# Discovering Joy in Defeat: Lessons from Hanuman's Journey
Written on
Chapter 1: Embracing the Challenge of Inktober
Inktober is an annual event that takes place in October, encouraging participants to create and share a drawing each day of the month. My wife, Durga, is taking part in this year's challenge, themed around Hanuman. Meanwhile, I'm engaging in a personal challenge: crafting a daily article inspired by her sketches and the prompts provided. Below are this year's themes.
The world often celebrates triumphs while dismissing failures. This is a universal truth, yet the criteria for defining success and failure can be quite arbitrary. In the industrial age, obtaining a factory job was considered a significant achievement. In many Asian cultures, having a secure job is viewed as a success. Recently, landing a position at a multinational tech company is often seen as a notable win.
Assessing oneself based on societal standards can lead to inevitable disappointment.
Section 1.1: The Illusion of Winning and Losing
What truly constitutes winning or losing? Consider a founder whose initial two startups falter but who later achieves massive success with a third venture that transforms the industry. Should we label this individual as having "lost" due to the failures of the first two companies, or as a "winner" because of the last venture's success?
Similarly, think about the CEO who leads a company to a lucrative IPO yet becomes estranged from family. Did they win or lose? What about Joe, the plumber, who ensures his family has enough to eat—does he embody success or failure? And the athlete who cheats but still claims victory—do they truly win? Or the student who pours her heart into her work only to receive harsh criticism—where do we place her on the win-loss spectrum?
Winning and losing are labels best viewed from a distance.
Subsection 1.1.1: A Lesson from Akbar and Birbal
One day, the ever-punctual Birbal arrived late to the court, prompting Akbar to inquire about the delay. Birbal explained that he had to calm his young son, who was throwing a tantrum. The court erupted in laughter at the thought of the wise Birbal losing to a child. Birbal retorted that even the divine can struggle with a child's stubbornness.
Akbar invited Birbal's son into the court and asked him what he wanted to eat. The boy requested a mango, but when it was brought to him cut, he insisted on having it whole. Despite Akbar's attempts to appease him with bribes and threats, nothing worked. Eventually, Akbar conceded that there is no shame in being bested by a child.
Section 1.2: Hanuman's Bliss in Defeat
During the Ashwamedha Yagna, Rama sent a horse across neighboring kingdoms. Capturing the horse was a challenge to Rama's authority, yet no king dared to confront him. The horse eventually wandered near Valmiki's ashram, where Rama's sons, Lava and Kusha, lived with their mother, Sita. Fueled by bravery, they seized the horse, prompting an encounter with Shatrughna’s warriors, whom they easily defeated.
Infuriated, Shatrughna called upon Hanuman to subdue the boys. Hanuman uprooted a tree and hurled it at them, only to have their arrows shatter it to pieces. As he realized the identity of the boys, he found himself unexpectedly joyous about being on the losing side. This unique experience brought him an unexpected sense of happiness.
As Lava instructed Kusha to bring the captured monkey to their mother, Hanuman felt immense joy. Defeating Rama's sons in a fair fight filled him with unparalleled delight. When Lava and Kusha presented their captive, Sita was taken aback. "Release him at once!" she commanded, and they complied without hesitation. The emotional reunion between Hanuman and Sita was poignant, as she requested he keep the boys' identities from Rama for the time being. Hanuman agreed and bid farewell to Sita and her sons before heading back to Rama’s court.
Chapter 2: Lessons from Personal Journeys
In "My Story! - How I went from an Introverted Addict to Winning the Grace of Hanuman," the speaker shares their transformative journey, illustrating how embracing one's struggles can lead to profound personal growth.
"Lessons from Hanuman's Pastimes (English) | Vraja Bihari Das" dives into the teachings derived from Hanuman's experiences, emphasizing the wisdom found in both victories and defeats.