The Aarti of Lord Hanuman

This is an aarti, a Hindu ritual of waving lighted lamps before a deity while singing verses. Unlike longer stotras (hymn texts), an aarti is short, rhythmic, and meant for communal singing; this one is a beloved daily offering to Hanuman, the monkey-god known for strength and devotion.

Verse 3 calls him 'Anjani-putra' (son of Anjani). In the Ramayana tradition, Hanuman is born to Anjani and the wind-god Vayu (Pavan), which is why verse 5 calls him 'Pavanasuta' (son of the wind), a key to his ability to leap across the ocean to Lanka.

Verses 4 to 6 compress the climax of the Ramayana: Hanuman is sent by Rama with his ring, crosses the sea to Lanka, finds Sita, and burns the city of Lanka with his fiery tail. The 'moat-like ocean' (verse 5) emphasizes that even a vast sea could not stop the wind-god's son.

Verse 7 recalls the moment when Lakshmana, Rama's brother, is struck down in battle. Hanuman flies to the Himalayas, brings the life-restoring herb sanjivani, and revives him, a story of loyalty and quick action that is a favorite in Hanuman lore.

Verse 8 references a later legend, not in Valmiki's Ramayana but popular in North Indian retellings: the demon Ahiravana carries Rama and Lakshmana to the underworld (patala). Hanuman enters, breaks the demon's defenses, and kills him, saving both brothers, which shows his role as protector beyond the main epic.

Verse 9 pairs Hanuman's left arm (destroying demons) with his right arm (saving saints). This is a devotional metaphor: the same strength that crushes evil also shelters the devoted, a duality central to Hanuman's worship.

Verse 11 describes Hanuman's mother Anjani performing the aarti with a golden plate and camphor flame, and verse 12 promises a place in Vaikuntha, Vishnu's heaven, to whoever sings it. Camphor burns without residue, a traditional symbol of the ego dissolving in devotion.