A cruel gaze focuses on our compliance rather than our capability !

A fable to understand the nuances of true Human potential

Hanuman plays a crucial role in the Ramayan. He is asked to discover Sita’s whereabouts , build a bridge across the sea with the aid of the monkeys, fetch the lifesaving herbs that save Lakshman’s life- all of which he accomplishes. Throughout the epic, he proves his capability time and again. He is strong enough to carry mountains and smart enough to trick sea-monsters like Surasa and Simhika.

Yet in the epic, he does not hold any great position. He is just one of the many monkeys Ram encounters in the forest. He is not Sugriva, leader of the monkey troop. He is not Angad, son of Vali,who is told to lead the band of monkeys searching for Sita. He is not Jambavan,the bear or Nila, the monkey, who are given the responsibility of building the bridge. At no point does Hanuman make any attempt to steal anyone’s glory; while in his own temple he stands powerful with a mountain in his hand and his feet on a demon, in Ram’s temple he is most content sitting at the feet of his master, hands in supplication.

Who would not want a Hanuman in his team ? The perfect karya karta, one who is good at his work, one who will do whatever he is told without ever seeking reward or recognition; one who finds validation in obeying his master.

Years after the events in the Ramayana took place ,Hanuman narrates the whole tale to his mother, Anjani. After hearing everything that’s transpired, she wonders aloud,” Why did they go through the trouble of raising an army and building a bridge to defeat Ravan ? Why did you not simply flick your tail and sweep the rakshasa-king and his army away ?”

Hanuman replies,” because no one asked me to.”

And suddenly we wonder if this was a lost opportunity. Everyone saw Hanuman’s obedience and compliance , but no one saw his true potential.Everyone saw Hanuman on their terms, not on his terms. In a world that celebrates alignment and compliance to the vision, systems and processes of an organisation, is the individual increasingly getting invisible ?

Unless the yajaman pays attention to the potential of the devata, the yagna (karya karta) achieves a portion of what it could potentially achieve. The tathastu stays limited by the yajamana’s gaze…

“They see what they want,not what I can give“

At Raju’s auto repair shop all the work is done by his hanuman: Amol, a young boy, who has been working with Raju for 3 years. Amol is a natural, able to fix the most complex of problems. Raju knows he can totally rely on Amol. No job is too big or too small for Amol. He is as happy changing a tyre as he is fixing the brakes. He does not boss over the juniors and does not feel slighted if the seniors ask him to fetch tea.If there is a problem that eludes a standard solution, everyone knows to leave it to Amol.He will, like Hanuman, crossing the sea find a way out.Yes, Raju loves Amol’s work. Yes, Raju admires Amol’s work. But is Raju harnessing Amol’s full potential ?

Sd/-

Roohul Haq