sides, preventing any intruders to get in! As Lankini stops Hanuman with a huge form of a demoness, Hanuman thinks of how to cheat her and enter inside! 🙂

Lankini asks Hanuman of his whereabouts but Hanuman is careful not to reveal any! There is a big argument that is brewing on between Lankini and Hanuman. As Hanuman says that he is just a wayside traveller and a tourist who likes to visit many places, Lankini was not convinced with Hanuman’s answer! She demands that he defeats her if he can, so as to enter Lanka! Hanuman still tries to convince her calmly and says,

“Drakshyaami nagareem lankaam shaatah praakaara thoranam!

Vanaam yupa vanaanneeha lankaayaah kaananaanicha!!”

Hanuman thus says to Lankini, “Oh woman! I’ve heard that this city has beautiful forts, buildings and forests! I’ve heard that this Lanka is full of natural scenic beauty! I’m so eager to enjoy all this and hence I’ve come here. Moreover, if someone appreciates that your city is very good, you need to acknowledge it, rather than fighting with that person!”

“Tasya tath vachanam shruthvaa lankaa saa kaama roopini!

Bhooya yeva punar vaakyam prabhaashe parushaaksharam!!”

As Hanuman keeps talking on and on, Lankini is losing her patience! Hanuman exactly wants that to happen – He’s trying to make her angrier by the moment! The strategy here is that, if the opponent gets way too angry, he/she loses composure and hence it becomes very easy to defeat them! This is a very important lesson for modern day leaders – Here is an illustration to prove that if we lose our cool, it would be extremely easy for the opposition to capture our weakness! This is exactly happening in this Hanuman-Lankini episode as well! Hanuman never loses his calm, but the opponent does! Hanuman captures the right moment. Let us see how he does.

Getting furious, Lankini replies back, “Oh monkey! Don’t you understand what I’m saying? You cannot enter this city without defeating me!” Hanuman still keeps himself calm and replies, “Oh is it? If that is the case, then I’ve to defeat you and enter inside! What else can I do? Anyways, I’ve come so long and I can’t go back without entering Lanka! So if you are an obstacle to my entry, I shall very well defeat you and proceed!” Hanuman says the above words softly and calmly! This irritated Lankini even more! 🙂

“Tathah krithvaa mahaa naadham saavai lankaa bhayankaraam!

Drishtvaa pureem imam bhadre punarvyasye yathaa gatham!!”

As Lankini reiterates her stand with more fury, Hanuman makes her even more furious! 🙂 He says further, “Oh Lankini! You stay here only! I’ll go inside, have a glance and come out within minutes! I assure you of it! Please give me one chance!” Lankini is now on top of her fury! She replies, “I’m not giving you even one chance! Get out of this place immcdiately!”

Saying thus, she comes towards Hanuman and gives him a blow with her fists! Now both of them realize that there is no use arguing further. Hanuman now wants to teach Lankini a lesson. He grows in size quickly and gives her one strong blow on her face with his ultra-strong fist!

“Tathhah samvarthayaamaasa vaamahasyascha somgulihi!”

As Hanuman is a saintly person, he knows the Dharma that hitting women with the right fist is not allowed, he hits her with his left fist. Unable to bear the pain of Hanuman’s blow, Lankini falls on the ground! She was stunned that she stood defeated with just one blow from a monkey! She coulnd’t believe what was happening!

“Mushtinaa vijakaanenaam hanuman krodha moorchithaa!

Sthreechethi manyamaanena naabhih krodhaha svayam kruthaha!!”

Hanuman says to Lankini now, “Oh woman! I’ll leave you with this one blow! I do not want to hurt you further!” Lankini is now in fear of Hanuman’s strength and asks back, “Why? Don’t you want to kill me? I stand defeated!” Hanuman replies back, “You are a woman! My Dharma is not to kill women, how bad they are! Hence I’m leaving you! With this one blow itself you would have experienced hell, isn’t it?” Lankini now replies, “Oh Hanuman! I’ve already experienced hell with just one blow! You needn’t kill me further! Now I’m never going to stop you from entering Lanka! You are free to go and do whatever you want!”

Lankini continues further, “Oh Hanuman! Now I remember Lord Brahma’s boon, which he had given me long back! He has said that when a monkey comes and defeats me, from that day onwards there is going to be a huge threat to Lanka and the Raakshasaas! Oh Hanuman! I know for what reason you’ve come here! Please go inside Lanka and search for Sita! I can foresee that Ravana is going to die because of his unwanted desire on Sita! Please go and re-establish the Dharma in this world!”

“Praseedhasu mahaabaaho dhraayasya hari sapthama!

Samaye soumya thisthanthi sathvavantho mahaabalaaha!!”

Saying thus, Lankini blesses Hanuman with success! As Hanuman wins over Lankini, the fourth obstacle, he is all set to enter Lanka now! How did he enter? What did he see inside the city? Did he find Sita straightaway? Let’s wait to find out in the next episode! 🙂

So far we’ve seen that Hanuman has landed at Lanka, undefeated by any obstacle till now. He strategizes his search mission in Lanka, sitting on top of the Lamba Mountain. He decides that the search operation should be executed without being noticed by anybody. Thus Hanuman comes to the conclusion that he would enter the city during the wee hours of the night when the visibility would be less. Moreover, he has a “Plan B” too – If at all someone spots him and tries to catch him red-handed, the only methodology to employ with them is “Dhandam”, that is, to attack them back and kill them on the spot!

Thinking thus, Hanuman slowly makes his way towards the city as darkness sets in. He nears the compound walls that adorn the city. To enable the search operation, Hanuman reduces his size to that of a small kitten so as to go unnoticed! As Hanuman nears the city, he is able to hear more sounds emanating from there. He was surprised and taken aback by the vibrance of the city. Seeing all this around him, Hanuman nears the compound wall, which seemed so high for him! It should be remembered that he has shrunk his form to that of a small cat! Hanuman lifts his head up and takes a look at the wall, thinking how to cross over!

“Raavanasya pureem raathrou pravishya suduraasadhaan!

Vrishakamshaka maathroda babhoova adbhudha darshanaha!!”

Thus, Valmiki Maharishi gives an accord of Hanuman taking a small form and trying to enter into Lanka. As Hanuman was taking a step forward to cross over the wall, there was somebody who noticed this intruder! She was none other than “Lankini” – the deity which presided over the city of Lanka and protected it from all four sides!

Pradosha kaale hanuman poornamuthpathya veeryavaan!

Pravivesha pureem ramyaam pravibhaktha mahaadatham!!”

At that moment when Hanuman was about to cross over, Lankini spots him and comes in front of him. She was having a huge sword in her hand and looked so fearful. Hanuman has a look at this huge demoness and was surprised as to how he was noticed so keenly! As Hanuman tries to escape away from her looks, Lankini caught him red-handed! She says in her fearful tone, “Stop! Who are you? Where are you going?” Upon hearing this from Lankini, Hanuman replies back, “Who are you to stop me like this?” Now the demoness replies back, “I’m Lankini! The presiding deity of Lanka city! Nobody can cross over into the city without my knowledge! Now I’m going to kill you for trying to intrude into Lanka!”

“Vismayaa vishta hridayaha pureemaalokya sarvathaha!

Jaambooraka maythvaaraihi vaidoorya kritha vedikaihi!!

“Saadham harivaram drushtvaa lankaa raavana paalithaam!

Svayameva ucchithaa thathra vikruthaanana darshanaa!!”

Thus, Valmiki Maharishi describes the significance of this Lankini. She again asks Hanuman with an angry tone, “Oh monkey! Rather than being in the forest, what are you doing in a city?”

“Kathayasayeha yath thathvam vyaabaghraana vyapanthithe!

Nashakyma kalviyam lankaam praveshtum vaanarathvayaa!!”

Lankini continues in her angry tone: “Oh monkey! You cannot enter into Lanka as easily as you think! I demand you to tell me the reason of your entry!” Upon hearing this from Lankini, Hanuman thinks for a moment and decides that he should never tell her the real reason of his visit. Thus he smartly lies to her:

“Kaarthvam viroopa nayanaa purathvaare avathistase!

Kimarthvamthaasi maam krodhaam vibharthayasi thaarune!!”

Hanuman replies, “Oh demoness with crooked eyes! (Viroopa Nayanaa!) Why are you seeing at me like that?” Upon hearing this “compliment” called “Viroopa Nayane” from Hanuman, Lankini gets even more furious! (Perhaps she was thinking within herself that she was a beautiful woman standing in front of him!) 🙂 And Hanuman was continuing further without stopping too! This irritated her even more!

“Hanumad vachanam shruthvaa lankaam thaam kaama roopini!

Uvaacha vachanam kruddhaa parusham pavanaathmajam!!”

Hanuman continues, “Oh Viroopa Nayanaa! I’ve never even known you till yesterday! We don’t have any kind of enemity within us! I’ve just come here as a traveller and as a tourister to enjoy the beauty of this city! If you let me go inside, I shall visit this beautiful city within a few minutes and come out! Is this the way how you treat a tourist who comes to your city?” 🙂 

However, Lankini is not ready to listen to all these stories that Hanuman is telling her! She is determined to punish Hanuman for trying to intrude inside! Hence she musters up all her courage and hits Hanuman with her sword! Upon hitting Hanuman, Lankini replies him, “Oh monkey! Upon King Ravana’s instruction, I’m protecting the city from all sides! Even air or germs cannot enter the city getting unnoticed by me! I’m going to now kill you for the offence that you’ve committed!”

Upon hearing this, Hanuman gets angry finally and decides to teach her a lesson! How did he react to Lankini? Did he kill her or did he defeat her? What happened next? The action continues in the next episode! 🙂

In the previous episode we had witnessed that Hanuman has landed in Lanka over the Lamba Mountain. He has a closer look at Lanka city from the top of the mountain. In due course of time, Hanuman starts to strategise his ways and means of entering Lanka and searching the whereabouts of Sita. He thinks of various ways to enter inside but however he gets lot of doubts in his mind. However, he finally concludes that he would not enter Lanka during the daytime, since the possibility of being caught is high! It should be remembered that Hanuman intends to search Sita in the Lanka city, without being noticed by anyone! He plans to execute his mission like a secret spy. Hence he is to be extra careful here. Thus, after lot of deliberations, Hanuman decides finally that he would enter Lanka during the night. The main logic behind this decision is that, it might be difficult for anybody to spot him in amidst the darkness.

Thus, Hanuman waits till darkness sets in. In the meanwhile, he once again takes a closer look of Lanka city from the Lamba Mountain. Valmiki Maharishi beautifully brings it out with the following sloka:

“Samaa saadhyacha lakshmeevaan lankaam raavana paalithaam!

Paanduraabhih prathee lobihi ucchaabhirabhi samvruthaam!!”

Valmiki Maharishi brings out the beauty of Lanka – The city ruled by the great Raakshasa king, Ravana. The city is adorned with huge compound walls guarded by security men with dangerous weapons, 24*7. Moreover, the city comprises of tall and beautifully built buildings like towers, apartments, forts, etc. Also, there were places within the city, which were adorned by tall trees and rich forests with streams and lakes in between! Hanuman observes all this from the top of the Lamba Mountain.

“Paalithaam raakshasendrena nirmithaam vishwakarmanaa!

Vapra praakaara jaghanaam vipulaambu varaambaraam!!”

Moreover, Vaalmiki Maharishi mentions here that Vishwakarma, the great builder of those times, built the city of Lanka. The city was full of Raakshasaas (Demons) who were roaming around here and there with weapons in their hands, to ensure that nobody intrudes into the city easily.

As Hanuman is busy observing all this, time flies away! Darkness slowly sets in and it’s almost 10 PM at night. Now Hanuman decides to enter Lanka as planned! However, he has one more problem – I’ve already mentioned in one of our earlier episodes that Raakshasaas are also called “Rajaneecharaas”, which means that these people are more active during the night than during the day! While strategising his plan, Hanuman unfortunately didn’t consider this important factor! The entire city of Lanka comes to life during the nighttime. (Today we of course talk about “Nightlife” in various important cities around the world. It’s interesting to note that Valmiki Maharishi has already spoken about this “Nightlife” in his Ramayana text while describing Lanka!) However, Hanuman decides to proceed further because he doesn’t have sufficient time in hand to wait. Anyway, planning such minute things is beyond one’s control. However, although the Raakshasaas are awake during the night and roaming here and there, darkness is darkness! Visibility would not be as easy as it is during the day! Hence, Hanuman decides to proceed further.

“Imaam tva vishamaam lankaam durgaam raavana paalithaam!

Chathur naamevahi dhathihi vaanaraanam tarasvinaam!!”

Now as Hanuman starts from the Lamba Mountain he plans few more things: “What if someone stops me or catches me? How do I deal with them?” In Sanskrit, it is a common saying that we should deal with people in either of four different ways – “Saama”, “Dhaana”, “Bedha” and “Dhanda”. Hanuman now thinks which of the four methods to use while dealing with Raakshasas. “Saama” (means, dealing with people calmly with peace and friendship) is not a good way to deal with Raakshasas, since they are violent people! “Dhaana” (Means, dealing with people by giving away wealth or donating something to them to bring them under control) is also not a good methodology because, giving “Dhaana” to Raakshasas is considered to be a sin! “Bheda” (Means, inflicting some fight between the enemy, so that they fight within themselves and eventually lose) cannot be a good methodology again, since Raakshasas are very united amongst themselves and hence it’s not that easy to encourage them to fight amongst themselves. Hence the only remaining method to deal with the Raakshasas is “Dhanda” (Means, fighting the enemy back and killing them, if they come for a fight). Hence Hanuman decides once and for all, “If somebody comes in front of me and tries to catch me, I’m going to attack them and kill them! Be it anyone!” Thus, it can be interestingly noted that Hanuman executed this “Dhanda” methodology right from the beginning till the end of his stay in Lanka! In subsequent episodes we are going to see where and how did he employ this method.

Thus Hanuman moves closer to Lanka during the night! Did he enter Lanka straightaway or did someone notice his suspicious movement? Let’s wait till the next episode to witness the action! 🙂

In the previous episode we had witnessed that Hanuman has reached the shores of Lanka finally. As he was flying through, he sees a big land mass engulfed with beautiful mountains and trees. In the middle of all these is the city of Lanka that is being ruled by the Raakshasa King, Ravaneshwara! Hanuman choses the Lamba Mountain range for his landing. During the time of his landing, he reduces his enormous size into that of a small monkey and sets foot on the Lamba Mountain, without being noticed by anyone.

“Vichithra koote nipapaatha koote! Saketha kolaahala naarikele!

Mahaa trikoota prathipo mahaathmaa! Sasaagaram dhaanava pannagaayudham!!”

Thus, from the above sloka Valmiki Maharishi beautifully describes the view of Lanka that Hanuman is seeing from the sky! Nowadays we talk about “Aerial views” of cities. It’s very interesting to note that such aerial views were known even during the Ramayana period! Thus, even has Hanuman nears Lanka, he observes the city keenly with all it’s entrance and exit points, who is guarding which point, etc.

As Hanuman lands over the Lamba Mountain, Hanuman observes Lanka more closely. He was astounded beyond words! He was overwhelmed with the beauty of the city! He thinks within himself, “Oh wow!! What a beautiful city! This is a real paradise on earth! Is Lanka just an ordinary place? Never! I really wish I can live the rest of my life in this place itself!” Thinking thus, for a moment Hanuman himself was carried away by the beauty of the place! It is to be noted that it was this same Hanuman who said to Lord Rama that he doesn’t need Vaikunta and that he would stay in this world only, chanting Rama’s name! As Rama was departing for Vaikunta at the end of the Rama-Avatar, he invites Hanuman to accompany him. But Hanuman replies, “After seeing my Lord Rama, these eyes wouldn’t like to see anything else! I prefer to be here in this world itself, remembering my Rama in my heart!” It is this same Hanuman who, after seeing Lanka’s beauty was a bit carried away for a moment!

Thus after landing, Hanuman now thinks of ways and strategies as to how and when to enter Lanka. His idea was to undertake the search mission without being noticed by anybody. Hanuman’s first doubt was that, he is a monkey – If he goes with this same form of a monkey, he wasn’t sure if there are monkeys in the city and that he would be an alien if there were no monkeys there! Thus, there is every possibility that he would get caught! Thus Hanuman decides that he wouldn’t enter Lanka during the daytime! Anyway, by the time he reached Lanka it was late evening. So he decides to wait till sunset. Thus Hanuman spots a cave amidst the mountain and sits there till darkness sets in.

After darkness reigns in, Hanuman slowly gets up and decides to enter the city.

“Thrikootasya thate lankaam chithas swastho dadarshaha!

Tathaf paadaba mukthena pushpa varshani veeryavaan!!

Anishvasan kapih tathra na glaanim athi gacchathi!!”

As Hanuman prepares himself to enter Lanka, he suddenly has a thought within himself, “Oh wow! What a miracle is this! Even after crossing such a huge ocean and after facing so many obstacles on the way, my body is never feeling tired! I’m as fresh as I started from Kishkinta! What significance does this ‘Rama-Naama’ has! What significance does the precious ring of Lord Rama possesses! With this ring in hand, any monkey would have easily crossed the ocean and fulfilled this mission! For some reason, Rama has selected me for this mission!” Thinking thus, he salutes his Lord Rama from there and prays to him for a moment!

Here is another important lesson for all of us – Although we might have immense shrewdness, sharpness and physical strength with innumerable capabilities, our humility should never decrease! Hanuman is the best example here for the important characteristic of “Humility”. Even though he was extremely capable of accomplishing anything in this world, his devotion and humility towards Lord Rama was impeccable and thus differentiates him clearly from others! Thus it is important to note that leaders, no matter what their power or influence might be, should have the humility and be “down-to-earth”!

Thus, Hanuman prepares a strategy and tries to enter Lanka. Was his journey smooth after this? Did he encounter more obstacles? Was his search mission going as per his strategy? Let’s wait till the next episode to find out! 🙂

In the previous episode we witnessed how Hanuman handles the third obstacle – In the form of the real enemy, Simhika! As the real enemy is coming in front, Hanuman decides that there is no use of showing smartness and shrewdness to win over – The best way is to kill her and proceed further! Accordingly Hanuman kills Simhika and proves that he is an embodiment of smart and apt decision making. Valmiki Maharishi once more brings out the significance of Hanuman with the following sloka:

“Taam tu drishtaacha nruthyaacha daakshinyena nihaagrasaha!

Taam hataam vaanareshaam dhruthihi drishtihi mathihi daakshyam sa karmasu na seedhathi!!”

In this above sloka, Valmiki Maharishi beautifully brings out four important characteristics of Hanuman that differentiates him from others. They are, “Dhruthihi”, “Drishtihi”, “Mathihi” and “Daakshyam”. We shall see each of them in brief detail. Of course we’ve discussed most of these characteristics in our previous episodes, but it is of importance that we discuss these once more.

“Dhruthihi” means “Courage” – The boldness in undertaking any complex mission and having the confidence that we can accomplish it successfully. “Dristhihi” indicates the art of planning for the future and taking appropriate decisions at the right time (Also called “Dheerga Darshanam”). This is also a very important requirement while undertaking complex missions. “Mathihi” means the art of executing the required actions immediately at the right time. In the modern day we talk about “Short-term planning” and “Long-term planning”. For instance, if we plan something for the next five to ten years, we need to simultaneously execute certain actions and tasks that would enable us to complete the mission or project within the stipulated five years. Rather, if we only keep planning for the next five years and do not perform immediate tasks at this instance, then the entire mission would go for a toss! Hence, “Mathihi” or the art of executing the right tasks at the right time is of prime importance. Finally, “Daakshyam” means, standing firmly by the decisions that are being taken, without backtracking. If there is any obstacle or a mishap that happens in the middle, many of us tend to give up the entire mission due to various pressures. This should not be the case when it comes to important projects. As successful leaders, we should stand by our decisions, come what may happen in the middle. This is very important.

Thus, modern day leaders should primarily try and develop these four important qualities, that is, “Dhruthihi” (Courage to face any catastrophic situation), “Drishtihi” (Art of long-term planning), “Mathihi” (The capability of executing the right actions at the right time) and “Daakshyam” (The will power to stick to our decisions firmly irrespective of any adversity).

Moving on further, as Hanuman kills Simhika, he proceeds further towards Lanka. Now at last, he is able to see a huge landmass that is approaching in front of him. He is able to see the shores at the end of the ocean. As Hanuman nears the shores, he is also able to see beautiful mountain ranges and a huge city built amidst those mountains. Hanuman realizes that he is nearing Lanka finally! He is happy that he has reached Lanka as per his schedule and also undefeated by anybody on his way! Amidst the various mountains that adorn Lanka, Hanuman spots the “Lamba Mountains” and chooses this spot to land. Accordingly Hanuman makes his landing at Lamba Mountains, which are adorned by tall and beautiful trees and shrubs. He looks around carefully if someone is around as a spy of Ravana.

Thus Hanuman makes a careful landing at Lanka. We shall wait till Hanuman takes a breath and relaxes himself a little bit. What does Hanuman do in Lanka? How does he plan to search Sita? Does he enter Lanka city during the day or during the night? The action will continue further in the next episode! 🙂

In the previous episode we had witnessed very important points pertaining to modern day leadership, with respect to the Hanuman-Surasa episode. We witnessed three important points – Firstly, leaders should strive to outsmart their opponents while facing tricky situations. Secondly, leaders should be able to handle different situations, different people and different conditions in the appropriate manner to gain success. Thirdly, leaders should keep themselves calm and composed in any situation. If leaders start panicking, it should be remembered that the entire team goes into panic mode and the mission goes into a threat of undergoing failure.

Now moving on, we shall see the next important event that is going to take place as Hanuman continues his journey towards Lanka. As Hanuman flies past, he admires the beauty of the sky and the water. Valmiki Maharishi presents various beautiful poetic comparisons to explain the natural beauty. As Hanuman keeps flying, he comes across the third obstacle – This time, the real enemy comes in front of him! So far, it should be remembered that the first obstacle in the form of Mainaaka was Hanuman’s well-wisher and a friend. The second obstacle in the form of Surasa was actually a friend, but in the form of an enemy so as to test Hanuman’s strength and capabilities. Now, the third obstacle comes in the form of the real enemy. Who is this real enemy? She is none other than the demoness “Simhika”! If someone flies over her through the skies, this Simhika has a unique capability of pulling the shadow of that person and reducing their speed of flying! What a unique power! Thus, as Hanuman was flying through, Simhika pulls up Hanuman’s shadow that falls on the water and restricts his movement forward!

“That thritheeyam hanumatho dristva karma sudushkaram!

Saadhusadhrithi bhoothaani prasasamchuhtathaa harim!!

Vejenvaram niraalambham pakshayukthamivaadhiraat!

Plavamaanam tu tham drishtvaa simhikaa naama raakshasi!!”

Thus, Valmiki Maharishi describes how all the celestial beings celebrate Hanuman’s second success as he moves forward. Now he has to encounter the third obstacle in the form of the demoness by name Simhika. As Hanuman finds her lying beneath the ocean floor pulling his shadow towards her, he recollects that this is the demoness that Sugriva was referring to when he was guiding through the path to reach Lanka! Thus, getting the sense of the situation, Hanuman realizes that this Simhika poses a huge threat to mankind! Hence he decides to take her on and kill her before moving forward!

“Kapi raagnyaa yathaa raagnyam sathva akrutha darshanam!

Chaayaa graahi mahaaveeryam thravidham naathra samshayaaha!!”

Thus as Hanuman decides to take her on, he starts growing in size! As Hanuman starts growing in size, Simhika opens her mouth wide open so as to swallow him up! Hanuman continues to grow into an enormous size of about 100 yojanas! Simhika accordingly opens her mouth to a few yojanas more than Hanuman’s size! However, little did she know that Hanuman is shrewd and smart and can alter his size within the wink of an eye! Thus, Hanuman quickly reduces his size to that of an ant and enters Simhika’s huge and wide-open mouth! Now, Simhika starts to close her mouth as Hanuman has gone inside. However, once he goes within her mouth, he again starts growing in size, breaks up her throat and her voice chord with his sharp nails and comes out of her mouth even before it closes completely! All this happens within fraction of seconds! Unable to bear the pain that Hanuman has inflicted on her, Simhika falls into the water, dead!

Upon seeing Hanuman’s third miraculous act, all the Devas and Celestial Beings congratulate him for his huge success! They were relieved that Simhika was finally killed by Hanuman and thus blessed him with all success in his mission. As the Devas and Celestial beings talk with each other, there is an important message that they convey amongst themselves. This message can be very important to us for our learning too! What is that message? Let’s wait till the next episode to find out! 🙂

In the previous episode we had witnessed a very important event wherein Hanuman encounters Surasa on his way who comes in the form of a huge demoness. Surasa is actually a kind-hearted and a good woman but she wants to test Hanuman’s strength and his ability to handle obstructions successfully. Hanuman decides within himself that he has to win over her with his smartness and not with his strength and thus, enters into Surasa’s wide-open mouth and comes out through her ears! Upon realizing that Hanuman had outsmarted her, Surasa takes her original normal form and blesses Hanuman with all the success in his mission of finding Sita.

What are some important implications for modern-day managers and leaders from this important episode? There are three key aspects to be discussed as follows:

The first important point is that leaders and managers should know how to deal differently with different people and with different situations. As per the famous proverb coined by Mr. Shiv Khera, author of the famous book “You Can Win”, Winners do not do different things! They do things differently! It is important to note that if we’ve to be a winner, we should think different and act different! This is exactly what Hanuman has done here – The moment he realizes that he is under test by Surasa, he quickly makes a decision as to how to handle her without using his physical strength. Of course, for modern day managers and leaders, this comes with lot of experience. However, to stay competitive and relevant in the market in the modern day, irrespective of any industry, it is very important to think differently and out of the box everytime. This is one way how good leaders are differentiated from others.

The second important point under discussion today is that, leaders should be able to outsmart others with their unique decisions. This might be seen as a continuation of the previous point, wherein, leaders are expected to be smart when it comes to handling tricky situations. In the modern day we see quite a few exceptional leaders who demonstrate this important characteristic – Both in the industry as well as in other areas such as sports. Many of us might be familiar with Mr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – former captain of the Indian cricket team. Why is Mr. Dhoni revered as one of the most successful captains, Indian cricket has ever seen? It is because of his unique ability to outsmart the opposition with his game tactics. This is an extremely important but often not much discussed quality of a leader. This is exactly Hanuman has also exhibited here – The way he outsmarted Surasa is definitely an important lesson to be observed and learnt by modern day leaders.

The third most important point to be discussed as part of the Hanuman-Surasa episode is that, leaders should keep themselves calm and composed at any situation. Here we can see that, the moment Surasa erupted from the ocean with the huge demoness form, Hanuman never panicked. Instead, he was focusing on how to handle her effectively and move on. Similarly, leaders should never panic under any situation. It should be remembered here that the entire team looks up at the leader if there is a catastrophic situation that arises. At this point, the trust of the team is on the leader and the team members have the confidence that their leader would be able to handle this complexity and come out of it. But, if the leader panics and shows it on his/her face, the team members would start looking down and will start losing their confidence. This is why we would see Mr. Dhoni always keeping calm on the field, even if India is at the verge of losing a game! None of the team members should have the slightest doubt that the leader is panicking. Instead, they should always have the feeling that their leader still has some ideas running in his mind so as to bring the team out of the brink! This is exactly what we see in Hanuman as well – Given any complex and tricky situation he never panics. Rather, he makes a plan how to handle the situation smartly and come out of it with success! It should be remembered that if panic creeps in, the entire mission would crumble down within minutes!

Thus, Hanuman comes out through the ears of Surasa, outsmarting her completely and making her look foolish in front of him. He now talks to Surasa,

“Pravishtosmi trithe vakthram daakshaayani namosthuthe!”

Hanuman says, “Oh Daakshaayani!! I’m offering you a big salute! I’ve fulfilled your boon from Lord Brahma! Let me go now!” Thus, Hanuman moves on with the blessings of Surasa. What happened next? The action continues in the next episode! Stay tuned! 🙂

In the previous episode we witnessed that Hanuman is proceeding further south after the interaction with Mainaaka. In due course, we also witnessed how Hanuman is considered to be an epitome of Buddhi (Knowledge), Balam (Strength), Yashas (Shrewdness) and Dhairyam (Courage and Confidence). These are very important lessons for our modern day life in order to be successful in whatever mission we undertake!

Now moving on, as Hanuman was proceeding further, all the Devas (Celestial beings) started getting jealous about Hanuman’s strength and shrewdness in undertaking the complex mission. Hence they wanted to test Hanuman one more time to see if he really manages obstacles well. Thus all the celestial beings go to Surasa (Mother of all the serpents) and request her to block Hanuman’s way by frightening him.

“Tvaam videshyasthupaayena vishaadham vaa gamishyathi!

Mama bhaksha prathishtathvam ami aishwara vaanara rishabaha!!

Aham tvaam bhaksha ishyaami pravishetham mamaananam!”

Thus as Hanuman proceeds further, Surasa stands in front of him with a huge form of a demon! (It is to be remembered here that Surasa is actually a friend and not an enemy to Hanuman. It is just to test his strength and shrewdness that Surasa is taking the form of a huge demon.) As Hanuman sees a huge form arising out of the ocean he thinks within himself, “Oh! Now who is this second obstacle? Why is she standing like this with this ugly form? Last time it was a male who obstructed me and now a female is obstructing me! What’s going on?” Thinking thus, Hanuman is proceeding further.

As Hanuman nears Surasa, she speaks to him in a loud voice: “Oh Vaanara with a huge form! I’m Surasa, mother of all serpents! I’ve got a boon from Lord Brahma – Whoever passes by this route, I shall have the power to eat them! Hence, if you have the guts to proceed further, enter into my mouth first!”

Upon which, Hanuman replies back:

“Yeva mukthasthu surasayaa prahrishta vadanobraveeth!

Raamo daasharathir naama pravishto dhandakaa vanam!!

Lakshmanena sahah braathraa vaidehyaachaabhi bhaaryayaa!”

Here too we can see that Hanuman is honest and straightforward in his answer. He says, “Oh Surasa! Let me tell you what happened – Rama is the son of the great king Dasharata! He is suffering because of the separation from his dear wife Sita. I’m going on a mission to Lanka to find out Sita and bring back Rama’s happiness. It is upon the instruction of Lord Rama that I’m preceding to Lanka. Please do not interrupt me.”

“Asya kaarya vishaktasya baddha vairasya raakshasaihi!

Tasya seethapithaa bhaaryaa raavanena yashashvini!!”

Hearing this from Hanuman, Surasa was not convinced! She replies back with fury, “Oh Hanuman! You go for whatever mission! I don’t care! According to Lord Brahma’s boon to me, you need to enter my mouth first! Please don’t waste my time in giving lectures!”

Hearing this from Surasa, Hanuman quickly realises that he is under test! Hence he decides, “Okay! Since I’m under test, I should try and win over her with my smartness, rather than fighting her!” Hanuman replies back, “Oh Surasa! You want me to enter into your mouth right? Fine! Open your mouth in such a way that you’ll be able to swallow me!” Saying thus, Hanuman starts to enlarge his form!

“Dasha yojana visthaaraha hanuman abhavaktathaa!”

Thus, Hanuman grew as huge as 10 yojanas in size!

“Chakaara surasaapyaasam vimsath yojanamaayasam!”

Thus, as Hanuman grows on and on, Surasa opens her mouth to match Hanuman’s enormous size! At one stage, Hanuman sees an opportunity – Within just a wink of an eye Hanuman suddenly reduces his size to that of a small ant, enters Surasa’s huge open mouth and comes out through her ears! Thus Hanuman stands in front of her and says, “Oh Surasa! I’ve fulfilled your boon from Lord Brahma! As instructed by you, I’ve entered your mouth and come back! Now let me proceed further!” Upon hearing this, Surasa was overwhelmed and blesses Hanuman with all the success in his mission!

Thus Hanuman encounters the second obstacle successfully. There are a few management lessons to be learnt from this episode. Let’s wait till the next episode to find them out! 🙂

In the previous couple of episodes we had witnessed how Hanuman smartly manages to cross through the Mainaaka Mountain, without stopping and resting. In due course we also witnessed certain important management and leadership lessons from the Hanuman-Mainaaka episode. In that, we understood two important lessons – The art of smart decision-making and the art of effective communication.

Now moving on further, Hanuman proceeds towards Lanka and increases his speed and altitude once again. He is happy that Mainaaka and Samudra Raaja had blessed him success in his mission.

“Jagaama aakaashamaavishya veeryavaan prahasanniva!

Tath dvitheeyam hanumatho drishtva karma sudushkaram!!”

Thus, as Hanuman regains his velocity and altitude to fly, the celestial beings above were surprised and amazed at the way Hanuman handled Mainaaka! They were talking within themselves, “Oh! All of us thought that Hanuman would become tired after a certain distance and might fall into the ocean, however, his strength knows no bounds! He’s flying with almost zero tiredness! What a miracle! Moreover, how smart is this Hanuman! It’s amazing with the way Hanuman handles any kind of tricky situations!”

Here again, Valmiki Maharishi brings out the immense smartness and shrewdness that Hanuman possesses. This is why we often chant the very famous sloka in the praise of Hanuman:

“Buddhir balam yasho dhairyam! Nirbhayathvam arogatha!

Ajaatyam vaakpadudhvamsa Hanumadh smaranaath bhaveth!!”

Thus, from the above sloka we can understand that Hanuman is considered to be an embodiment of “Buddhi” (Knowledge), “Balam” (Strength), “Yashas” (Smartness/Sharpness), “Dhairyam” (Courage & Confidence). In the modern day we can see that many people would have infinite physical strength, but won’t have the sharpness/shrewdness to assess the usage of the strength! Sometimes, people would have extremely good intelligence, but wouldn’t have the required physical strength or stamina to execute the actions! Even if both the “Buddhi” and “Balam” components were there, some people wouldn’t have the required confidence and motivation to execute the task! If this self-confidence is absent, what is the use of having the “Buddhi” and “Balam”? Hence, the next important lesson to be learnt by all of us from Hanuman is that, we should take efforts to simultaneously develop our “Buddhi”, “Balam”, “Yashas” and “Dhairyam”. In other words, we should make sure that we keep enriching our knowledge, at the same time, take care of our physical health and also make sure that we never lose our self-confidence and self-motivation.

When we talk about motivation, (“Utsaaham” in Sanskrit), Hanuman is seen as an epitome of this important characteristic. In the modern Organizational Behavior sciences we lay so much emphasis on “Motivation” – We even say that motivation can be extrinsic as well as intrinsic. All this clubbed together can be seen in Hanuman as a whole! The way he handles complex missions, the way he acts with absolute sharpness and shrewdness, illustrates that Hanuman’s motivational component is extremely high! We are going to see subsequent instances wherein Hanuman is going to exhibit this important characteristic to all of us!

With respect to this concept, we are in the process of witnessing three different instances – The first instance we’ve already seen, which is nothing but the Mainaaka instance, wherein Mainaaka is a true friend who comes in front of Hanuman. The second instance, which we are going to witness, is about “Surasa” who is considered to be the mother of serpents (Naaga Maatha). She is actually a friend, but she adorns the form of a demon to test Hanuman. Hanuman wins over her too! The third one is a real demon, in the form of “Simhika”! Hanuman kills Simhika and proceeds further! Thus from these three important instances, we can understand how to deal with different people in life – If a friend directly comes as a friend, we can show all the love and care to that person. If a friend comes in the form of an enemy to test us, we should use our smartness to overcome and pass the test. Whereas, if the real enemy comes in front of us, we should win over the enemy and proceed!

In the subsequent epsiodes, we shall witness in detail as to how did Hanuman handle both Surasa and Simhika. Stay tuned for further action! 🙂