The INDIAN TAROTS

Hanuman is one of the easiest-to-call gods. This is because he lives on earth, wherever Raam-katha is chanted. Hanuman Chalisa can create a very useful protective force against negative energies. He is an avatar of lord Shiv and the son of Anjana & Paban dev.

Hanumanji has many names like Anjaneya (son of Anjana), Paban-putra (Son of Paban, the god of air), Bajrangbali (one who has arms like thunder), Chiranjivi (immortal) etc. Though we say that Hanuman and his associates like Sugrib, Bali, Angad, Jambvan, Neel etc are ‘Baanar’, which means monkeys, they are not actually monkeys. They are actually a human clan named ‘Kapi’. Bali and Sugreev were two brothers who were enemies of each other. Bali had a blessed locket which made him steal half strength from the person in front of him. This sorcery helped Bali to win in fights. Once Hanuman came in front of him but Hanuman’s power was so high that Bali could not take that amount of power and he had to remove that locket. Hanuman’s strength comes from his bhakti towards Sree Raam. Whenever he sings bhajan for Raam, even stones get melted.

When Hanuman was young, he mistook the Sun as a fruit and was about to eat it. This would have destroyed the universe, so Indra hit Hanuman and made him unconscious. But Hanuman’s father, Paban became angry at Indra and was about to stop the flow of air and destroy life in universe. To calm him down, many devatas came and blessed Hanuman with different powers. Brahma blessed him but also said that as Hanuman was a child, it is better for him to not use his powers until he is mature. Until Hanuman met Raam on Anjanadri Hill (Karnataka), he forgot about his powers. When Raam asked Hanuman to go to Lanka to see if Sita is there, Hanuman thought that task is impossible. Then, Jambvaan reminded him about his powers, which were basically 8 siddhis. Hanuman could change the volume and weight of his body, he could lift unimaginable weights; he could do mind-control, travel by the speed of thoughts etc. Then, Hanuman gained confidence to jump across the ocean and reach Lanka. Hanuman teaches us that, to perform a given task, one should trust oneself and have a sense of responsibility.

It is true that Hanuman is super strong. However, strength does not only mean physical strength. It also means mental strength, strength of knowledge, resilience, confidence. If only physical strength mattered, we would have seen only body-builders in leadership roles. Strength comes from self-belief and confidence, that’s why we say ‘Bhakti is Shakti’. Often, we are discouraged by the vastness or the criticality of a task. To overcome that fear, sometimes we need a guru like Jambvaan who can motivate us. Or sometimes, we need to take a deep breath and take the first step or a leap of faith. Success attracts success, so always try to achieve the first success no matter how small it is. First time of anything seems hard, but eventually it becomes easy. Another important lesson Hanuman has taught us, is to be humble in spite of being such powerful. When he visited Sita Ma in Ashok Vatika, he could have boasted about himself and represented himself as Pavan Putra or Avatar of Shiv or someone who gulped the Sun. But instead of that, he said that he is just a Raam-Dut (messenger from Raam).

Hanuman is a celibate (Brahmachari) but he has a son named Makardhwaj. Actually, Hanuman was taking bath in ocean once and a fish gulped a drop of his sweat. From that, Makardhwaj was born. Later, Raavan’s brother Ahiraavan captured Makardhwaj and made him a servant in Patal (Hondurus). Hanuman did not know about his son until he invaded Ahiraavan’s palace. Later when Ahiraavan kidnapped Raam and Lakshman, Hanuman invaded Patal-lok and there he met Makardhwaj and he was shocked to know about his identity. However, via yogic power Hanuman understood that Makardhwaj is truly his son. But when Hanuman asked for his help to free Raam, Makardhwaj refused because it was against dharma to betray master. Then Hanuman fought with him and defeated him. After finding Raam and Lakshman, they beat Ahiraavan. Raam came to know about Makardhwaj and blessed Hanuman’s son. Raam then asked Hanuman to make him the king of Patal.

I have kept Hanuman as ‘Strength’ because he possesses physical, mental and spiritual powers. He is a focused entity who does not divert from his duties. Also, he gives us courage and protects us from negative forces.

Upright meaning

In tarot, the Strength card is often associated with courage, inner strength, and self-control. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as courage, inner strength, and the ability to control one’s emotions. The upright Strength may represent a person who is brave, patient, and compassionate, or it can indicate a need to tap into one’s inner strength to overcome challenges.

An Upright Strength can also signal you to control your passions. Like Hanuman, tame the animal urges within you. Do not commit irrational acts based on anger or guilt. Hold your head up high and remain composed in all situations.

Reverse meaning

On the other hand, when the Strength card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as weakness, lack of self-control, or a tendency to be aggressive. The reversed Strength may represent a person who is struggling to control their emotions or who is feeling weak and vulnerable. It could also suggest a need to find a gentler approach to a situation or to avoid confrontations.

Source:

The Ramayana

Lectures of Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri

Lectures of Amogh Leela Prabhu