40.

 The power of the words of Hanuman Chalisa has been prevalent since time immemorial. It consists of forty verses of appraisals about Hanuman, who was the link between the Lord and the masses. Written by Tulsidas, the author of “Ramcharitmanas” the Hanuman Chalisa has several significant instances other than being a strength symbol. It signifies various purposes of life along with highlighting death rituals according to the Hindu customs.

According to Hindu history, it is said that Tulsidas sang the Hanuman Chalisa from a prison confinement for forty whole days, signifying the forty verses of the chant. At the end of which, an army of monkeys appeared to hamper regular life in the court of Akbar. This eventually led to the release of Tulsidas who then preached the strength of the powerful verses.

The string of verses in the chant tell the story of devotion and submission of Hanuman to Lord Ram. He believed in a very strong form of worship that of serving the Lord. All his acts of such devotion are immortalised in the Chalisa, “Chalis” meaning forty. Several of his acts of selfless service, including the time when Hanuman carries the entire mountain containing “sanjeevanibuti”, the magical herb to cure Lakshman, are mentioned in the verses. He traverses across the oceans in search for Sita to leave a token of the Lord for her. All these acts of bravery and selflessness symbolise the strength that these verses contain.

Creating the picture of an ideal devotee, the Hanuman Chalisa casts Hanuman as the ideal embodiment of a dedicated devotee. It preaches an eternal feeling of love and sacrifice, holding the God in your heart at all times. Going back to the history of the esteemed Hanuman Chalisa, it is said that whoever chants the Chalisa in undying devotion to Hanuman will acquire his grace and strength. It involves miraculous interventions in everyday problems and those to do with the evil.

According to the Indian history, Hanuman intervened in all the problems Lord Ram faced. It is said that chanting the Hanuman Chalisa in utter devotion brings him to come to their rescue to solve all their troubles. The strength that the verses evoke can bring about life changing alterations provided there exists a complete faith and devotion of the great devotee Hanuman.

Everyone knows that Goswami Tulsidas ji, the great poet-saint who became known to the masses during the Moghul era in India, not only wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Hindi but also composed the Hanuman Chalisa. The time period in history when Tulsidas ji wrote his devotional works, India was ruled by Akbar. The period was marked by religious strife and moral degradation. 

Tulsidas ji wanted to reintroduce the Hindus to the Vedic scriptures. After writing the Ramcharitmanas that connected with the minds and hearts of people of all social classes, particularly in the Northern parts of India, Tulsidas ji started becoming a household name. His own devotion toward Lord Ram intensified, and all of his work was performed in the service of the Lord. People’s faith in God and Tulsidas ji increased to the point where common people started relying on him to help or save them during challenging times. Tulsidas ji dedicated his actions to Lord Ram when he helped others but common people spread rumors that he performed miracles.

When Akbar heard such rumors, he ordered Tulsidas ji to appear in his court and perform some miracles. With all humility, Tulsidas ji told the emperor that he was just a simple devotee of Lord Ram and did not perform any miracles. Akbar was enraged assuming that Tulsidas ji was being non-compliant and defiant toward the emperor. In anger, Akbar ordered him to be imprisoned. 

It was when Tulsidas ji was in prison in Fatehpur Sikri, that he composed the Hanuman Chalisa. He was imprisoned for forty days, thus each of the forty verses represents each day in prison. As Tulsidas ji wrote the verses, his heart overflowed with devotional sentiments as he contemplated how Hanuman ji had been instrumental in enabling him to have Lord Ram’s darshan. In a spirit of total surrender to the Lord, Tulsidas ji paid tribute to Hanuman ji’s divine qualities and character strengths in each of the verses. He described how Hanuman ji was the protector and savior of the destitute and devotees who needed divine intervention. 

Interestingly, by the time the forty verses were composed, Akbar’s palace and city were inundated by an army of monkeys. They attacked people and destroyed property everywhere. When the situation became unbearable, Akbar pondered on whether this happened because he had imprisoned Tulsidas ji. He went to visit him in the prison and asked him to make the monkeys stop wreaking havoc. Tulsidas ji offered his prayers to Hanuman ji and subsequently, the monkeys disappeared. Akbar released Tulsidas ji from prison. 

The story of Saint Tulsidas ji has inspired innumerable people throughout the country even in Kaliyug. People began to perceive the strength and power of chanting Hanuman Chalisa as a way to seek divine grace, especially during challenging times. It is important to understand that mere chanting of these forty verses is not what leads to divine intervention, but the underlying faith and belief in the power of God. When our recitation is accompanied by total humility and surrender to His wishes, the Lord will intervene in a manner that is best for the elevation of souls. Thus, let us chant Hanuman Chalisa, visualizing Hanuman ji going about his seva for Lord Ram, facing and overcoming each obstacle with perseverance.