RAJA7: Thanking Hanuman Ji Without Erasing Your Own Effort

Devotion and honest recognition of practice can sit in the same account. Bring a specific learning effort, its completion and your gratitude before Hanuman Ji.

“By Hanuman Ji's grace, I managed it.” A friend replies, “But you practised for it yourself.” Must the player withdraw either the gratitude or the account of their work?

A RAJA7 reader can hold both without making them compete. Devotional thanks expresses the person's relationship with Hanuman Ji. A practice record says what they actually did.

Keep the work visible

Consider a learner practising knight movement in chess. On an otherwise empty exercise board, a knight on e4 can reach c3, c5, d2, d6, f2, f6, g3 and g5. These are movement destinations, not a complete game position.

In a sample practice record, the learner first forgets c3. They then work through the two-by-one pattern systematically and finally name all eight squares without consulting the answer. The knight's movement is defined in article 3.6 of the FIDE Laws of Chess.

The record can remain modest and factual: an omission, a deliberate exercise, a correctly completed task. There is no reason to hide any of those steps when giving thanks.

Why Hanuman Ji belongs in this gratitude

Hanuman's devotion is expressed through undertaking Rama's work, not through standing apart from action. The Sathya Sai account of Hanuman Jayanti honours strength, intelligence, humility and dedicated service together.

A devotee may understand the courage to persist and the opportunity to learn as occasions for gratitude, while still naming the effort they personally made.

At Hanuman Ji's offering area, offer the displayed sindoor, ladoo, tulsi, ghee and deepak together after darshan.

Hanuman Ji, I thank you for your shelter as I learnt. I returned to the exercise, corrected my omission and completed it carefully. Accept my gratitude, and bless me with the dedication to continue doing the work placed before me.

The player can now answer the friend plainly: “Yes, I practised. I am grateful that I had the resolve and opportunity to do it.” A learning record does not measure divine intervention; a prayer need not deny the existence of that record. Both can speak honestly about the same evening.