PDA

View Full Version : Why Hanuman ji had to fly over the ocean?



Anirudh
04 October 2013, 07:27 AM
Namaste,

I don't know whether a similar question was raised earlier in this forum...

Valmiki narrates Shri Hanuman's journey to Lanka in the first sarga of Sundara Kanda. During the course of the journey Hanuman ji successfully manages many obstacles.

I am with the understanding that (Verse 203) distance he flew across was about 100 yojanas.

As per the verse 166 he was able increase his size up to 90 yojanas when dealing Surasa.

22nd Sarga of Yudha Kanda says (Verse 66 ~ 70) says in five days (14+20+21+22+23) 100 yojanas length bridge was constructed.

Although I am reading Gita press, have given the link (http://www.valmikiramayan.net/) to verify the verses.

If Hanuman was able to increase his size up to 90 yojanas in the middle of the journey and the distance was only 100 yojanas what was the need for him to fly across the ocean?

Kindly share your views.

jignyAsu
04 October 2013, 09:35 AM
Namaste Anirudh,

Great question! Sage Valmiki describes Hanuman's flight to a very fine and in great detail and I have a lot of interest in discussing our history. Unfortunately we are not able to picture all of those details in our heads today. I am not even sure if the measurement of Hanuman's body in terms of yojanas is supposed to be accurate or a way of telling that it is really huge like in saying that the count of Vanaras is 1000s and 1000s of crores etc.

But assuming that humongous heights are indeed involved, I can still think of a reason as to why Hanuman would have had to fly. If such a huge body of 90 yojanas would have entered Lanka, then the Rakshasas would have noticed him and attacked and may have endangered His mission.

His thoughts on not creating any disturbances in Lanka before meeting Sita is well documented in:

http://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/sundara/sarga30/sundara_30_frame.htm . See from verse 20 onwards.

Omkara
04 October 2013, 09:55 AM
Another practical reason could be that as the length of something increases, its volume increases exponentially.
Thus Hanuman's volume would have expanded to massive proportions if he assumed a height of 90 yojanas. If he put his foot in the water it would have lead to tidal waves and tsunamis due to displacement of water equal to the volume of his feet.

jignyAsu
04 October 2013, 10:10 AM
Another practical reason could be that as the length of something increases, its volume increases exponentially.
Thus Hanuman's volume would have expanded to massive proportions if he assumed a height of 90 yojanas. If he put his foot in the water it would have lead to tidal waves and tsunamis due to displacement of water equal to the volume of his feet.

Also a good point. Even with the height that He assumed, the destruction that He caused to the Mahendra mountain was massive. With that height, great destruction to Lanka would have been caused by wind and water.

Anirudh
04 October 2013, 12:04 PM
Namaste Omkara and jignyAsu,

Thanks for sharing your views. In fact thought in the same line but my subconscious mind says there is some thing more than that.
Once Yajvan had told that, there is not even one single extra word in Shreemad Bhagavath Gita. I got the same feeling while reading Valmiki Raamayana.

Valmiki has narrated every tiny detail of Hanuman ji's flight. It reminded my classical mechanics lectures. Science involved in a flight is explained very clearly. All the three newtons laws of motion are hidden in that narrative of the first sarga of Sundara Kanda. It also reveals our ancestors advancement in the field Science.

I would humbly request every member to read the first Sarga and admire the beauty of Science and Social Ethics hidden in it.

ShivaFan
04 October 2013, 04:22 PM
Namaste Anirudh

I just noticed this post on lunch at work. Here are some quick thoughts, though I could be wrong.

Hanuman "crossed the ocean" from the Vindya Mountains, the term is not specific to beginning from the shores or beach on the India side of the ocean to Lanka. It is from these mountains they saw the sea, looking from the North to the South. It is from the Mountains they saw the Sea.
Had He grown to 90 yojanas at that juncture of the Vindya Mountains, He would have stepped on living beings including Gomata.

The Ram Setu is 100 yojanas in length. One yojana is the distance traveled by human voice sound. This is what I have been told is the actual, ancient measurement of a yojana. From the Mountains these would be just over 1,000 feet a shout sound would travel.

100 yojanas is about 120,000 feet, or 22 miles, or 35 kilometers.
Hanuman grew 90 yojanas (He could grow this big due to demonstrating Siddha power, the same Siddha as He could fly). 90 yojanas is about 18 miles tall or just about 30 kilometers tall.

His power to Fly is a power from His ancestry of the Wind, but it is also His Siddhi. This Siddhi is linked to the Sun or Surya, as we see Him the first time Flying at great distance into the sky as a Child to pick the Sun as a fruit. So He takes off generally Under the Sun when doing such flight.
His ability to grow is also a demonstration of His Siddhi, it is a Siddha Yoga power. He grew via His demostration of Siddha Yoga to prevent Her from swallowing Him, due to His size.

There was no need to grow when leaving from the Vindhya Moutains, without risk to other life. It was known that Ravana would have some allies in the sea, He was also a friend of the serpents of the Sea.

Think of it as a personal example - if you could cross over, would you prefer to step or fly?

I would fly.

Om Namah Sivaya

Anirudh
05 October 2013, 04:01 AM
Think of it as a personal example - if you could cross over, would you prefer to step or fly?

Namaste ShivaFan,

Thanks for sharing your views.

The point to be noted is, in the middle of the journey Hanuman grows up by 90 yojanas (in the mid air). He is such a power house. His intellectual capacity is beyond human reasoning.

Meeting Seetha Maatha in Ashoka vaatika and burning Lanka all seemed to have occurred with a purpose behind. Shree Hanumaan could have easily airlifted Shree Raam. There was no need to build Raam Sethu. Shree Raam could have slayed Raavan in no time. There was no need of bloodshed (many Vaanar died in the fight)

At present I am reading Adhyatma Ramayana. Progress is slow because of the quality (scanned copy) of the eBook.


http://hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=109772&postcount=1

At every step, Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu seemed to have taken tough route discarding the easy way. And there must be some hidden reason which is not visible to my naked eyes.

Thanks again for your views.

jignyAsu
05 October 2013, 07:55 AM
At every step, Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu seemed to have taken tough route discarding the easy way. And there must be some hidden reason which is not visible to my naked eyes.

Namaste Anirudh,

All this is His leela. KoorathAlwan, a great Acharya, points out the incident in a sthavam where Rama on the request of Sagara shoots of an arrow to the north and destroys all the demons in what we identify as arabia desert (some deem it to be Rajasthan). He asks why didn't He turn to Lanka and shoot off Ravana and demons.

He takes an apparent human route so that we can all enjoy His leelas and the Bhaktas like Hanuman, Sugreeva, Shabari, Vibhishana etc can get an opportunity to serve Him and He can also continue showing us the way to lead a dharmic life. Also the wise say that He decides who has to participate in His leela and is not in need of anyone.

Similarly, some may ask as to why He had to come all the way to save Gajendra elephant but didn't do so with a mere sankalpam from Vaikuntham itself. The answer is if He did so, then even Gajendra Himself would't have liked it...after all He had held up a lotus flower only so that He could see His beautiful form. Also, we all wouldn't have been able to enjoy His leela and get moksha as per "Janma karma cha mE divyam...."

ShivaFan
05 October 2013, 10:59 AM
Namaste

Yes, the question is more deeper than I first realized. Today is the first day of Navratri and so there is no time to think about details, but one quick personal thought:

Obama could easily take out Bashar Hafez al-Assad of Syria with the latest drone invented just 3 months ago, and there are already saboteurs in his military providing intelligence as to Assad's location, but he does not. Why?

I do not want to discuss the politics of Syria, please this is not my point, nor is Obama a divinty with powers. I am using this as a very bad example. But the reasons for things are often perhaps "complex" in this world while many people want things "simple" (both terms are relative to where you are looking from).

For example, consider, what would be gained? The benefactors would likely be the revolutionaries, but are not many of them Muslim jihadees who are even worse than Asad? Who would actually get their hands on chemical weapons with Asad dead, the Al Qaida? Yes, Asad is bad, even demonic, but he is not "tottally bad", it is more complex than that. Who would take his place?

Surrounding both sides are many "citizens" and soldiers, terrorists, but also innocents and religious people. Some soldiers on either side do not want to participate, yet are forced to, and some evil people come forward and join in some fight as the battle rages forward and thus expose themselves who would otherwise be hiding in the shadows. And Obama could be replaced at any moment due to his own extreme or misguided views that have nothing to do with Syria, the world has many tangents, full of different competing interests and many nations and tribes, many "futures" at stake, and at any moment "the worm turns" as the saying goes, and also the immediate present is not the only thing to consider but the future as well.

When the Devatas came down and manifested themselves during this great struggle, everything was considered and balanced. All those others that live on the fields of those events, including innocents and the environment and nature as well. Even some Rakshasas were innocent. Ravana was a demon, but I am of the school that he wasn't 100 percent what some try to characterize him to keep things "simple", he was much more of a complex soul than some imagine and had his acquired powers, which were very immense, like claws in some cases, over many other souls that could have bad or even good results, and not just Mother Sita. It is like, before you strike an enemy, let us say it is a man, you also have a broader vision of his wife, family, extended family, his servants, those whose business or livelihood depend on him. Would this "enemy" take his anger of loss out on his wife or families who are often innocent? Can you compensate for others livelihood at their loss, do you have this ability assessed before you strike or are you willing to take on such karma? And if you have a master or masters over you, remember, these masters must take on your karma.

Everything is a balance. Those involved reveal themself over time. The story doesn't end at "Bunker Hill". There is a future to come as a result as well. It could even impact your future.

IMHO.

Om Namah Sivaya

Anirudh
08 October 2013, 02:32 AM
Namaste Shiva Fan & jignyAsu

Thanks for sharing your valuable views. Couldn't access HDF as it was under maintenance. I will reply in detail tonight.

harih
13 November 2013, 10:01 AM
Anirudh

Very thought provoking question. I too used to have such questions while reading Sundara Kandam. One such qn is: Sampathi tells the Vaanaras that he is able to clearly see beyond the 100 yojanas and actually see a woman ill-clad͵ seated beneath a Simsapa tree and surrounded by Rakshasis. It must be Seetha only. Now in the Sundara Kanda Hanuman expends enormous energy and searches the entire palace of Ravana as well as the Paana-bhumi etc. He initially mistakes Queen Mandodari for Seetha.At one point we see Hanuman actually becoming despondent and pondering suicide by prayopavesha.

Another question is with regard to the ordering of certain chapters in the book. One chapter ends with Seetha depressed and the next chapter finds her getting happy tidings. The Chapter after that takes up the depression angle again and she decides to commit suicide!

No dearth of questions really!

On the other hand hereʹs where I am presently at͵ as a student of Sundara kandam. I feel such queries are part and parcel of our learning/relishing process and the answers are not necessarily available presently. But sometimes answers do come up right when I am in an entirely different chapter. So Sundara Kandam has not behaved like a book͵ it has become a process....

Anirudh
14 November 2013, 04:27 PM
Namaste Harih,

From the post, I assume you have found your answers. In case, you haven't let me share my understanding.

I found that Every Sarga of Sundara Kaandam has more meaning than meets the eye.

Every Sarga has a theme. Then it explains a specific problem(s). Then it presents solution to problem(s).

Knower of four Vedas is a great soul. Kishkindha Kaandam 3rd Sarga explains it. Hanuman ji is a knower of four Vedas, yet he slips. Why?

Kindly pay attention to the events, location, and the nature of the actors involved in that event.