An American man recently shared a video of himself reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. Nick Dearman, a Hanuman devotee and holistic health coach, took to the social media platform Instagram last month to share the clip.
The video shows him reciting the devotional hymn at great speed. “I slept in a little bit this morning so I will have to do the speed version of the Hanuman Chalisa and I would like to bring you along with me,” he explained, before breaking into a recitation of the hymn with flawless pronunciation.
Watch the video below:
The video has racked up over 1.4 million views and more than 2 lakh comments. Many of the comments came from Indians who praised Dearman’s recitation as well as his devotion.
{{/usCountry}}The video has racked up over 1.4 million views and more than 2 lakh comments. Many of the comments came from Indians who praised Dearman’s recitation as well as his devotion.
{{/usCountry}}“Dear diary, today I heard Hanuman chalisa recited by a white guy and it was actually really nice. The ancestors are confused,” read one comment under the video.
“He chants the Hanuman Chalisa better than me,” a person wrote.
“You are amazing. This filled my heart with joy,” another said. “I'm so proud to see your devotion to Hanuman Ji,” a viewer added.
In several other videos, Texas-born Nick Dearman has described himself as a Lord Hanuman devotee. “My presiding deity, the object of all of my devotional worship, is Hanuman,” he said in one recent clip.
(Also read: Chinese entrepreneur Sarah Jane Ho shares how Hanuman Chalisa calms her 4-month-old baby: 'I play it on loop')
What is the Hanuman Chalisa?
The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman, one of the central figures of the Ramayana and a devoted follower of Lord Rama.
Composed by the poet-saint Tulsidas in the Awadhi langugage, the hymn has been recited by generations of Hindus and remains one of the most widely known and beloved devotional texts associated with Hanuman.
The name ‘Chalisa’ comes from the Hindi word chalis, meaning forty, referring to the 40 chaupais, or quatrains, that form the main body of the hymn. Through these verses, devotees praise Hanuman’s strength, courage, devotion and divine qualities while seeking his blessings and protection.
This morning, Indian pilot Smit Machchhar—who was stabbed by his co-pilot while operating a flydubai plane—told PM Narendra Modi over a video call that he started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal.
(Also read: ‘Recited Hanuman Chalisa’, Indian pilot stabbed on flydubai flight tells PM Modi on video call)
The virtual interaction came two days after Smit was injured after being stabbed by his co-pilot during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
During the emotional conversation, Machchhar told Modi that he was his “biggest idol” and recalled how he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while facing the difficult situation aboard the flight.
“And I am just, in positivity, whenever I get a chance, I say only one thing, I say only Hanuman Chalisa. Even at that time, I used to say only Hanuman Chalisa. Now I know that he is not God, he is my saviour,” he said.