Hanuman Chalisa chaupai - 17

                          Hanuman  Chalisa    Chaupai  - 17


     Tumharo  mantra bibhishana  mana ,

   Lankesvara bhaye  saba jaga jana.


The whole world knows that Vibhishana ( Ravana's younger brother ) accepted your advice and became the king of Lanka.

Vibhishana was already a devotee of  Rama and used to recite the name of Rama. But he did not have the confidence or strength to go to Rama. There were many reasons for this. One was to leave Ravana his elder brother, Lanka his own place and go. He tried to give good counsel to Ravana to surrender Sita and take refuge in Rama. Ravana did not heed to it. Vibhishana nurtured a fear in his mind whether Rama would accept him or not because he had never expressed his devotion or done service to Rama.

There is a beautiful episode that occurs in Sundarakanda. When Vibhishana and Hanuman met , Vibhishana expressed his doubt to Hanuman as to whether Rama would accept him. Hanuman pointed out the benevolent nature of Rama and added that when Rama could accept an ordinary monkey like him why would he not accept Vibhishana who was the noblest soul. Then Vibhishana felt assured as one does not come across a saint without divine grace. Meeting a saint like Hanuman , an ardent devotee of Rama by itself is an act of grace. Vibhishana in his first meeting with Hanuman said, " O Hanuman, now I feel reassured about divine grace , because in the absence of that, one cannot be lucky enough to meet a saint ".

Hanuman found a kindred soul in Vibhishana and being apprised by his affliction reassured him about divine grace . Hanuman's wisdom and serenity flowing from his devotio gave Vibhishana solace, so much so , that he cast off his gloom and paid him ( Hanuman ) a rare tribute by identifying him as a saint.

When Vibhishana came and surrendered himself to Rama, Rama accepted him like his own brother. Not only that, taking water from the ocean and sprinkling on his ( Vibhishana 's ) head, announced Vibhishana as the king of Lanka. In reality he got the devotion of the Lord. He is counted as one among the Bhagavatas ( devotees of Bhagavan ).

Rama never asked either Sugriva or Vibhishana to fulfill his task in return for crowning them as kings. All they had to do was to surrender themselves to the Lord and all glory was their's. This shows that , by surrendering to Lord Rama, we get both material and spiritual powers.