Overcome the Hanuman complex!

We all know that in the Ramayana, it was the mighty Hanuman who jumped across the ocean, reached Lanka, and located Sita who had been captured by Ravana. What is less commonly known is the part that went before he took that great leap.

Seeing the huge, unending ocean, all the vaanaras felt dejected. Not a single one thought himself capable of the energy to cross it and come back.

Then, the eldest of the party, a bear called Jambavan, turned to Hanuman and asked, “You too feel you’re incapable of this feat, Hanuman? You have amazing powers; you’re Pavan Putra - the son of the Wind God – but you’ve forgotten these powers. Now is the time to remember and make use of them!”

Saying so, Jambavan narrated the story of Hanuman’s birth and childhood prowess.

Anjana was an apsara, who, through a curse, had become a monkey maiden. She was married to the monkey King Kesari. When Raja Dasharatha had performed the putrakameshti yagna for begetting children, as per Lord Shiva’s instruction, a portion of the payasam was carried by Vayu (the Wind God, also called Pavan) and delivered to Anjana. After consuming the sweet, in due course, Anjana gave birth to a son who was courageous, strong, intelligent, and also extremely naughty.

When still a child, Anjaneya (the son of Anjana) flew high into the sky, intending to eat up the Sun which looked like a ripe fruit. Afraid of what would happen, Indra hurled his thunderbolt at the child, breaking his jaw – giving him the name Hanuman.

Vayu was angry at how his son had been treated, and stopped the winds from blowing over the world; life came to a stop. Indra apologized. He and the other deities all came to bless the child Hanuman with many boons that made him even more powerful.

Armed with these special powers, Hanuman’s antics increased. He would play pranks on innocent persons but one day he went too far and a meditating rishi was his target. Angered by this mischievous behaviour, the rishi cursed Hanuman, saying he would lose all his special powers including the power of flying huge distances.

Aghast, Hanuman and his mother Anjana prayed for the rishi’s forgiveness. He relented, and proclaimed that Hanuman would not lose his powers, but would lose his knowledge of his own powers; at the time when they were desperately needed, he would be reminded of them by some wise person.

Now, on the ocean shore, Jambavan gave the timely reminder to Hanuman. Assuming a gigantic size, he flew to Lanka and the rest….is the remaining part of the Ramayana. 

Pic courtesy: Quora

One of India’s famous psychiatrists, Dr. N. N. Wig, dubbed this lack of knowing one’s true potential as the “Hanuman Complex.” 

He would encourage the patients who came to him, by explaining how, like Hanuman, they are inherently capable of overcoming the problems they face; only thing is that their illness has temporarily made them feel weak, so they have forgotten their own capability. In other words, the power to change their lives rests within themselves; all they need to do is re-discover this power and make the necessary efforts to change.

I first heard of Dr Wig in the year 2011 when I was writing an article about 10 famous doctors of India. This idea stayed with me ever since, and I realized that it applies to not just patients, but to most common people.

During all these years of teaching youngsters, I have made use of Dr. Wig’s “Hanuman complex” and indeed, found that it works miracles for their self-esteem and confidence.

Today, as I watched this awakening of Hanuman happen in the Ramayana serial on TV, I had the impulse to write this post. And some parts of our country are celebrating Hanuman Jayanti today, so what better occasion for this post?

I’m definitely not as wise as him, but I’m trying to be a Jambavan to all of you reading this.

“You are capable of great things! Awake and realize your true potential! Grow and do good to yourself, and to the whole world!”

To read Dr. Wig's article, click here   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912672/pdf/IJPsy-46-25.pdf