Devotion

When Lord Rama and his wife Sita returned to Ayodhya, where he was crowned king, a great celebration ensued. There Rama and Sita offered gifts to the most worthy celebrants. To Rama’s friend, Hanumanji, King of the Monkeys, Sita gave a pearl necklace.

Hanuman was grateful for the gift, it being made most worthy by the nature of its giver. Nonetheless, the Monkey King broke each pearl from the string, one by one, peering intently into each one before tossing it aside.

When finished, Hanuman explained to his astonished audience that he sought the presence of Rama in each, but found only hollowness of the pearls themselves. Anything which did not contain Rama was of no value to him.

Several celebrants laughed at him. “I suppose, then, that your body must be worthless to you as well, since Rama is not inside you.”

To prove his devotion, Hanuman ripped open his chest to reveal that, indeed, Rama and Sita were, literally, in his heart.