Addressing Hanuman as Maruti also means remembering the Marutt ganas i.e. the divine troops who are responsible for the sustenance of this entire creation, from the microcosm up to the macrocosm. Hanuman possesses every good trait! He is a storehouse of indescribable good traits! Huge mountains, precious stones, caves and many more treasures are held within the ocean. Just as it is not possible to locate and measure the treasures hidden deep within the ocean, it is impossible to estimate the number of good qualities and traits Hanuman possesses! In fact, all the good gunas (traits) emerge out of Him.
When it is said that Hanuman bestows boons upon his devotees, it means that He bestows upon them the ‘best boon’ (most supreme boon)!
The greatest of the great Devatas, as well as the mightiest of the mighty demons, secured what appeared to be the most invincible boon from God. Even then, what was the lifetime of such boons? All boons are generally short-lived. Every boon generally comes with a hidden clause. Once the lifetime of the boon comes to an end, the clause becomes operational and the boon is destroyed. At that time the being feels ashamed to seek another boon.
Therefore right at the outset, when seeking a boon, the best boon should be sought. Seeking the Supreme Knowledge is the best boon to be sought from God.
Do we even have the eligibility or worthiness to ask for Supreme Knowledge? Acquiring Supreme Knowledge is a very difficult target. Towards this, we need to understand who Brahma (God) is; then we should decipher what is this knowledge (jnana) to be learnt and finally we should put in stringent efforts and undertake spiritual pursuits to acquire it. Hanuman however very easily blesses his devotees with this Supreme Knowledge! He simply showers it upon them! For this reason, He is adored as ‘Varada’ and as ‘Bhakta vatsala’. This is the only true boon. Apart from this boon, every other boon is only a trivial and temporary boon.
When describing the qualities of Rama, the following statement is made- agre vāchayati prabha~njanasute. It means when Rama was seated on the throne, surrounded by his entire family and retinue, Hanuman reverentially sat the feet of his master and read from the various Upanishads and Brahma Sutras, while Rama happily provided commentary for the same. This is not mere imagination. Rama and Hanuman eternally remain seated in this manner. Hanuman, who sits at the feet of His master and learns this subject, easily showers it upon his devotees! He blesses his devotees with Self- realization.
Now let us move to the next hymn in this Vānara Gita composed by Vānara Gavaksha.
Vāyuputrēṇa mahatā yadya duktam karomi tat
Nā jānami tatho dharmam madharmam raksha mām sadā.
Meaning- I am adhering to the dharma (rules of righteousness) that has been taught to me by mahatma Hanuman. I do not know any dharma apart from this. O Hanuma! Please protect my dharma.
Gavaksha, the great warrior, was the commander-in-chief for a troop of 60000 Vānara warriors. To lead a team effectively, commander-in-chief should possess the correct knowledge of rules of righteousness. Hanuman taught Gavaksha this knowledge of dharma (righteousness).
It is the mandatory duty of a king to protect dharma (righteousness). Towards this, Rama has been praised in Valmiki Ramayana as – Rakshita swasya dharmasya swa-janasya cha rakshita. Dharma should be protected with utmost compassion (daya). In the pretext of protecting dharma, it is wrong to get angry and impose harsh punishments for trivial faults. It is wrong to wage a war for petty reasons.
