A uniqueness of bhIma-hanuman samvAda in vana parva, is that it parallels bhagavad gIta. Let’s see how.
bhIma first surrenders to hanuman
पृष्टः सन् कामया ब्रूहि कस् त्वं वानररूपधृक्. न चेद्गुह्यं महाबाहो श्रोतव्यं चेद्भवेन्मम । शिष्यवत्त्वां तु पृच्छामि उपपन्नोऽस्मि तेऽनघ+
[bhIma - “Mighty-armed one! I ask you out of desire. Tell me who are you, who have assumed the form of a vAnara, if it is not a secret (for which I am ineligible) and can be heard by me (without envy). Sinless one! I ask you, approaching you as a disciple”]+
“महाबाहो” - I well know you are the mighty Hanuman.
“कस् त्वं वानररूपधृक्” - “You are still assuming the form which has been pervaded by rAma (due to your bhakti) and embraced by him. I know this.”
This is as per what bhIma himself says+
निर्गुणः परमात्मा तु देहं ते व्याप्य तिष्ठते । तमहं ज्ञानविज्ञेयं नावमन्ये न लङ्घये
[bhIma: “That paramAtma, shrI rAma, devoid of blemishes, has pervaded your entire body & is well-situated (happily) in it.”]+
“न चेद्गुह्यं श्रोतव्यं चेद्भवेन्मम” - If I am not ineligible to hear about you & if I lack envy, then tell me”.
“शिष्यवत्त्वां तु पृच्छामि उपपन्नोऽस्मि” - bhIma surrendered to Hanuman as a shishya, as Arjuna did to Krishna - “शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम्” (gIta 2.7)+
Also, in gIta 10.1, Krishna says - “भूय एव महाबाहो शृणु मे परमं वच: | यत्तेऽहं प्रीयमाणाय वक्ष्यामि”
In this shloka, “शृणु” & “प्रीयमाणाय” convey that Arjuna listens to krishna attentively & without envy. We see that bhIma too says he has no envy and is attentive+
Hanuman, being humble, talks about rAma’s story when asked about his own glories, hiding his own glories in that narrative. After hearing that, bhIma says the following+
मत्तो धन्यतरो नास्ति यदार्यं दृष्टवानहम् । अनुग्रहो मे सुमहांस्तृप्तिश्च तव दर्शनात्
[bhIma - “There is noone more fortunate than me, that I have seen your noble self. This is a great favor bestowed on me by you, I am well contented.]+
“मत्तो धन्यतरो नास्ति” - “Even Arjuna, who is always with Krishna and favored by him, is not more fortunate than me who has seen Hanuman and has him as my elder brother.”
“सुमहांस्तृप्तिश्च” - “I am as contented by seeing you, as I would be by seeing Krishna.”+
एतत्तु कृतमिच्छामि त्वयाऽऽर्येण प्रियं मम । यत्त्वेतदासीत्प्लवतः सागरं मकरालयम् । रूपमप्रतिमं वीर तदिच्छामि नीरीक्षितुम्
[Noble one! I desire that you fulfill my wish. vIra! I wish to see your incomparable form which leapt over the Ocean.]
Compare this to gIta+
मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो | योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् (~ gIta 11.4)
[Arjuna - “Lord, treasurehouse of auspicious qualities! If it be your will that I can to see your unique form of sovereignty, I pray that you reveal it fully”]+
Thus, both bhIma and arjuna make a request to view the viShvarUpa of hanuman and krishna, respectively. However, there is a difference.
Arjuna humbly asked krishna, “मन्यसे यदि” - “If you will it, then show me the cosmic form”. But bhIma added the following words+
एवं तुष्टो मभिष्यामि श्रद्धास्यामि च ते वचः
[bhIma - “In this manner (by seeing your viShvarUpa), I will be content and I will have conviction in your words]
In saying this, bhIma made a mistake+
bhIma says “श्रद्धास्यामि च ते वचः” - “If you show your form, I will have conviction in your words regarding your deeds, which I have only heard of but never seen. Sometimes, narrations are exaggerated for the sake of praise; seeing your form will prove it is all as you say.+
A disciple must have conviction in an AchArya’s words, that they are never exaggerations. Arjuna told Krishna, “सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये” (gIta 10.14) - “I accept what you say as truth & not mere inventions said for the sake of praise”.
Thus, to correct bhIma, Hanuman replies+
न तच्छक्यं त्वया द्रष्टुं रूपं नान्येन केनचित् । कालावस्था तदा ह्यन्या वर्तते सा न सांप्रतम् ।
[Hanuman - “That form of mine cannot be seen by you (who are devoted to me) nor by others (indifferent to me). That form is a condition of another time and it is not present now.”]+
An AchArya does not point out a shishya’s fault directly. So Hanuman attributes the lack of bhIma’s mahAvishvAsa (conviction) to the decay of yugAs whereby intelligence also declines, and slowly, indirectly tries to make bhIma realize his error+
ततोऽद्य दुष्करं द्रष्टुं मम रूपं नरोत्तम… अयं प्रध्वंसनः कालो नाद्य तद्रूपमस्ति मे
[Today, it is difficult to see that form of mine, foremost of men!... This is the time of destruction of knowledge (as dharma wanes in each yuga) and so I no longer possess that form (visibly)]+
“नरोत्तम” - “You yourself are the foremost of men, immensely strong. But even you cannot see that form of mine, which is not attained by strength, but by conviction.”
However, Hanuman, endeavoring to correct bhIma, asks the following question to prompt his intellect+
यच्च ते मत्परिज्ञाने कौतूहलमरिंदम । अनर्थकेषु को भावः पुरुषस्य विजानतः
[Hanuman - “Destroyer of foes! Regarding your curiosity to know my glory - why should you, a valiant one, wish to know something which does not interest him?”]+
“अरिंदम” - You kill foes by your strength & have valor to achieve anything.
“अनर्थकेषु को” - You are not pursuing my form with real “interest” as a goal - “अनर्थ” means disinterest as a lack of conviction - not pursuing it one-pointedly. Thus, Hanuman highlights bhIma’s error+
bhIma realizes his error and declares
पूर्वरूपम् अदृष्ट्वा ते न यास्यामि कथं चन . यदि ते ऽहम् अनुग्राह्यो दर्शयात्मानम् आत्मना
[bhIma - “I will not leave without beholding your form as it was in Treta Yuga. If I am a recipient of your anugraha, show me your form”]+
By saying, “I will not leave”, bhIma expresses desire to see his form. The only criterion for a disciple to receive j~nAna from an AchArya is ardent desire, as Mamunigal says “Asai uDaiyorkkellAm AriyargAl”+
By saying, “यदि ते ऽहम् अनुग्राह्यो” - bhIma says, “Even if I erred or lacked conviction in your words, I have accepted you as an AchArya. Thus, it is your duty to favor me disregarding my sins”.
Thus, Hanuman, delighted with his sAttvika buddhi, shows his form+
देहस् तस्य ततो ऽतीव वर्धत्य् आयामविस्तरैः…तद् रूपं…अमितद्युतिः . समुच्छ्रितमहाकायो द्वितीय इव पर्वतः . ताम्रेक्षणस् तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रो भृकुटीकृतलोचनः . दीर्घलाङ्गूलम् आविध्य दिशो व्याप्य स्थितः कपिः
[Then, the body of Hanuman grew long and broad...that form had unlimited splendor. The monkey was situated covering all directions with a great form, like a mountain, with coppery red eyes, sharp teeth and knitted eyebrows and swinging a long tail]+
bhIma had to have shraddha to see hanuman’s viShvarUpa. Arjuna had to have bhakti to see krishna’s viShvarUpa.
तद्रूपं महदालक्ष्यभ्रातुः कौरवनन्दनः । विसिष्मिये तदा भीमो जहृषे च पुनः पुनः । तमर्कमिव तेजोभिः सौवर्णमिव पर्वतम् । प्रदीप्तमिव चाकाशं दृष्ट्वा भीमो न्यमीलयत्+
[Hanuman’s brother, the delighter of the Kurus, seeing that great form, was astonished and repeatedly experienced joy. Seeing that form like the sun in splendor, a golden mountain, or the shining supreme abode, bhIma closed his eyes]+
Just as Arjuna was awed by the vishvarUpa, bhIma was also awed. Thus, Hanuman tells him
आबभाषे च हनुमान्भीमसेनं स्मयन्निव । एतावदिह शक्तस्त्वं द्रुष्टुं रूपं ममानघ । वर्धेऽहं चाप्यतो भूयो यावन्मे मनसेप्सितम् । भीम शत्रुषु चात्यर्थं वर्धते मूर्तिरोजसा+
[Hanuman, smiling, told bhIma, “Sinless one! You are capable of seeing my form to this extent. I can go on growing if I wish to do so by resolve. bhIma! For destruction of the enemies of rAma, my form grows greatly by my “strength” which is bhakti]+
“अनघ” - “I see no sins in you, my disciple. I have favored you.”
“ओजसा” - “Against foes of bhagavAn & bhAgavatAs, my form grows by my devotion.” Hanuman attributes his form to bhagavad anugraha and not to his own strength. “ओजस्” or strength signifies knowledge that is bhakti+
दृष्ट्वा हनूमतो वर्ष्म संभ्रान्तः पवनात्मजः । प्रत्युवाच ततो भीमः संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहः । कृताञ्जलिरदीनात्मा हनूमन्तमवस्थितम्
[Seeing hanuman’s body, vAyu’s son (bhIma) was agitated. Then bhIma replied with hairs of his body erect, hands clasped in anjali mudrA & a generous mind]+
Just as Arjuna was afraid seeing Krishna’s cosmic form, bhIma, despite being the son of vAyu & hence Hanuman’s younger brother, was also afraid (संभ्रान्तः).
Yet, he is called “अदीनात्मा” - generous-minded, indicating he has bhakti and was not envious of Hanuman+
दृष्टं प्रमाणं विपुलं शरीरस्यास्य ते विभो । संहरस्व महावीर्य स्वयमात्मानमात्मना । न हि शक्नोमि त्वां द्रष्टुं दिवाकरमिवोदितम् । अप्रमेयमनाधृष्यं मैनाकमिव पर्वतम्+
[bhIma: “Lord! Great Warrior! I have seen the great measure of your body. Contract your form, by your own will. I am not capable of (constantly) seeing you who are like the risen sun, whose form cannot be measured fully, invincible, like the Mainaka mountain]+
This is similar to how Arjuna requested Krishna to revert back to his 4 armed form.
All this shows that in every way, Hanuman is equal to, and even superior than bhagavAn as the refuge of all.
He, like Krishna, was the true cause of the pANDavAs’ victory in the bhArata yuddha//
source: https://twitter.com/DefiledGod/status/1614860817593434114
