It is not so much the fact of doing the Hanuman Chalisa for 11 days but putting your personal consciousness in contact with the consciousness of the Godhead whose chalisa you are doing. The Chalisa, like the Mala, is an aid helping to concentrate. Concentration, by whatever means, upon the chosen deity (Ishta Devata) is the main thing. By the force of devotion and concentration one draws the power of the Deity towards and around oneself. If one sees the Deity as the Supreme then something of the supreme Power itself is drawn near in the atmosphere and it is this that changes fixed destiny. It is somewhat like pressing the switch and having the lights on. The switch is only an outer means to connect.
However it must be noted that the greater gods don’t act under any mechanical compulsion of a process. Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the god himself. One cannot compel the higher gods to simply keep filfiling wishes or changing destiny. They can provide a certain kind of protection against the dark forces that besiege us. But they are not like a wish-fulfilling cosmic mechanism especially given that human beings wish for all kinds of things including many that will harm him. Wish fulfilment comes often by the force of the desire itself which acts to attract the thing desired. It need not necessarily be good for the soul’s inner growth or even for our outer life. Imagine getting married to someone whom one desired so much and then suffering later the rest of life after the initial happiness is over. Or else getting a job one thought was best and later lamenting about it. Fulfilment of wishes and desires is not necessarily a sign that God or the gods have granted it. They might sanction it but not because it would give us the happiness we thought but simply to learn a lesson. The results of an action have to be seen later, often much later. Immediate gains and successes are not necessarily indicative of good things. An outwardly successful life may well be a failure of the soul as we see in the story of the Mahabharata.
That is why it is best to do one’s efforts sincerely, offering the work inwardly to God, but leave the results entirely in God’s safe hands. It is what the Gita advices and indeed it is the most pragmatic as well as most spiritual advice ever given.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
