Search & Destroy

The Hero's Journey

In fact, if there is any story that perfectly reflects Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey it is that of Hanumān, simple as it is without any major Dhārmic entanglements, other than to serve Rāma. We can see that the overall Rāmāyana is so multi-layered that such a simplistic lens as the Hero's Journey hardly does justice. 

As such the story of Hanumān lends itself easily to storytelling as in theater or film, spreading the message of Yoga through the masses without any confusion of conflicting responsibilities that Rāma himself had to deal with.

Hanumān’s birth

Hanumān is known by many names - one such is Anjani Putra which means the son of Anjani, his mother, thus Hanuman is also known as Ānjaneya.  

He is also known as Pavana Suta in Sanskrit which means son of Pavana, that is, the son of Vāyu who is the force of Wind.

When Anjani prays to Vāyu for a son, then Hanumān is born and he is also considered an Avatār of Shiva since he is practically a full Yogi right from birth.

Thus Hanumān is pretty powerful even at birth and he knew it, but he didn’t know how to control these powers. 

As a baby he is captivated by the sight of the Sun in the sky and reaches to pluck it as though it were a ripe mango, the most tempting of tropical fruits to grace this Earth. 

As Hanumān reaches to pluck the ripened Sun out of the sky it is said that Indra, the lord of the heavenly Devas, lets loose a bolt of lightning and strikes Hanumān in the jaw because he is concerned that the world could end if the Sun is removed from its position in the sky.

The word Hanu means jaw, and hence the name Hanumān for the now chastened young male because his jaw is the part of his body that gets struck. 

The world is saved, but Hanumān now slips into forgetfulness, as a natural result of the stroke, and this veil of forgetfulness of his true powers can only be lifted when someone reminds him of his powers.

Yoga implication

The word Vāyu is used to indicate that which gives rise to Prāna energy in much of the literature, thus when Hanumān is born of Vāyu then he is the Prāna within us - the fundamental force of vim, vigor & vitality. 

Knowing how our Prāna moves in the body, and controlling it, through Prānāyāma lets us harness the powers of Hanumān himself which we will soon see are quite formidable.

The Sun is representative of Rāma because he is descended from the solar dynasty - and Hanumān is inexorably attracted towards both the solar body as well as to its magnificent representative.

Sometimes, by the sheer grace of our birth we are blessed with the ability to raise our Kundalini Shakthi up towards the Sahasrāra Chakra at the crown of the head. 

However, when this is done without proper conditioning of the body and mind, like at an early age, without training, then our neural circuits could blow a fuse because of the overpowering energies that get released, which is exactly what happens to Hanumān as he over-reaches.

The word Indriya means the senses of the body, so Indra is that force which mediates our senses which work through bioelectrical signals too, so the symbolic connection here should be stunningly obvious (pun intended). 

Hanumān meets Rāma

As Rāma and Lakshmana head through the forests in the general direction of Lanka looking for Sītā they wander into the territory of a band of Vānaras headed by an outcast king Sugriva.

In the word Vānara, Vana means forest,  and the word Nara means a being, a term encompassing humans and humanoids, so Vānara means a forest person.

A backstory 

Sugriva is considered a son of Sūrya the Sun itself, and he has had a fallout with his brother Vāli, who is considered as the son of Indra in the story.

Vāli was notoriously strong, and in fact had defeated even Rāvana in earlier battles. 

Much earlier, in a side story during a chase to destroy yet another Rākshasa, Vāli enters a cave in hot pursuit of this Rākshasa and Sugriva waits outside the cave.

There is much commotion inside the cave and eventually blood flows out through the entrance. 

Mistakenly thinking this spells the death of his brother Vāli, Sugriva  terrified of facing the Rākshasa, engages his warriors to block off the entrance to the cave and goes back to the kingdom to take up the throne. 

Unfortunately for Sugriva, and fortunately for Vāli, it is in fact Vāli who has been victorious and through sheer superhuman strength is able to move the boulders that block the cave entrance and returns furiously to his kingdom. 

Vāli accuses Sugriva of having taken advantage of his situation to usurp the kingdom deliberately and chases Sugriva out of the kingdom. 

There is only one spot in the entire region where Sugriva can hide in exile, where Vāli is unable to enter, and there the outcast king Sugriva bides his time with his small band of remnants including his chief minister Hanumān, plotting revenge, bereft of kingdom and separated from his wife.

The meeting

When Rāma and Lakshmana, on their quest for Sītā, are spied by Sugriva’s small team of remnants, Hanumān is sent to enquire whether the two brothers are friend or foe. 

Hanumān changes his form from a Vānara into a normal human being, and speaks in the best of Sanskrit to Rama.

Upon hearing the beautiful words coming forth from Hanumān’s voice, Rāma at once recognizes the power of the divine creature in front of him. 

Likewise, when Hanuman takes just the first glimpse of Rāma he too recognizes the supreme divinity reminding him of the Sun itself and the two forge an inseparable bond. 

Rāma and Lakshmana apprise Hanuman of their quest for their lost queen, and Hanumān agrees to take him to Sugriva to see if these Vānaras could help. 

Yoga implication

Vānaras are creatures who don’t live in the head, they act instinctively and live life naturally. 

Vāli as a son of Indra essentially represents the sense organs, the Indriyas. 

Sugriva as a son of Sūrya the Sun represents the element of fire in the Manipura chakra of our solar plexus that controls the sense organs - this is the Manas or the Reactive Mind.

So the conflict between Sugriva and Vāli, is that the Manas that should control the Indriyas has lost its power, which is not a good situation for a Yogi.

But the re-energizing of the bond between the supreme Being of Rāma (our core Self) and the Prāna of Hanumān signifies hope.

And it looks like not only Rākshasas can shape-shift but those Yogis in control of their Prāna too can do similar magic!

Sugriva joins the Team

Rāma and Sugriva, are two exiled kings, and share much in common. 

Firstly is their lineage for they are both from the Sūrya dynasty - Rāma’s well documented Ikshvaku lineage considers itself to be descended from Sūrya himself, and Sugriva is considered to be a son of Sūrya. 

Furthermore, both their wives have been abducted and their kingdoms have been snatched away -  of course for Rāma he willingly left his kingdom in the cause of Dharma, whereas Sugriva was forced out - but still they share a common pain. 

It is but natural therefore that they become allies and come up with a plan to achieve their objectives of getting back their queens, and for Sugriva his kingdom too.

They hatch a plan that first involves restoring to Sugriva his kingdom so that he can muster the resources to help Rāma in his quest for Sītā. 

The plan involves a fight between Sugriva & Vāli his brother and so they set out to Vāli’s palace and call him out for the confrontation. 

Sugriva is mortally afraid of the immensely strong Vāli but he is convinced that with Rāma’s help he can prevail.

During the fight between Sugriva and Vāli, Rāma looks for an opportunity to see if he can assist Sugriva but it is impossible to figure out the difference between the two, continuously whirling around in mortal combat, as they are so similar in form. 

So during a break in the fight Sugriva is given a flower garland by which Rāma can identify him clearly. 

In this second stage of the fight it becomes easier for Rāma to clearly identify and shoot Vāli and with an arrow and kills him. 

Yoga implication

In the name Su-griva, the sound ‘Su’ means ‘good’ like Sukha (a good space), and the word ‘griva’ means the throat, the obvious implication is that Rāma’s garland is what has bestowed beauty.

Between Sugriva, the Manas (the Reactive Mind),  and Vāli the Indriyas (the Sensory Mind) - the demarcation line  is difficult to gauge if the Mind gets accustomed to only serving the senses! 

It needs the descent of Rāma’s grace and the willful dedication of the Manas to a more fragrant, divine life in order to get clarity in this murky domain.

The surreptitious killing of Vāli by Rāma is a morally controversial anecdote but we can read it through a Yoga lens.

Sometimes we are so enmeshed in our sensory world, that is our Indriyas that become so powerful and difficult to control, that only divine intervention can help, particularly if it is for a noble cause. 

Thus it is that the Manas finally wins over the Indriyas, and the Reactive Mind is firmly in control of its actions - and although this may not sound like much of a victory (after all, who wants to be in reactive mode all the time) in fact in realtime situations like battle, sports, driving, etc., it’s a very good faculty to cultivate.

Rāma has an army

When Sugriva wins the battle over Vāli, he gets back his kingdom, wives, and the entire army of Vānaras now belongs to him. 

Rama and Lakshmana are in full anticipation that they can now harness Sugriva’s Vānara army to find Sītā, but the monsoons come down in full swing, and nothing can be done on the ground.

So Sugriva decides to simply enjoy himself with his returned kingdom and his wives, and the rest of the Vānaras too just hang out and wait for the seasons to change. 

As the monsoons come to a close, and Sugriva shows no signs of honoring his pact to help find Sītā, the impetuous Lakshmana gets furious and storms into Sugriva’s palace to jolt him out of his party mood. 

The son of Vāli, called Angada, mediates between Sugriva and Lakshmana and convinces Sugriva to stop carousing and fulfill his obligations.

Sugriva realizes he needs to fulfill his promise, so he hurriedly calls Hanuman and his other ministers and orders them to set forth in various directions to find Sītā.

Yoga implication

When the Manas regains its powers, then all the Prānic forces, the army of Vānaras, are now concentrated in the service of the Manas. 

During Prānāyāma practice we need the Manas to turn inwards and direct the Prāna into areas of blockages, so that they system is well prepared for the final stages of the battle with the Brahma Rākshasa.

Angada as the son of Vāli represents the inwardly turned Indriya sense-organs.

Anga means a part, and Da means to donate, that is Angada is one who has donated their services - in this case to the cause of the Manas.

The word Angada also means a bracelet that wraps tightly around our flexing upper-arm muscles, that is, the body never lies, and the Indriyas are faithful messengers of all the emotions and sensations in the body - as long as they are controlled and subservient to the Manas. 

Typically the Manas, represented by Sugriva, likes to take off in its own fantastic lands and one never knows what is true in such a space, but as we get closer to feeling our emotions through our controlled Indriya sense organs, that’s when we can perceive the truth. 

Finally the Manas listens to these signals, and comes back to a sense of what is the real journey ahead.

The question now arises as to what is the point of sending Vānaras in all the four directions if it is quite clear that Sītā had headed South when she was abducted?

When Prāna hits the lowest part of the spine, and the Kundalini energy bounces back up, it’s a good idea if the blockages in other parts of the system are also cleared otherwise this could lead to trouble during the enlightenment process. 

It is said that Kundalini rising can either lead to the bliss of perpetual enlightenment or else insanity too, so the simplest way to ensure the best outcome is to do a complete Prānāyāma practice and not focus solely on raising the Kundalini.

Hanumān meets Sampāthi

Hanumān’s team sets off in a southerly direction towards Lanka, but before he departs Rāma gives him his ring which Sītā will recognize so that she would accept Hanumān as an authentic messenger when he manages to find her.

After much searching Hanumān and the rest of the Vānaras are tired and dispirited and finally reach the southern shores of the mainland, in a desperate situation and have almost given up hope.  

They are moaning their sorrows out loud, and reminiscing about the entire story thus far starting from where Jatāyu had spied and fought with Rāvana and eventually met his death, and the Vānaras are so dejected they too decide to give up their lives.

Then Sampāthi the old eagle, hiding in a cave nearby, spots the band of worn out Vānaras and comes out thinking this would be an easy feast to prey on weakened dispirited Vānaras.

But when he hears his younger brother Jatāyu’s name that jolts him, and he introduces himself as such to the band of Vānaras who again narrate their woes and restate their objective of finding Sītā.

In his mind’s eye Sampāthi can clearly see across the waters to Lanka, where Sītā is sitting captured in Rāvana’s gardens. 

When he conveys this message to the Vānaras they are delighted with joy and their spirits pick up immensely, and Sampāthi too feels that he has accomplished his life’s purpose at last.

The Vānaras now make plans to jump the intervening straits to Lanka.

Yoga implication

The ring given by Rāma is symbolic of Gyāna-Mudra, the gesture that Yogis make while sitting in meditation or Prānāyāma with thumb and index finger touching, and essential part of a deep yoga practice that help to balance the various elements.

When touching the thumb that represents Agni with the index finger that represents Vāyu the Prānic system gets fired up, which is why Hanumān is given the ring because in our goal for raising the Kundalini our Prānic system will need a fiery boost.

Sampāthi is the Ida Nādi with intuitive vision, and as an eagle he indeed symbolizes excellent  vision, but moreover the ability to see beyond normal physical boundaries. 

When we get a message from our intuitive mind and we pay attention to it, this creates a sense of immense joy within us because it is a divine leap of knowledge that helps us move further along the path.

Jāmbavān reminds Hanumān

The Vānaras are sitting around figuring out who can jump the entire distance of 100 Yojanas (a particular distance) from the southern tip of the mainland all the way to Lanka. 

One by one each Vānara states their ability to jump, starting from 10 Yojanas until finally Angada, the son of Vāli, says he can do the full 100 Yojanas however he may not have the energy to come back. 

Then Jāmabavān steps into the picture and reminds Hanumān of his true powers.

Jāmbavān is a very intelligent and valued advisor to Sugriva and is typically pictured as a bear, actually a different type of Vānara, another forest dweller, and is considered a Chiranjeevi, one who has been living forever and therefore knows a lot. 

At one point Jāmbavān was considered as Himavān the king of the Himālayas which, as mountains, are supremely old, and he is also considered as the son of Brahma who manifests at the start of creation - in other words, Jāmbavān is depicted as having been around for a very, very long time and remembers everything. 

Jāmbavān reminds Hanumān that as the son of Vāyu he is able to move like the wind and in fact almost reached the Sun as a child but was struck down by Indra and thus forgot his super powers, and thus awakens Hanumān to his full potential. 


Yoga implication

Jāmabavān represents our Samskāras, the deep and subtle psychic impressions stored in us as a result of Karma, in other words the deep store of memory.

Typically the repeated reinforcement of Samskāras turn them into Vāsanas which are the active triggers that resurface and cause us to react to external situations in pre-programmed patterns. 

Some of these patterns are not healthy and we call them mental conditionings, but some of them are good reflexes to have in times of crisis.

Particularly in moments of crisis the breath (of Hanumān) is a very powerful tool to engage - but we forget and are unable to engage our own full potential, until thankfully our inner Jāmbavān stirs and reminds us what to do.

Our Samskāras, as part of our Mano-mayakosha, the Mental body, endure even across death of the Anna-mayakosha, the physical body, and is similar to how our Prāna-mayakosha, the energy body, represented by Hanumān, also endures across the death of the body. 

As a Chiranjeevi, one who lives throughout the Yuga cycle, Jāmbavān continues on even beyond the Rāmāyana, just as Hanumān does too, to the next grand epic of the Mahabhāratha where Krishna’s grace finally overpowers him.

In other words, our Samskāras are finally wiped out thanks to the supreme intervention of Krishna, the personification of Brhman, and consequent to that Avatār effect we are no longer beholden to the baggage of all kinds of memories, like cultural, tribal, societal, family, whatever.

The Samskāras do serve a certain purpose, for example to awaken us when we forget that by harnessing our breath we can transcend temporary obstacles in life. 

And thus Hanumān stands up, ready for the great 100 Yojana  leap to Lanka.

The word Yojana stems from Yuj which also derives Yoga so to jump the 100 Yojanas probably means across the two dimensions - the waters that intervene in the Svādishtana Chakra and the earth element in Mūladhāra Chakra.

Angada son of the now dead Vāli represents our Sensory Mind, our Indriyas, which are usually very strong when outwardly focused, but in this case of Yoga we have take them inward in a technique called Pratyāhāra in order to make that huge jump to stir up the Kundalini.

Hanuman pre-Flight

Hanumān climbs the nearest mountain, the Mahendra Giri hills, which even today has a rather flat hilltop making it much easier to take a running leap and jump all the way to Lanka. 

Once he gets to the hilltop Hanumān does Pūjā, a certain type of worship, to the various Devas, such as Sūrya, Indra, Vāyu, Brahma, and then again Vāyu, to help him in his endeavor.

Hanumān then expands his entire body, tightens it, thumps his tail on the ground, and then stomps his feet for good measure, which makes the whole mountain shake and quiver in anticipation of some tremendous event.

Yoga implication

Hanumān as the son of Vāyu the god of Wind is the embodiment of Prāna and all his amazing antics are symbolizing Prānāyāma techniques and even Tāntra techniques.

Pūjā, literally as we have seen before a Pūre Generation or manifestation of some kind of Intent.

Doing Pūja to Sūrya essentially implies doing Sūrya Namaskār, not necessarily a specific Sun Salutation sequence popular in modern yoga classes, although it could be one of its many variations. 

The objective is more important, and that is to tone up the nervous system as we stretch our limbs, opening up all the Chakras in a balanced way because the typical sequence is a fully balanced exercise, with an added emphasis on energizing the Manipura Chakra, the seat of Fire in our Solar plexus region, which can propel us to great distances.

Doing Pūjā to Indra who is the king of the Indriya sense-organs means taking all our senses inwards using Pratyāhāra, because when the senses are taken inward that focuses all the Prāna internally so that there is no leakage of power during the psychic jump.

Pratyāhāra = Prati (towards) + āhāra (nourishment), that is taking the attention towards what we have been taking in from the outside world and therefore redirecting it inwards.

Doing Pūjā to Vāyu is obviously doing some kind of Prānāyāma, and since this the first of two Pūjās to Vāyu, it is a preparatory technique that super-energizes the system, maybe  like Bhastrika Prānāyama where we breathe fully and vigorously throughout the torso.

Doing Pūjā to Brahma means chanting of Om, and one way to chant Om while doing Prānāyāma is to do Brāhmari Prānāyāma because this clears all cobwebs in the  head.

Doing the second Pūjā to Vāyu is for a more intense expression of Prānāyāma, like pushing down the breath towards the Mūlādhāra chakra, getting it ready for the final push.

Expanding the body means Anthara Kumbhaka, taking in a deep breath and holding it. 

Tightening the body means doing certain Bandhas, or body locks.

The word Bandha is an exact cognate of Bound, and the classic sequence of such Bandhas is to:

Bandhas help to lock the Prāna within such that the torso forms a closed encapsulated container that further intensifies the Prāna, and doing all three Bandhas together is called Mahā-Bandha.

Hanumān Jumps

Hanumān now makes his famous jump.

The Start

As he jumps the wind that he creates is so powerful that trees are ripped off from their roots, and as he flies through the air the wake of the wind even carries the trees along with him for some distance, as though reluctant to let go of their master, but eventually they all fall in his trail.

Yoga implication

Jumping to Lanka means making the psychic jump to hit the  Mūladhāra Chakra with Prāna. 

Here Hanumān is using Bāhya Kumbhaka, external retention of the breath, which is much more powerful than Anthara Kumbhaka because of the vacuum that gets created in the body so the whole system just wakes up and every cell is energized manifold.

The First Creature

As Hanumān flies through the air he first encounters a mountain that rises up from the ocean and he smacks it with the middle of his chest.  

This mountain is said to be मैनाक Maināka, lying submerged in the ocean and placed there by Indra to block the entrance from Pātāla, the netherworld, to prevent Rākshasas from coming up into earth. 

The mountain comes up to greet Hanumān and in order to give him rest, but Hanuman graciously refuses this because he has important work ahead, and flies on.

Yoga implication

When doing Bāhya Prānāyāma (external retention of breath) with Mahā Bandha, then there is a distinct physiological feeling of something rising from the upper torso towards the throat and of something descending from the throat towards the upper torso - depicting how a mountain would feel in Hanuman’s flight. 

This powerful technique possibly creates certain endorphins that arise in the body, that can overwhelm our negative tendencies, but endorphins are addictive - yet Hanumān chooses not to tarry and moves on.


The Second Creature

As Hanumān continues on his flight, another creature who is the mother of the Nāga snake-like beings, takes the form of a Rākshasa by name of सुरस Surasa and commands Hanumān to enter her mouth simply to ascertain his strength. 

As she opens her mouth wide to swallow Hanumān, he grows larger in his own size, which causes Surasa to further expand her mouth to swallow the larger Hanumān, but he simply continues to expand his own form until such point that Surasa reaches her maximum limit.

Hanumān then shrinks instantly to the minutest form goes inside her mouth and flies out again, thus satisfying her command to enter her mouth.

Yoga implication

The Sanskrit name Surasa could means good (Su)  essence (rasa), but more likely it is split like Sura + Sa, meaning “with the Sun (sura)”.

This episode too is a Prānāyāma sequence that is about expanding the torso using Anthara Kumbhaka where all the breath is taken in and we feel like a tight barrel of energy, and then we exhale rapidly until all the breath is out in Bāhya Kumbhaka so we feel completely small.

The solar analogy indicates it is a preparatory energizing technique for the next incident.

The Third Creature

As Hanumān continues on his flight he suddenly feels some force dragging him and slowing him down and sees that he is being accosted by yet another creature called Simhika who has grabbed his shadow and is pulling him down.

As she rises up from the waters her mouth is so large there is no way Hanumān can try to expand himself, so he needs a different strategy to escape. 

He shrinks himself, enters her mouth goes through her digestive system and rips his way out of her intestine and she falls dead in the water.

Yoga implication

In the Sanskrit name सिंहिका Simhikā, the word Simha means a lion and this practice indeed has a ferocious quality.

This depiction of Hanumān is the pinnacle of all Hatha-Yoga practices and is called Nauli wherein the practitioner after fully exhaling all the breath then does Udiyāna Bandha and then systematically proceeds to rotate the abdominal organs from side to side thus massaging the intestines thoroughly. 

Needless to say, if there are any physiological blockages in the abdominal area they will get loosened up, and more importantly this practice has an impact on the Vagus nerve which given its enormous spread certainly makes an impact on all hidden psychological issues.

The shadowy creature is reminiscent of Jung’s shadow-work to bring awareness to the hidden aspects of our personality.

Touchdown at last

Finally, after overcoming these seeming obstacles, Hanumān spies Lanka and he resumes normal proportions as he touches down near the ramparts of the city so as to not be spotted easily.

Going through Lanka

The Landing

Hanumān lands in Lanka on top of the ramparts of the walled city but is stopped in his tracks by the presiding deity of the city, called लंकिनी Lankini, because only Rākshasas are allowed in Lanka. 

He ignores her command and moves forward, so she slaps him and in turn he whacks her back, but with restraint since she is a female, but as she falls down Lankini recalls a prophecy that her death, as also the end of Lanka, shall happen when a monkey strikes her. 

The prophecy is tied to a curse when Lankini was originally guarding Brhma’s abode and she became arrogant of her powers, and so was hurled out to Lanka to guard the city of Rākshasas from which fate she would be relieved only when a monkey defeats her in combat.

Recognizing that is indeed the end and resigned to her fate she lets Hanumān pass.

Yoga implication

The word Lanka is derived from the Bīija-Mantra लं Lam that represents the Mūlādhāra-Chakra.

Once our Prāna energizes this region then this spells the beginning of the destruction of all our basest tendencies.

The story of the curse and the prophecy is very similar to how Rāvana and his brother too were sent down to Lanka because of their arrogance shown when guarding Vishnu’s above, and their defeat would only happen at the hands of a human being before they were let back.

The Search for Sītā

As Hanumān goes through the many palaces of Lanka he sees a magical land filled with all kinds of wonders - streets paved with precious stones, palaces bedecked with amazing artefacts, and much merriment all around. 

As he is on the hunt for Sītā he goes through the women’s quarters in each of the palaces and in each of these he finds women in various states of undress, in different stages of love making, or sleeping or inebriated in drink. 

He does not find anyone who could resemble Sītā anywhere in these places and so he continues the search until he comes to Rāvana’s palace which is the most enticing of all places and there he spies him lying on an enormous bed accommodating his giant frame, battle scarred body, and in deep sleep. 

Lying next to Rāvana are many more women all in beautiful dresses, or none at all, sleeping next to and some even on top of each other, and when he spies the most beautiful of them all, and his first thought is “could this be Sītā ?”

But Hanumān quickly catches himself because there would be no way that Sītā would be enjoying such pleasant circumstances in her captivity; after all she would be pining away for Rāma he realizes.

Yoga implication

After the intense Prānāyama practices that we just encountered on the jump to Lanka, the next step is to dive into meditation. 

Typically, at first, all kinds of unwanted thoughts start coming into our mind space, usually  unfulfilled desires or unfinished actions, and Hanumān’s initial search through Lanka illustrates this in vivid detail.

In the original Hindu telling Hanumān has taken on a vow of being a celibate Brhamacharya, and so maybe this cornucopia of fleshy desires shakes him up a bit, and clouds his clear thinking.

As we go further East like Indonesia Hanumān is depicted, to the contrary, with two wives - a local cultural adaptation suited for that culture and age.

All Yoga literature is very clear though, that during intense practice all kinds of wondrous objects and even superpowers will come forth that could serve to distract, but we must press on.

Finding Sītā

Hanumān has looked over much of Lanka and does not find Sītā anywhere, so despondently he climbs the ramparts and broods over the consequences of returning to Rāma with no news, but then he spies a wooded garden filled with Ashoka trees and decides to give it one last chance. 

As Hanumān enters the garden, in his monkey form, he spies a lady wrapped in a single piece of cloth, who radiates an ethereal beauty despite her disheveled appearance, sitting underneath a tree in a state of obvious distress, surrounded by a horde of gruesome looking female Rākshasas. 

Hanumān concludes this must be Sītā.

It is early dawn and as Hanumān contemplates his next action there comes a huge sound from the entrance of the garden and it is Rāvana himself who has woken up from his intoxicated slumber of the night before, striding into the sylvan surroundings, accompanied by his royal retinue. 

Lusting for Sītā, Rāvana approaches her and like so many times before, he alternately threatens and cajoles her to join him in a blissful life together, and just like every other time, Sītā rebuffs him yet again. 

Rāvana reminds Sītā that he had given her a one year period in which to make a decision to marry him, and of that ten months are now complete, and if she fails to assent he threatens to have her cut into pieces and served up for breakfast. 

Sītā still refuses and forcefully tells Rāvana that Rāma will exact due punishment for this horrendous misdeed the moment he arrives in Lanka, and in fact, says Sītā, she herself could have destroyed him with her mystic powers but she would rather that Rāma do the deed himself.

Rāvana commands the female Rākshasa guards to continue tormenting Sītā, and then leaves the gardens, seething in impotent fury. 

The Rākshasas resume their nasty behavior towards Sītā, but one of them comes forward and stops them with a recounting of her early morning dream where she saw Rāma rescuing Sītā, Lanka being burnt down into ashes, Rāvana being destroyed and his brother the good Vibhīshana becoming the new king. 

On hearing this the Rākshasas are left confused as they are strong believers in the potency of early morning dreams.

Yoga implication

The Kundalini shakthi yearns to be restored to her place next to Shiva in the Sahasrāra chakra, and by herself she is totally powerful and capable of superhuman feat, however, in our Vishnu Avatār stories we typically wait for the descent of grace with full devotion for the union of Yoga.

The powerful force of this Shakthi pierces deeper layers of our consciousness and surfaces ever subtler conditionings, and it is these unexamined aspects of our life that surface in dreams.

These early morning dreams are delivered to us either from the Buddhi higher mind, or from the Manas lower mind, and it is best to refer to these not as dreams but as messages because that is what they actually are.

If the messages are relating to the lower Chakras like fears, sex, food, etc. then they are from the Manas, whereas if the messages are related to higher Chakras like life purpose, love etc. then they are from the Buddhi. 

Regardless of their origin, these messages are meant to guide us on our path through some symbolic coding and it takes three elements to figure out their meaning:

Once we realize how the coding works we can figure out the patterns easily enough; sometimes they just bring a smile to our face making us realize that all of life is just one big story; at other times the coding makes us sit up and go “Wow!” because the messages are so profound and life altering. 

However, these messages reduce in clarity when we intoxicate our bodies on drugs, alcohol, unnecessary chemicals, or an overdose of electronics just prior to bed, and conversely they are stunningly clear and revealing when we purify our systems. 

One practice to improve a steady stream of clear messages is by means of Yoga Nidra where we run our consciousness throughout the body with a clear intent before going off to sleep.

For those who are good meditators and are able to set aside their Ahamkār (pushy outward-mind) will be able to receive messages even during waking hours of the day.

Ultimately, as we get completely clear of our conditionings and we realize that even our waking state is but a dream we may not even any residue that comes up in dreams states.

Meeting Sītā

Now that Hanumān has confirmation that the beautiful lady in distress is indeed Sītā, he  contemplates how to best introduce himself to her without startling her and thereby giving away his hidden position to the Rākshasas in the garden. 

Hanumān decides to speak in Sanskrit but then debates whether this is a wise move since Rāvana is known to be fluent in Sanskrit and Sītā may suspect that as a Rākshasa he could have shape shifted into a monkey! 

Nonetheless, Hanuman, now perched on the tree above Sītā , proceeds to chant in melodious soft Sanskrit, narrating the synopsis of the entire story of Rāmāyāna up until this moment: how Rāma was born with his brothers, learns the art of fighting Rākshasas, marries Sītā , how they were banished to the forest, and how Sītā was abducted - essentially praising Rāma throughout.

Sītā is of course bewildered as to how such a beautiful song could come forth from a monkey in the tree! 

Hanumān then descends from the tree, bows down before Sītā, hands over Rāma’s ring to her - and now she trusts that this Vānara is indeed a messenger of Rāma. 

Sītā is overjoyed to hear that after ten months of separation her beloved is still pining for her and getting ready to wage war to rescue her. 

Hanumān offers to take Sītā back across the waters on his shoulders to Rāma but she refuses - for one she does not want to be touched by anyone other than Rāma, and for another she wants Rāma to get the glory of destroying Rāvana. 

Hanumān then wisely asks of Sītā how he can prove to Rāma that he has indeed met her, and Sītā then shares with Hanumān a few personal details of her life with Rāma so that Rāma would believe that Hanumān had indeed not just found her but also conversed with her. 

Sītā also gives Hanumān a special jewel from the crown of her head that Rāma would recognize instantly.

Yoga implication

Sanskrit is a very special language, designed to resonate with certain effects in the human body, for the one chanting it as well as the one receiving it, and in many respects it is the ultimate Neuro-linguistic programming tool that can imprint thoughts on listeners - which is why we call it a psycholinguistic language as described in this book.

Combine Sanskrit Mantra chanting with Mudras, hand gestures that channelize the Prāna in certain ways, and you can create magical affirmations.

One Mudra we have seen earlier is the ring that Rāma gives to Hanuman, and now Sītā’s jewel from the crown of the head could likely indicate the Shyāmbhavi Mudra. 

In the practice of Prānāyāma, as embodied by Hanuman, the Shyāmbhavi Kriya involves tilting the head back and focusing attention on the top of the forehead while rapidly emphasizing the in-breathing in for a few minutes. 

There are many such techniques in Prānāyāma that combine attention focused on the upper regions of the head, all calculated to energize those higher Chakras. 

With sufficient energizing of the higher Chakras, and when the “stars are aligned”, the Kundalini may touch the Sahasrāra Chakra, or the Jīv-ātma would realize its union with the Param-ātma.

Hanumān gets captured

Before departing Lanka, Hanumān decides to determine the strength of Rāvana’s army and also meet Rāvana if possible to gather all necessary intelligence as a good messenger of Rāma.

In order to draw out Rāvana’s army he grows his body to mammoth proportions and then proceeds to create havoc in the gardens, uprooting many of the trees and plants - of course, leaving untouched the area where Sītā is being held. 

At the sound of this commotion, the Rākshasa guards come thundering down on this giant monkey, and needless to say they are soundly defeated single handedly by Hanumān. 

As word reaches the palace of Rāvana about this monster monkey gone wild they send armies of Rākshasas and they too meet a similar disastrous fate, followed up the senior generals in the Rākshasa army come with their armies who too end up defeated. 

Then Rāvana sends forth his deadliest weapon his prized son Indrajit, who strides into the Ashoka gardens and deploys his divinely energized Brahma-astra against Hanumān. 

A Brahma-astra can take many forms depending on who uses it and even ordinary objects can become a super weapon merely by chanting a special mantra. 

In this case Indrajit chants the Mantra over a rope that is then thrown over Hanumān to tie him down, and Hanumān is thus ensnared and unable to break loose but he knows if he is patient the effects of the Mantra will wear off.

There is a further caveat to using such a weapon that if it is combined with forceful techniques then the power of the Brahma-astra will be nullified instantly. 

As Hanumān is bound and taken to Rāvana’s palace the other Rākshasas jump all over him, despite Indrajit’s protests,  and tie him up even further with other normal ropes, and although Indrajit realizes that all may not be going according to plan yet he is unable to control the hordes of Rākshasas. 

Although Hanumān is now completely free to break his bonds he bides his time because, as a good messenger, he wants to meet with Rāvana.

Yoga implication

During deep Yoga practice all kinds of latent mental impressions rise  to the surface and with Prānāyāma based Kriya it is possible to destroy them.

The Ahamkār or the Projecting Mind, represented by Rāvana in this story, cannot handle any opposition to its way of life and will command forth all available weapons to pull down the Yogi from fulfilling their Intent. 

One question arises as to why we are created this way, why this kind of difficulty is put in our path.  

A story comes to mind of a boy who sees a caterpillar struggling to break out of its cocoon and wanting to naively help he peels open the cocoon but the butterfly comes out with very weak wings; if instead he had just waited for the caterpillar to push its wings and break open its cocoon it would evolved into a strong butterfly. 

So too all of the struggles we are faced with in life help us evolve provided we take life as just a Līlā, a divine play, in which the objective is to overcome the limitations of the character we have taken on and somehow become the playwright, the Rishi in control over our lives.

इन्द्रजित Indrajit means one who has defeated Indra, and thereby all the Indriyas which is the Sensory Mind, and he is therefore a very advanced Yogi and such a person can usually overcome powerful  challenges. 

Even if the senses are screaming in pain or moaning in pleasure one who has conquered the senses will be well in control of their emotions and still be centered and can control the breath totally, at least for a while - but the moment we let in Psychic Viruses, in the form of Rākshasas jumping into the fray for example,  then surely the ability to control the breath will cease, such as the ability to control Hanumān.

Hanumān meets Rāvana

Dragged into Rāvana’s court, Hanumān finally meets the emperor of Lanka face to face, a most magnificent specimen of creation. 

Rāvana is furious that this monkey has created so much chaos in his kingdom and he orders him to be killed, however better judgement prevails on him in the form of Vibhīshana his brother who advises that according to the rules of the land messengers can be mutilated and flogged, but cannot be killed.

So, reluctantly, Rāvana orders that instead of killing Hanumān his tail should be set ablaze because for a monkey that is his most prized possession. 

Kumbha, one of Rāvana’s nephews and the son of Kumbhakarna, is ordered forth and he starts to wrap Hanumān’s tail in oil soaked cloth, however as the tail is being wrapped, Hanumān mischievously lengthens his tail so that a lot more cloth and oil  is needed. 

Hanumān continues this until his tail is super long and the Rakshāsas have wrapped this now gigantic appendage in oil soaked cloth and finally the cloth is set ablaze. 

Yoga implication

Vibhīshana represents Buddhi, the Intelligent Mind, and even though born into a Rākshasa family, has the characteristics of Buddhi, the ability to think at a high level and see long term consequences of actions.

Obviously such a perspective is sorely lacking in the other Rākshasas as we shall soon see when Kumbha and gang get going with Hanumān’s tail wrapping party!

During the advanced practices of Prānāyāma, there is a technique called Kumbhaka which is essentially retention of the Prāna either on a full inhalation or full exhalation which when combined with Bandhas, or a series of locks, creates tremendous pressure inside the body and consequently the generation of heat. 

Hanumān being locked up by the ropes is essentially the application of Bandhas,  and the fire treatment by Kumbha illustrates this Prānāyāma technique which we have seen in a more uplifting way when Hanumān first jumps to Lanka.

In fact, when upon first reading this particular portion  of the Rāmāyāna and seeing the name ‘Kumbha’ and the description of setting fire to the tail, is what sparked the realization that the Rāmāyana may in fact be filled with Yoga techniques, and created the motivation to find the rest of the pieces - and hence this book.

Hanumān burns Lanka

Hanumān then drops the facade of being bound by all the ropes and easily slips out of them. 

He then grows larger in size and jumps out of the Rākshasa confines, and starts to jump all over the palace setting much of it on fire with his flaming tail, and continues to all the other palaces and gardens in Lanka, until it seems that all of Lanka is ablaze. 

In the meantime Sītā is in deep meditation and invokes Vāyu, Hanumān’s father, who controls the winds, to please protect this divine messenger from Rāma, and so Vāyu, watching all this Līlā on Earth, puts forth a cool breeze so that Hanumān does not feel the scorching heat even though he is in its epicenter.

Although much of Lanka is ablaze the space where Sītā is sitting in the Ashoka gardens also stays untouched.

Hanumān, having accomplished his mission, then jumps back to the mainland to inform Rama he has found Sīta.

Yoga implication

The heat of a Kumbhaka practice burns much of our mental conditionings down because in physiological fact much of this is stored in fascia connective tissue in the body.

And after a strong Prānāyāma practice we are well advised to rest, cool down, and meditate. 

Heading back to Rāma 

As Hanumān flies back to the mainland he is spotted from the ground by Jāmbavan and the other Vānaras, and they surmise, listening to Hanumān’s energetic roars as he flies through the sky, that Hanumān must have been successful in his mission. 

When Hanumān lands and recounts his whole journey, at first the Vānaras are so pumped up that they themselves want to immediately go rescue Sītā, but they are reminded that it is not their duty to do so, and to let that honor be Rāma’s. 

So they all set off for Kishkindha where Sugriva, Lakshmana, and Rāma are eagerly awaiting any news from the various bands of Vānaras that have been sent on this search for Sītā. 

Along the way the band of Vānaras spy a grove of fruit trees and tarry a while enjoying the honeyed gifts plucked from the gardens, eventually getting so intoxicated they get very rambunctious and create havoc in the grove, as drunk monkeys do in the wild.

Yoga implication

After intense Prānāyāma practice and then deep meditation we certainly get high. The Prāna flows through every cell in the body, creating an intoxication that is full body, not just in the head.


Reporting to Rāma

Finally Hanumān and the other monkeys make it back to Kishkindha and report to Rāma. 

When Rāma hears of Sītā being found, hear the stories she has shared in confidence with Hanumān, and sees the jewel she has given him, he is overjoyed. 

One of the most vivid pictures drawn in the many depictions of Rāmāyana is that of Rāma hugging Hanumān.

Yoga implication

When Rāma hugs Hanumān it is symbolic of doing Ujjayi Prānāyāma breathing. 

उज्जायी Ujjāyi breath is a slight constriction of the back of the throat, as though we are actually hugging the breath, which results in a hissing sound to the breath and serves multiple purposes: 

From a psychic perspective it activates the Vishuddhi Chakra, our spiritual filter that removes our impurities because it keeps the Yogi’s Prāna within the body during the practice.

The word Ujjāyi is derived from Jaya meaning victory, as Rāma is now certain of his victory to recover Sītā, and hence the hug.


Breaking ranks in Lanka

Back in Lanka, Rāvana is contemplating all that has happened and asks counsel of his ministers.

 All, save Vibhīshana the younger brother of Rāvana, are keen on going in to battle and reclaiming their honor, however Vibhīshana however advises extreme caution and tells Rāvana to return Sītā and save the Rākshasa race from destruction. 

Rāvana, of course, disregards Vibhīshana at which the latter decides to leave Lanka and seek refuge with Rāma himself. 

Vibhīshana flies in the same direction as Hanumān and the rest of the Vānaras, and finally finding Rāma, he lays himself down at Rāma’s feet seeking clemency. 

Rāma in his embodiment of grace and compassion accepts Vibhīshana whole-heartedly and tells him that when the war is won Vibhīshana shall grace the throne of Lanka.

Yoga implication

Vibhīshana represents Buddhi the Intelligent Mind that is involved with clear thinking. 

The Buddhi is now firmly in service of the Self, the Param-ātma, or the Purusha.  

However, Ahamkāra the Identified Mind, embodied by Rāvana, refuses to accept that it is heading toward total destruction, even when presented with all evidence because his entire sense of Self is tied up in the sensuous paradise of Lanka.

Eventually when Lanka will be won, and our abode of sensual pleasures is taken over and placed in charge of Vibhīshana, our whole mental apparatus will be brought into harmony..

Preparing for the War

The first order of the day is of course to do Pūjā to the appropriate deities, and so Rāma does a Shiva Pūjā  to invoke the powers of the ultimate Yogi. 

In the process of doing this Pūjā, Rāma receives a transmission of knowledge of Rāvana’s real nature, that he was in fact in a prior life a guard securing the entrance to Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu, that the guard was keen on coming into the interior of Vaikuntha and getting closer to Vishnu so Vishnu grants him a boon with a choice that he can either go down to Earth for three lifetimes as Vishnu’s enemy, or seven lifetimes as Vishnu’s friend, but keen on being closer to Vishnu as soon as possible the guard chooses the former and hence ends up as Rāvana in this lifetime.  

Yoga implication

We have seen the word Pūjā which means a pure generation of Thought, therefore actually meaning Intent.

Shiva Pūjā means the Intent is to dissolve the hooks of the Rākshasa within us, or to say it dramatically to destroy it from the face of the Earth.

As a consequence of Rāma learning of Rāvana’s background though, and possibly knowing that he in fact is the Vishnu that sent Rāvana down to Earth in the first place, he realizes that he is the cause of his own predicament, which likely provokes some deep self-enquiry furthering our goal of Self-Realization.


Calming the Waters

Then Rāma has to figure out how to get his army of Vānaras to cross the turbulent waters which Hanumān did so majestically, but of course none of them have the strength to fly across such vast distances. 

So Rāma sits and meditates on Varuna the presiding deity of the waters, asking him for his help.

After three days there is still no response which causes Rāma to lift up his bow and arrow and he swears to dry up all the waters if he is not helped, hearing which Varuna then rises out of the waters and with bowed hands agrees to help Rāma and his army cross the waters. 

Varuna begs for compassion though because there are deep rooted Rākshasas hidden somewhere in the waters and they were preventing him from coming to Rāma’s help, so Rāma lets loose his arrow and rids the waters of these negative energies, and thus Varuna calms the waters and advises Rāma to build a bridge.

Yoga implication

Meditation on Varuna is essentially calming down the water element in our system, responsible for all of our sensual cravings. 

Patanjali talks of Chithta-vritthi-nirodha meaning that the consciousness calms down during practice of Yoga, but that’s easier said than done.  

Mantra chanting of the Bīja mantra Vam resonates with the Svādhisthana Chakra which is made of the water element.

Notice the resemblance between Varuna, Vam, Water in terms of linguistic roots.

Building of Rāma Sethu

As they start building the bridge the monkeys discover that the bricks do not float in the water easily, so Hanumān suggests that they inscribe the mantra Rām on each brick as it is fired in the kiln. 

Magically, this works to keep the bricks afloat, and so the monkeys succeed in building a vast bridge over the course of five days that stretches from the mainland all the way to Lanka, capable of carrying the entire army. 

While crossing the bridge Hanumān carries Rāma on his shoulders, and Angada, the son of Vāli, carries Lakshmana on his shoulders, and the entire army then lands on the shores of Lanka.

Yoga implication

The bridge is representative of Sethu-bandha-āsana, or bridge pose in Āsana practice. 

The actual physical geographical bridge even today is seen clearly in satellite photos and is historically called Rāma Sethu, meaning Rāma’s bridge, which during colonial times the name was changed to Adam’s bridge. Go figure.

When the bricks are fired in the kiln with the mantra of Rām this is essentially invoking Agni, the seat of fire, as Rāma himself is considered to be from the Solar dynasty which is why the bricks float because they are all “fired up”.

 When the monkeys cross the bridge it is the Prāna-shakthi that courses through the spine on its way down to the Mūlādhāra-Chakra, this time accompanied by the descent of grace in the form of Rāma himself.

Battle for Lanka

The battle is horrendous, and many warriors on both sides, the Vānaras and the Rākshasas, are killed in the devastating conflict. 

There are some interesting anecdotes worth highlighting, especially as they relate to the practice of Yoga. 

Particularly with respect to the Rākshasas it is seen that they too have cultivated Yogic powers but misused to perverse ends resulting in challenging situations for those of us who seek to uphold Dharma but caught in their clutches.


Kumbhakarna

As the Rākshasas are being systematically destroyed, it is decided that Rāvana’s most feared brother Kumbhakarna be brought into battle. 

Kumbhakarna, the name meaning one creates Kumbha, is also the father of Kumbha who had originally lit up Hanuman’s tail. 

Kumbhakarna in his earlier days had done intense yoga practice to be granted some super powers from Brahma, in particular he wishes for Indra’s seat in heaven, that is Indra-āsana, however by mistake he requests for Nidra-āsana, and as a result he spends most of his time sleeping.

Indra-āsana means that he would be able to enjoy all mental and sensory pleasures to his heart’s content, but the word Nidra however means sleep. 

It is said that Indra, fearful of the loss of his position, requested Saraswati, the feminine aspect of Brahma and the keeper of knowledge, to twist Kumbhakarna’s tongue from Indra to Nidra, when he asked for the boon.

Kumbhakarna when he is finally woken up is fed on large quantities of meat and liquor and goes on a rampage, and this enormous creature succeeds in destroying a large part of the Vānara army, but eventually he too is brought down by Rāma’s arrows.


Yoga implication

Kumbhakarna, along with his brother Rāvana, is one of the two gatekeepers that were sent down to Earth to die at the hands of a mortal, Rāma in this case, consequent to which he is liberated with Moksha and his original spirit is able to get closer to his Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha. 

Kumbhakarna is known as Vijaya, if you recall, which means he can ensure specialized kind of victories but in this case his service to Rāvana the epitome of the Mind identified with its huge baggage of accumulated psychological conditioning is his downfall, and serves as a lesson to all of us.

Kumbhakarna is usually lost in Nidra, normal sleep, but there is a particular technique called Yoga Nidra which is very powerful where we lie down and run our consciousness throughout the body to sensitize it and then set some deep intent to manifest - provided of course we live according to the sustainability of Dharma. 

However, when Kumbhakarna is rudely woken up from sleep and fed meat and liquor which is his normal diet this makes for destructive and non-sustainable programming.


Indrajit

Rāvana’s accomplished son Indrajit too is pressed into battle and he is known to be the most magically gifted fighter of the entire horde of Rākshasas, and in the fight between Indrajit and Lakshmana the latter swoons with Indrajit’s magical weapons and is near death.

The only recourse is to treat Lakshmana with medicinal herbs found near Mount Kailāsh, Shiva’s above, in the northern reaches of the mainland, and of course it is only Hanumān who can go so far away and return quickly. 

When Hanuman alights near the mountain he is unable to detect the exact herbs needed so he uproots the entire mountain and brings it back to the battlefield, and it is said that the very scent of the herbs serves to recover Lakshmana from his near mortal wounds and then Indrajit meet’s his end.

Yoga implication

Indrajit means who can has conquered Indra considered the Manas which controls all Thought and all senses, and therefore all the Devas who are our psychic intelligences.

Psychic powers are attested to in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras in a rather matter of fact way, even enumerating several simple techniques to acquire them - of course with a warning to not get too attached because even more wonders lie ahead in the path.

When Hanumān is despatched to fetch medicinal herbs and he brings back the entire mountain this brings back to mind one of our earlier stories where the mountain indicates the spine that is used as a churning rod in order to surface the nectar of immortality.

Psychotropic and even psychedelic substances acting as medicine for the Mind are generated internally within the body as a part of advanced Yoga practice, thus removing the need to consume such substances from outside.

Rāvana

Finally, Rāvana himself has to enter the battlefield, and Rāma initially finds him invincible as every time he shoots an arrow at one of Rāvana’s heads, it magically springs back to life. 

Rāma is fatigued by his effort and retires from the battlefield when the great Rishi Agasthya comes to him and teaches him a set of mantras called Āditya-Hridayam, meaning the heart of all aspects of the Sun. 

Upon chanting this Rāma’s is re-energized and he proceeds back to the battlefield with renewed vigor, but this time instead of shooting at Rāvana’s heads, he sends his arrows into Rāvana’s core, both the heart and the navel are mentioned in the stories, and the great Rākshasa king topples and the battle is finally over.

Yoga implication

There is no point in trying to combat Ahamkāra in Brhma-Rākshasas, super-smart control freaks overwhelmed by their own psychological baggage, by striking them with logic at the head. 

The only way to rid this deadly psychic virus infection is get to the core of the relationship that we have with them and redefine it completely as though we have a completely new identity with them. 

If it is a parent we are no longer looking at them as though we are their offspring, if it is a spouse we are no longer looking at them as a mate, if it is a roommate we no longer need to be best buddies.

It doesn’t mean we should not carry out whatever duties that are expected from us given that we have taken human lives with certain sometimes unchangeable relationships, it is just that the attitude with which we approach this is from a totally different space.

Changing our relationship with a Brhma-Rākshasa is easier said than done because these advanced psychic viruses leave deep imprints in their targets and every single interaction with people and things around us will reflect this until these conditionings are completely cleared - which is why we had to go through this whole process of deep Yoga too!