In Praise of the Wind

1. Blessed is the Wind God whose nature is very strange. All beings exist and are active because of wind.
2. Because of wind, breathing goes on, the study of the various streams of knowledge happens, and movement of the body is possible.
3. Moving, bending, expansion, resistance, and contraction are possible because of wind. It functions in the body as the five main types of Prana. (Prana, breath; Apana, eliminative air; Vyana, circulation; Udana, speech; and Samana, digestion).
4. It also functions in the body as the secondary kinds of Prana. (Naga, Regurgitation of food; Kurma, movement of the eyelids; Karkasha, belching; Devadatta, to bring sleep; and Dhanajayo, prana as it is leaving the body at the time of death). These are the some of many natural functions of wind that are found to exist.
5. The wind came forth in the universe, where it created the gods. From there it appeared in the body with its various attributes.
6. All of the gods in the heavenly realm, the demons of the netherworld, and the humans and great kings on earth have their strength because of wind.
7. There are many types of human bodies, and many varieties of wild animals in the forests and in the water that play joyfully.
8. It is the wind that plays in them all. Birds fly in the sky, and the flames of fire rise high because of wind.
9. Wind fills the sky with an accumulation of clouds, and then it drives them away making the sky clear again. There is nothing else that functions like the wind.
10. Wind is the power of the Self that functions in the body. There is nothing that compares to the expanse and the power of wind.
11. The armies of dense clouds that are more solid than a mountain and that benefit the people with rain, as well as the thunder and lightening, are all due to the power of wind.
12. The moon, the sun, the planets, the galaxies, and various types of cloud formations in the universe all exist because of wind.
13. The elements that are intermingled cannot be separated or pulled apart, and the complexity of their connectedness cannot be understood because of wind.
14. When the wind blows forcefully there is a downpour of hailstones, and it is the force of the wind that brings small creatures and insects to life from the rain water.
15. Just as the lotus flower is supported by its stem, the earth is supported by water, which is in turn supported by the divine serpent Shesha. It is the wind that is the support of all of this.
16. Wind is the nourishment of the divine serpent Shesha. By swallowing wind his body becomes expansive. Because of his expanse, he is able to support the weight of the Earth.
17. The body of the great tortoise (one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) was so huge that it held the universe on his back. His huge body existed only because of the wind.
18. The great boar (another one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) held the earth in its teeth due to the power of wind.
19. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the Lord of the Universe are all in the form of wind. With subtle discrimination and thoughtfulness one is able understand this.
20. All of the varieties of deities, the thousands of great sages and the accomplished yogis are powerful because of wind.
21. All of the angels, spirits, and ghosts exist only in the form of wind.
22. The power of ghosts and spirits is also only in the form of wind. No one knows how many such beings exist on the earth.
23. It is the power of the wind that pervades the body, the universe, and even beyond the universe. This powerful wind existed everywhere prior to the universe.
24. Like this, is the powerful wind whose son is Hanuman. Hanuman is continuously immersed in the service of Lord Rama with his body and mind.
25. It is well known that Hanuman is the son of wind, and that there is no difference between the father and the son. Hence, there is no difference between them in their power and strength.
26. Hanuman is called the "Lord of the Breath" and it is this quality that makes him so powerful. Without breath, everything becomes lifeless.
27. In ancient times, when death had approached Hanuman, the wind stopped moving and all of the gods began to suffocate.
28. So all of the gods came together and said a prayer in the praise of the wind. The wind was pleased with the prayer and revived all of the gods.
29. Hanuman is a great courageous incarnation of God. All of the other gods have been amazed to see his strength and power.
30. When the gods were imprisoned by Ravana, it was Hanuman who saw them, and he suddenly destroyed all of the demons and threw them out of Lanka (Ravana's kingdom is the realm of the senses as explained in the Ramayana).
31. He took revenge on behalf of the gods, and sought out the demons at their root and destroyed them. This was the great adventure of the "God with the Tail" that surprised everyone.
32. Ravana was seated on his throne and Hanuman went there and struck him with great blows. He withheld everything including water from the residents of Lanka.
33. Seeing his courage and bravery, the gods felt protected and supported by him. They prayed to Lord Rama and asked for his mercy.
34. Hanuman destroyed all of the demons and freed all of the gods. All living beings in the three worlds were greatly pleased with him.