Hanuman: Devotee of God (Part 2)

The following is extract from the book "Hanuman: The Devotee of God" by Sri Anantanand Rambachan. We are grateful to him for granting permission to publish this extract. You can find a link to the book and more books by Sri Anantanand Rambachan in Buy Spiritual Products Section. 

Read Part 1

Chapter 1: The Gift of Eternal Love (Continued)

Is it inappropriate then to come before God, in prayer, with a specific desire, such as a wish for success in some endeavour or for the satisfaction of a material need? This is certainly not improper, but it would be questionable if these were the only things which we sought from God or if we only approached God in times of need. Suppose you had a close friend whom you trusted and loved deeply and who reciprocated your love and trust. In a moment of difficulty or need, you naturally turn to your friend for help. Your friend will not conclude that you are exploiting this relationship, since it is well established and you have never asked for anything in the past.

Similarly, when we have established a relationship with God, it will be natural to turn to God in times of need. In fact, we are assured, in the Bhagavadgita, that we do not even have to bring these needs to the attention of God. Like a close friend who knows our needs even before we can articulate them, God responds to the necessities of the devotee without a request. This remarkable promise is made in the Bhagavadgita 9:22

    To those who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, who are ever devoted, I bring attainment of what they have not and secure what they have.

Here, Krishna promises to bear the burden of the devotee's yoga and ksema. In this context, yoga refers to the means required for sustaining the existence of the devotee and ksema refers to the protection of such means. It is also important to note that this verse clearly defines the person whose needs are met and secured by God. the eligible individual is one, like Hanuman, who is ever united with God in love. Like Hanuman also, the devotee does not sit and wait for God to meet all of his or her needs without any personal effort. Diligent efforts are necessary, but one undertakes these without anxiety and with the assurance that one's needs will be satisfied by God.

The point here is that while it is not improper to bring specific yoga and ksema needs before God, the devotee has the assurance that God responds to those needs even without being asked. Our primary responsibility is to discover a love for God and put forth our best efforts in all undertakings, trusting the eventual outcome to God's wisdom.

Krishna provides further light on this same issue, in the Bhagavadgita 7:16, when He speaks about the different kinds of devotees and His relationship with them. 

    The virtuous ones who worship Me are of four types: the person in distress, the seeker for knowledge, the seeker for wealth and the person of wisdom.

The first type of devotee listed by Krishna is the artah or distressed. This is the person who worships God for the alleviation of physical and mental suffering or obtaining relief from a situation of adversity. The second type is the artharthi or the one who entertains a desire for enjoyment in this world, but who turns to God for help in the attainment of these desires. A longing for wealth, power, success or fame may be among the wants of such a devotee. The third type, the jijnasu, is motivated only by the desire to know God and cares little about worldly or heavenly enjoyment. Finally, according to Krishna, there is the jnani the one who, like Hanuman, knows God and is capable of loving God for His own sake. 

(to be continued)