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
