The Indestructible Inner Power

In Ramayana, Hanuman is believed to be the super power behind Rama’s sena. He was a powerful child, as he had the blessings of all the Gods including the God of creation, Brahma, the God of protection, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. He also had the blessings of Yama, Kubera and Agni. 

As a young boy, Hanuman was very playful and in his playfulness, he had earned the wrath of many saints and holy men. They had cursed Hanuman and due to their curses, Hanuman forgot the power that he had within him. 

The always-cheerful and mischievous Hanuman was crest-fallen. Brahma the creator appeared before Hanuman and told him that the curse was mild. Since destiny required him to perform greater tasks than merely teasing holy men and disturbing the wild animals in the forest, the curse was to be viewed as a boon. Hanuman became cheerful and went about his duties with more responsibility. He was also told by Lord Brahma that when required, someone would remind him of his inner strength and the effect of the curse would not weigh on him.

When Lord Rama met Hanuman and reminded him of his powers, Hanuman realised his potential and lived up to it. The inner strength of Hanuman came to the fore when he, for the sake of his Lord, guided the Vanara Sena to victory against Ravana. 

The entire Vanara Sena was united and carried out the brave job tirelessly unto the end.

This story makes us wonder if such mammoth tasks are achievable by efforts of mortals. Can great bridges be built by a mere Vanara Sena? Can huge wars be won with inner strength? Are these only happenings of the past, or is mankind capable of such things at the present?

Well, Salem in Tamil Nadu has recently witnessed a mammoth feat being achieved. The local youngsters comprising of school kids, college students and office goers, under the guidance of Siruthuli, an NGO, have achieved the feat of cleaning one of the biggest lakes in Coimbatore. Such feats happen when people understand their inner strength and believe that problems can be resolved if we look inwards. The essence of any form of belief is belief in oneself.

When thousands of people with strong inner belief and strength get together, tasks of immense order can be achieved. The inner power we have is indestructible. Many of us are only waiting to be awakened. Let us wait with positive hope and patience for our turn to deliver. I recall the oft quoted lines of the blind poet John Milton,

“They also serve who only stand and wait.”