Published on Saturday, Oct 2, 2010 @ 1745 hrs. IST

Over 2000 Youth from the twin states of Maharashtra & Goa, men and women, are in Parthi on a three days pilgrimage 30th Sept to 2nd Oct 2010 with a main agenda of successful implementation of Sri Sathya Sai Village Integrated Programme (SSSVIP) in the districts of Maharashtra & Goa. The youth had identified four core tasks for selected villages after meticulous survey. The core tasks identified were sanitation, construction of gramin seva kendra, bal vikas, mother & child care. The Parthi Yatra 2010 was organised after making substantial progress in the identified areas of activities.

On the 30th Sept evening, the Maharashtra-Goa session began with youth representatives from various districts presenting reports of activities taken up, seeking Bhagawan’s benediction. Men in pairs followed by women forayed to the centre stage presenting brochures detailing various activities.

This was followed by the main programme for the evening, a dance drama, “Anjaneya Veera”, presented by the Youth of  Akola district of Maharashtra.

The drama opens with a Youth mesmerized by bhajans recalling that wherever the glory of Rama is sung, there Hanuman is always present. The Youth thinks that in the pristine precincts of Prasanthi Nilayam, where Lord Rama Himself resides, Hanuman would certainly be present. And indeed, the greatest devotee of the Lord appears.

Lord Rama Himself arriving at the scene volunteering to talk about the Glory of His chosen devotee, saying that it was His Will that He would narrate the story of Hanuman this day, against the normal practice, of Hanuman singing Rama's glory incessantly. Thus began the evening’s odyssey with Bhakta Hanuman.

The one hour presentation began with Lord Rama the tale of Hanuman's mysterious birth with the blessing of Wind God.  Vividly recollecting how Hanuman got the name Anjenaya, Kesari Nandan and Pavanputra, the narration went on with the enthralling incident in which young Bajrang Bali reaches out towards the Sun thinking it to be a fruit, inviting the wrath of Lord Indra.  Indra engages Hanuman in a battle and finally defeats him with the Vajra. In an act of revenge against the atrocity meted out to his son, Wind God withdraws all air from earth, leaving panic in Indra’s court. Devas rush to make amends granting extraordinary powers to Hanuman. His broken jaw at the hands of Indra gave him the name Hanuman by which He would be most remembered for all time to come.

Traversing through the eventful episode, The Lord went on explaining Hanuman's tutelage under Sun God, his wrangle with Lord Indra, initiation into the Rama Mantra, meeting up with Valmiki etc. Entire  narration was backed by visual illustration. When Sage Valmiki went on extolling Hanuman's feats with his work on Lord Rama's story, an 'infuriated' Hanuman grabbed the literary piece to tear the same into pieces yelling that only Lord Rama deserves name, fame and glory.

Subsequent scene shows Hanuman’s meeting up with Vibhishana. He tells a despondent Vibhishana that to get Lord Rama’s Darshan, Sparshan and Sambhashan it is not enough to merely chant His name,  but one must also look for opportunities to serve Him.

Hanuman's meeting with Sugreeva, slaying of Bali, crossing over to Lanka to fight for Mother Sita etc. came in sequence before the scene was brought to the court of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, where, post coronation, close associates of The Lord were busy dividing their duties towards The Lord.

Narrating the tale as told by Bhagawan in Rama Katha Rasa Vahini, the episode of Hanuman grabbing the pricey responsibility of 'snapping the yawn' was depicted.  

Hanuman is perhaps the only devotee who is worshipped with exalted status of God. The scene next highlighted how Hanuman helped one of Lord Rama’s greatest devotees,  Sant Tulsidas. Sant Tulsidas is imprisoned by Akbar and he prays to Sankat Mochan Hanuman to help him. Immediately, the city of Delhi was attacked by monkeys and Akbar was advised to release this great devotee of Lord Rama who had been helped by none other than Hanuman.

In another instance a liberated ghost tells Tulsidasji of Hanuman who in his great Love for Rama’s Story comes to hear the same every day as Tulsidas narrates it. Tulsidas who was ever eager to meet Lord, having been given the clue, approached Hanuman with his prayer. Hanuman directed him to Chitrakoot where he could finally have Lord Rama’s Darshan.

Hanuman’s Panchamukhi Avatar story that shows Bhadrachala Ramdas by reviving his life was also depicted before Lord Rama regaling on the Divine Bond that Hanuman and He Himself share between. The Lord declares that He Himself is incomplete without His Hanuman. And to a question as to where immortal Hanuman lives at present, answering the same The Lord brings up Hanuman’s part in 'His Story', in the story of Sathya Sai, that happened in the Hanuman Temple in Prasanthi Nilayam.  When Little Sathya along with his friends were on circumambulation at the Hanuman Temple in Prasanthi, Hanuman emerged out of his idol to stop His Lord from taking ‘pradakshina’ of him.

Hanuman is Immortal and transcending the oceans of Yugas, His devotion  is Eternal….!!!