A Story: An ‘Ethereal’ Solvent

One may call it Mythology, another may call it History. The way I see it—it’s a Story. A collective narrative passed down to us in today’s day and age from eons ago.

The most innate human trait is our need to be engaged in a narrative.

We spin stories to hold a conversation.

Some tell stories to deceive,

others to reveal the essence of truth.

We build narratives for branding in advertising.

We consolidate narratives with “proof” to win court cases.

I could go on and on about the nature of stories and how storytelling is deeply embedded in the human psyche.

I’ve dedicated most of my adult life to stories.

But I write this monograph to highlight one particular character—someone who quite literally plays the best supporting role in one of the most soul-emancipating stories of all time.

Hanuman. Anjaneya. Bajrangbali.

He’s known by many names, each one echoing a quality, a momentous event, or an association with someone significant in his life. But not many know his true name. Most of his popular names are titles—badges of honor earned through action, devotion, and divine purpose.

Some scholars and experts of Dharmic and Vedic scriptures believe that his real name, the one given by his parents at birth, is Sundar. Fittingly, the part of the Ramayana where he plays his most pivotal role is called the Sundara Kanda, which means a 'chapter' named 'Sundara'. Not just a coincidence, but perhaps a poetic nod to his essence.

One of the most significant and widely recited verses dedicated to Hanuman is the Hanuman Chalisa, composed by the great poet Goswami Tulsidas.

It opens with the line:

“Jai Hanuman Gyaan Gun Saagar”

Which loosely translates to: “Hail Hanuman, Ocean of Wisdom and Virtue.”

Though, even that translation doesn’t quite capture the depth. The word Gyaan, like many Sanskrit and Indian words, defies accurate translation. It’s more than just ‘knowledge’—it’s inner knowing, sacred wisdom, insight born of experience and devotion.

Among All the Gods…

In India, we revere and worship countless deities, entities, elements, gods, and goddesses.

If it’s a noun—a name, a place, an animal or a thing—we often find divinity in it.

With devotion, and a rich array of rituals, we perform Pooja, and more often than not, we build temples, sanctums, and shrines around our many different visions (Darshanas) of God.

Among this vast and vibrant pantheon, one figure stands out—Hanuman.

Of all the gods we choose to honor, Hanuman commands a unique and unparalleled devotion.

In fact, he is the deity with the highest number of temples and sacred sites dedicated to him across India.

From the bustling cities to the quietest villages, from mountaintops to forest groves—you’ll find his presence, strong and steady, watching over the land and its people.

Back to the Story—Ramayana

In the Ramayana, the lead protagonists, Sita and Rama, though revered today as divine incarnations, are portrayed in Rishi Valmiki’s original telling not with supernatural traits, but as humans of the highest virtue.

Their greatness lies not in magical powers, but in the strength of their character, their unwavering commitment to Dharma, and their deep love and endurance.

But Hanuman—Hanuman is exceptional.

He leaps across oceans, grows larger than mountains, and shrinks smaller than a kitten.

He is the most meditative, an Immovable Object—Yoga Anjaneya.

He is the most valorous, an unstoppable force—Veer Anjaneya.

He can crush mountains to dust or liberate them from ancient curses with a mere touch.

He possessed the strength to defeat Ravana and his entire army on his own—yet he never did, because he chose service over self.

Take all the modern-day superheroes—Superman’s strength, Batman’s unwavering dedication, Ant-Man’s agility and size-shifting powers, the Hulk’s raw power, Flash’s speed, Thor’s godlike presence, and even Iron Man’s intellect and tech-savvy nature—and blend them together…

You might begin to approximate Hanuman.

He is the original.

The eternal.

The ultimate hero.

But unlike most fictional heroes, Hanuman’s power is never about self-glorification.

He doesn’t fight for fame, vengeance, or identity.

He acts only in seva—service.

Every leap, every battle, every miraculous task he performs is rooted in pure devotion.

For Rama Karya. For the greater good.

Today’s Turmoil

In today’s world, the most prevalent human turmoil is the desperate, often chaotic chase for a skewed idea of success—a twisted notion of glory.

Me first. Mine first.

I have to win.

I have to be better than him. Better than her.

Only I deserve the throne. Only I matter.

Somehow, our aspirations—once rooted in purpose—are turning tyrannical. The hunger to dominate, to outshine, to own has infected the collective psyche.

In a time where physical ailments are plenty, it’s the psychological diseases that are growing the fastest—loneliness, anxiety, insecurity, obsession with validation.

And in this noisy, chaotic world, a figure like Hanuman becomes more than just a mythical or historical hero—he becomes a remedy.

The Eternal Presence

According to the Ramayana, the Puranas, and various Dharmic scriptures, Hanuman is considered a Chiranjeevi—one of the few immortals. This doesn’t just mean long-lived in the physical sense, but symbolically eternal.

His culmination—his end—is never depicted in any of the stories.

There is no moment where Hanuman departs. He simply continues.

When Sri Rama prepares to leave his mortal body and merge with the infinite—through the sacred Sarayu river—many of his devoted companions choose to follow him.

They long to dissolve into the divine alongside their beloved king.

But Hanuman is different.

Just as Rama begins his ascent, it is Hanuman who stops. Not out of fear or hesitation, but from the depth of his devotion.

He bows before Rama and makes a promise—not as a request, not under command, but as an offering from his soul:

“As long as your name is spoken on this Earth, as long as your story is remembered, I shall remain here. I will be present wherever your Katha (story) is told. I will live not for myself, but for your mission, your Dharma.”

He doesn’t choose moksha.

He doesn’t choose rest.

He chooses presence.

He chooses seva—sacred service.

This promise is not just legendary—it is eternal. It is why, even today, millions believe Hanuman is still here.

In temples, in chants, in battle cries, in quiet prayers before exams, surgeries, or struggles… he is invoked.

Because he never left.

Coming Back to the Nature of Stories

Many believe that stories merely offer solace—a comforting distraction from the grind of daily life, rather than any real solution.

But I strongly disagree.

That argument may apply to some stories, but certainly not to all.

I took up the Ramayana not out of devotion, but as a case study—an intellectual exercise in narrative dissection.

Yet, the deeper I read, the more I listened, the more I found myself reflected in its characters and choices.

If not confidence, the Ramayana gives me something even more valuable: clarity.

It’s interesting how, in the English language, the word “solution” has two meanings:

— a means to solve a problem, and

— a blend of solute and solvent.

The Ramayana, in its vastness, offers both.

It provides timeless solutions—frameworks and insights—for achieving all four Purusharthas (Human purpose): Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.

But it also acts as a universal solvent—capable of dissolving layers of physical, psychological, social, and even political ailments so prevalent in today’s world.

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And What’s the Perfect Solute?

To truly dissolve and transcend into the “Solution” for all worldly problems?

Dissolve. Devote. Aspire.

In other words: Be inspired by Hanuman. Aspire to be Hanuman.

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Ram Doot Hanuman Ki Jai

"Prabhu Charitra Sunibe Ko Rasiya 

Ram Lakhan Sita Mann Basiya".

'Ram Doot Hanuman Ki Jai'

The SwordScribbler: Etherealnut 

© Karthik Ramakrishna

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