The Strength of Hanuman: Higher Self, Lower Self and the Grace of Rama
In the morning satsanga of October 6, 2026, Swami Jyotirmayananda taught that the Hanuman Chalisa brings strength, intellect and wisdom to the seeker, and read Sugriva and Bali as the higher self and the lower self within every individual.
The satsanga opened with a meditation on Lord Rama: his complexion like a blue lotus, tender and delightful in appearance, Sita Devi seated on his left side, a powerful bow and arrow in his hands. After the Hare Rama mantra, Swamiji read a poem that set the vision for the morning.
The sun shines alone in the boundless sky, and countless reflections appear on the earth. Every sunrise and every sunset paints the canvas of the sky; rainbow colors spread their enchantment over the surging seas; diamond dewdrops deck the green forest; drifting clouds in many-colored attire dance on the widening horizons. All this, the poem says, is nothing but the glory of your very self. "You are indeed the sun." You are the one alone, without a second. Countless souls appear and disappear, countless names and forms come and go like drifting clouds, but you, essentially Brahman, shine on like the sun forever.
The Song of Spiritual Heroism
Swamiji then read a Hindi poem once sung in India to stir people with spiritual heroism, and gave it in English. Be like the mighty, immovable Himalayas: do not be frightened in storms and rains, and keep standing steady in every thunderstorm of difficulty. If you are not shaken from your vows, you can attain anything in this world and rise high enough to catch the stars of the sky. One who remains determined on his journey despite millions of incoming troubles attains success in this world, in life and in death. That, Swamiji said, is what a hero is.
He added that someone had supplemented the song with navadha bhakti, the ninefold devotion, because heroism of this kind does not stand on willpower alone. "That bhakti gives you param shakti," the supreme power.
Sugriva and Bali
From the Ramayana reading, Swamiji drew out the two brothers. Sugriva, he explained, is the higher self; he is the son of the Sun God. Bali, Sugriva's brother, is the lower self. The higher self and the lower self are present in every individual. The strength of Hanuman is what allows the higher self to conquer the lower.
Look at how the lower self works, Swamiji said. The mind is constantly thinking of so many things, and among them are the negative qualities of the people around you, until you have made a whole diary of their qualities. But with Hanuman's strength, the heart becomes the divine residence of Sita and Rama, and when Hanuman's strength is present, nothing is impossible.
The Hanuman Chalisa as Sadhana
Your sadhana, Swamiji taught, receives great support from the Hanuman Chalisa. When you are terrified by many miseries and challenges, it removes the challenging situation and opens a movement toward spiritual progress. He explained the prayer in the Chalisa for bala, buddhi and vidya: bala is strength; buddhi is intellect, a sharp intellect; and the same prayer asks that afflictions be removed. Vidya is the revelation of wisdom.
So each time you feel shaken, instead of falling into a state of despair, practice the Hanuman Chalisa. Recite it even when you take a bath, under the shower. With it, he said, the grace of God showers: "The grace of Rama showers." With Hanuman's strength there is nothing impossible to accomplish; the word "impossible" leaves your dictionary. "Nothing is impossible."
The closing verse of the Chalisa, Swamiji said, becomes a powerful mantra that gives internal strength and support. When you have that strength and you are facing challenges, the divine miracle, the miracle of grace, operates.
Beyond the Words of Scripture
Swamiji recalled the old couplet about pothi, books: the world went on reading and reading and died without becoming a pandit, while one who reads the few letters of prema, love, becomes the true pandit. All the scriptural sutras are meant to lead you to that, he said, but do not stay with the words. "The scriptures, they are simply pointing." How many things can the mind remember? What matters is Hanuman's strength and Hanuman's love for Rama.
That love is ananya bhakti, devotion with no other. There is no one like Rama. Rama is Brahman, the Absolute, and he has no comparison; there is no other with whom to compare him.
Hanuman's strength, Swamiji continued, is not limited by time. Everything in this world is limited by time and is perishable. Real wisdom goes beyond time, and time and space are illusions.
The Three Worlds Become the Glory of Hanuman
In closing, Swamiji spoke of the three lokas, the three worlds one lives through, and what Hanuman's strength does in each. When the glory of Hanuman comes through your tongue, you are able to help people develop spiritual strength. When Hanuman's strength enters your feelings, you are no longer sentimentally attached, no longer grieving over attachment and separation from people. "You completely remove grief." And your thoughts become spiritual insight, intuitive rather than merely intellectual. The three lokas you live through become the glory of Hanuman.
The satsanga concluded with a prayer for a shower of the grace of God over all.
Terms in This Satsanga
- satsanga — the company of truth; the morning gathering itself.
- navadha bhakti — the ninefold devotion that Swamiji said gives param shakti, supreme power.
- bala, buddhi, vidya — strength, sharp intellect and the revelation of wisdom, asked for in the Hanuman Chalisa.
- sadhana — spiritual practice, which the Hanuman Chalisa supports.
- ananya bhakti — devotion to the One beside whom there is no other.
- loka — a world or plane of experience; Swamiji spoke of the three lokas one lives through.
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