If you are familiar with the Ramayan or when you first read it, you find Hanuman who is most famous for his example of pure devotion to Ram through his practice of Bhakti Yoga. But there’s also an important little-known side story about Hanuman. In the main story of the Ramayan, Hanuman alone was successful of all the monkey and bear soldiers sent by Ram to find Ram’s wife, Sita. Sita had been abducted through the deception and illusion of the demon king Ravan.

When Hanuman, upon learning where Sita was, flew across the ocean into Lanka, he easily slipping into the heavily guarded prison garden. There he assured Sita that Ram and his army of monkeys and bears were coming soon, to rescue her and avenge this evil deed.

Hanuman was an embodiment of Shiva, and though humble, realized he was all-powerful. Even so, he cleverly allowed himself to be captured while found eating fruit in the garden. When brought before King Ravan, though he could easily have killed the king and his guards, and ruined the entire kingdom without Ram’s army, he chose not to.

Why wouldn’t he just take care of this evil himself? It was out of respect to Ram, who had vowed to avenge Ravan’s abduction of his wife. So, Hanuman chose simply to escape. But not without first humiliating Ravan in his court and then burning most of Lanka. He saw it as his duty to Ram to warn Ravan this way.

The part of the Ramayana that is not well known is that, before going back to tell Ram where to find Sita, Hanuman briefly visited Ravan’s dungeon prison. There Shani Dev, the god of the planet Saturn, was held in chains. He was in bad shape, having sufffered from Ravan’s frequent beatings.

Now, Shani Dev was no weakling. He was also powerful enough to not even have been captured in the first place. But out of respect to the boons given to Ravan by God, Shani allowed himself to be captured by the weapon God gave Ravan, but that Ravan had used unethically.

Shani had used his own imprisonment to still do his job: warning Ravan that eventually he could no longer escape Saturn’s negative effect in his astrology. In effect, Shani Dev in his peculiar way was telling Ravan how to heal his negative astrology. Ravan just laughed; he was arrogant enough to believe he was above his karma.

So it all finally began to crash down on Ravan when Hanuman came to court in chains and humiliated Ravan by escaping and burning Lanka. Though Hanuman meant this as a warning from Ram, Ravan saw it as a challenge. He believed it was his duty as a brave warrior to fight Ram to the death, thus fulfilling the dire prophesy of his astrological karma that Shani Dev tried to warn him about.

But the side story to that chapter I wanted to share is that, Hanuman stole into the dungeon and released Shani Dev (Saturn) before returning to Ram. Shani Dev was so pleased with Hanuman that he promised him whatever boon he wanted. Hanuman, however, was humble and didn’t want anything from the god. But when pressed he simply said he would accept anything, asking only that the boon would be given to all true devotees of Ram as well. Shani Dev agreed.

Hanuman then received a wonderful boon: because of his devotion to Ram, Shani the God of the powerful planet Saturn, promised never act through his astrology to harm him. And, he said, if Ram’s devotees are devoted to you, Hanuman, then they are also devoted to Ram, and would also receive Shani Dev’s boon.

So before you run off to the astrologer to find out about Saturn’s placement and possible negative effect in your astrology chart, remember Hanuman. Give devotion to Hanuman and you are giving devotion to Ram.

Hanuman, Shani Dev and Ram are powerful archetypes that represent aspects of divinity. They are there to help you in your own devotions or Bhakti yoga. So here’s a sweet video with the Hanuman Chalisa with wonderful images from the Ramayana, Traditonally, the Hanuman Chalisa is a song of devotion to Ram through Hanuman. May it help you in connecting with the divinity within. Jai Shree Ram.

If you like these stories, here are some other articles you many like:

• Bhakti: Engage your mind always in thinking of Me
• Lost City of Krishna found rising from the sea
• Vasishta Gufta where Shiva’s meditation continues