Questioner: From childhood we used to hear about Hanuman. I heard like, he used to take giant forms whenever he wanted, he used to fly, he used to have a very small – like he used to concise his body to smaller size also. Was that real, or just fictionary or symbolic – or something like that.
Sadhguru: About a certain person becoming small, or big, or flying, or doing something else – is that a possibility? Very much a possibility. Very much a reality. It was very much prevalent in this country, in this culture, but it was looked down upon. But it was looked up elsewhere, particularly in the native American cultures.
These are not just stories, it is very much a possibility, that one can transform his form if he wishes to
There is a whole tradition of Shamanism where it is – even today there’s any amount of talk about how a native American Shaman becomes an eagle, becomes a fly, becomes a wolf, transforms himself into some other form and gets there, and all this. So these are not just stories, it is very much a possibility, that one can transform his form if he wishes to. There is a panel in the Dhyanalinga, where somebody transformed himself into a form that was relevant to someone else. Have you noticed it? You did not?
So about people taking on the forms that they wish, according to the convenience, is not a new thing, or it’s not an unheard of thing. Almost in every part of the world it is there. Particularly, it is being publicised in a big way, big way about the North American and South American Shamans, these days. About Shamans becoming eagle, and becoming wolf – these two forms are very common for them. That was not unheard of here, but it was looked down upon in this culture. There, it is being looked up to, because this is not spirituality, this is a occult.
Here, our occult scientists – I call them scientists, because they are that kind – they don’t bother to convert themselves into a bird or an animal. Because, the risk – there is a beautiful story about… What is the name of this sage who swallows the… You know who I am talking about? Ashiwni Kumaras, and they went to him to learn – Shuklacharya. Yes, he took the form of a horse, is it? Ashwini Kumara took the form of horse, and he swallowed what? Shuklacharya, I think. So, there is a whole big story, which is maybe a kind of branch out from Mahabharata. It’s more of a Krishnaavatara kind of a thing..
So, there are a number of historical events like that. But that was considered crude way of doing things. Because, when you take on the form of something else – this body has to be preserved. And, it can always be misused. So, there have been incidents where somebody left his body here, in some safety, and let’s say became an Eagle and flew for sometime. But when the Eagle came back, the body is gone. Now, what does the Eagle do? A Eagle comes and sits here, and says – I’m a yogi! Pathetic state, isn’t it.
Release the chicken’s life, and use that life form to do certain things for you
Because you can not fly, you think being an Eagle is a big thing. Being a Eagle is not a big thing. Though he flies high, he is only looking down, all the time. It is better to sit here and look up, rather than go up and look down – really. So, here the occult scientists evolved other kinds of methods. That is, they themselves do not take on other forms. They pick the other forms, and make the forms work in a certain way.
They will take a certain animal – usually, one thing that is heavily used is a chicken. Oh, you think that’s a waste! So, they will release the – you know, the chicken has to be young and vibrant chicken. Uncooked! So, release the chicken’s life, and use that life form to do certain things for you. Rather than you taking on the chicken’s body, you make the chickens do controlled by – remote controlled chicken, alright! A remote controlled chicken is better than you becoming a chicken, isn’t it? Because you becoming a chicken, there is a risk. You left your body and went – you went out as a chicken and tried to do something, and you’ve become somebody’s tandoori! So, they evolved better, more sophisticated methods to deal with the same things.
Is that possible – Hanuman becoming small, big? Very much possible. And, even today, it is a phenomena that is witnessed by many people, particularly Hanuman bhakts (devotees). Change of form is a very common thing among the devotees of Hanuman, even today. Because that is the trend he set.
Hanuman is a super man. A little bit of tail, and facial features – rest is super man. He is a super super man. His strength is his devotion. The devotion in his heart is so strong, because of that he stood out shining. Because of his sheer devotion. So, even if you happen to be a monkey, if you are a devotee, you can transcend your monkeyness and become something phenomenal. That’s the story of Hanuman. It works even if you happen to be a donkey!
So, yes – the occult sciences have many aspects to it. One veda is dedicated towards this. Atharva veda is all about this.
