Living Hanuman: A modern pilgrimage through the Hanuman Chalisa

In a world saturated with quick-fix spirituality and feel-good affirmations, Living Hanuman by Pawan Kumar Mishra feels like a breath of ancient wisdom wrapped in modern language. This is not just a commentary on the Hanuman Chalisa—it’s an invitation to live it. Rooted in Indic philosophy and enlivened by insights from neuroscience, mythology, and meditation, the book guides readers on a journey from the superficial self to the expansive Self. For anyone seeking to deepen their inner practice while staying grounded in everyday life, Living Hanuman offers both a map and a mirror.

Why this book, why now

We often meet sacred texts at just the right time—when we’re ready not merely to read, but to receive. For me, Hanuman Chalisa has always hovered at the edge of reverence and routine. Chanted in temples, playing softly in the background at home, or recited during moments of fatigue or fear, the sounds of this 40-verse adoration  of Hanuman are familiar and comforting. But I had not taken to chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. So it wasn’t until I encountered Living Hanuman: A Journey from a Selfie to The Self Through Shri Hanuman Chalisa  that I realized how little I had actually entered the Chalisa. Or rather, how little I had let the Chalisa enter me.

What Pawan Kumar Mishra does so beautifully is bring the Hanuman Chalisa alive—not through scholarly exposition or theological analysis—but through lived experience and contemplative inquiry. He doesn’t just decode verses; he opens doors. Doors that invite us to sit with our breath, our beliefs, our fragmented selves, and discover that Hanuman is not a figure “out there” but a force quietly waiting within.

We’re living in times of rapid change, existential questioning, and a collective yearning for something more rooted, more real. Living Hanuman meets us here, in this in-between space. It repositions Hanuman not just as Rama’s devotee, but as the archetype of Prāṇa—life force, courage, clarity, and surrender. In a way, the book gently reminds us that devotion isn’t about bowing down; it’s about rising up.

It’s rare to find a book that speaks to the seeker, the skeptic, and the scientist in equal measure. This one does. And not through spiritual jargon or lofty promises, but through patient exploration and heartfelt guidance. For those of us walking the slow path—muddy, mindful, and meaningful—Living Hanuman feels like a trusted companion whispering, “Keep going. You are not alone.”

A reimagining of Hanuman not just as a mythological being or deity, but as the embodiment of Prāṇa, changed everything for me. It shifted Hanuman from the altar to the body, from the epic to the everyday. It turned every conscious breath into a prayer and every act of service into a form of worship.

Meeting Hanuman within

Reading Living Hanuman felt less like flipping pages and more like sitting in a quiet satsang with a friend who sees your soul. There were moments when I had to close the book—not out of disinterest, but because a line, an insight, a question landed so deeply, it asked to be held in silence.

One such moment was the reimagining of Hanuman not just as a mythological being or deity, but as the embodiment of breath, Prāṇa. That changed everything for me. It shifted Hanuman from the altar to the body, from the epic to the everyday. It turned every conscious breath into a prayer and every act of service into a form of worship.

There’s a gentle but powerful encouragement woven throughout the book: to stop outsourcing divinity. To stop looking “out there” for strength, clarity, courage, and instead, to begin cultivating it “in here.” I found myself returning to certain verses of the Chalisa with new eyes, tracing them not just with my mind, but with my breath, my heart, and my living presence.

This is not a book to race through. It’s one to steep in. It invites you to ask uncomfortable questions, to soften long-held certainties, and most of all, to remember who you are beneath the noise. For me, Living Hanuman rekindled something quiet and sacred: the joy of simply being in conversation with the Self.

And finally,  an invitation to walk with Hanuman

In Living Hanuman, Pawan Kumar Mishra doesn’t just write a book—he offers a lamp. Not the kind that blinds with brilliance, but the kind you carry softly through the forest of your own becoming. This is a book for those who are tired of surface-level spirituality and long to live the teachings, not just learn them.

If the Hanuman Chalisa has ever been a part of your story—or even if it hasn’t—I invite you to meet it again, through these pages. Not as a hymn, but as a mirror. Not as dogma, but as dharma. And perhaps most importantly, not as something to believe in, but something to become.

This book doesn’t demand faith; it inspires it. It reminds us that devotion can be quiet and fierce, that strength can be tender, and that true service begins with knowing who we truly are.

If you’re on a path of conscious living, if you’re curious about integrating ancient wisdom into your modern practice, or if you simply want to meet Hanuman not in temples but in your breath—this book is for you.

Let it sit on your nightstand or your altar, but more than that, let it sit in your awareness. Let it whisper into your mornings and your meditations. And may it remind you, as it reminded me, that you are held, guided, and already whole.

About the author

Pawan Kumar Mishra, author of Living Hanuman, offers a deeply personal lens into Vedic wisdom through the ever-relevant Hanuman archetype. Initiated into the lineage of Sage Yagyavalkya and the Shri Vidya tradition by Swami Veda Bharati, his roots trace back to the Himalayan cave-yogis, keepers of a living, luminous tradition.

He refers to himself as your “personal wake-up assistant,” and it is easy to see why. His words don’t just inform; they stir something awake. Drawing from his guru lineage and lived experience, Mishra’s work is both a nudge and a guide for those on the path—a reminder that awakening isn’t a concept but a journey inward.

He has also served as a spiritual mentor for HELP, a leadership program affiliated with Copenhagen Business School, bringing ancient insights into contemporary leadership spaces.

About the book: Living Hanuman: A Journey from a Selfie to the Self Through Shri Hanuman Chalisa is available in paperback format and on Kindle. It is 914 pages long and priced at Rs 995 (in India). The e-book version is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/17UO5ss/