Esoteric meaning of characters in Ramayana?Each and every character in the Indian mythology has deep hidden meaning at metaphysical level. What was esoteric meaning of characters in Ramayana, especially Sri Ram, Mata Sita, Ravan and Sri Hanuman?

Update: In Ramayana, Sri Rama represents self/soul, who’s true-nature i.e. purity/peace (Mata Sita) was stolen by 10 Indriya (10 faces of demon Ravana). With the power of controlled mind and thoughts (Sri Hanuman and other monkeys), self was able to cross the ocean of ignorance and desire, and won the battle with Ravana.... show more

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 Best Answer:  The Ramayan and Mahabharat are totally metaphysical books. In Ramayan Sri Ram means our soul, Mata Sita means Shakti (chakras; kundalini), Ravan means our Ahamkar (pride or ego) and Sri Hanuman means Man (mind). Due to ahamkar, shakti has been stolen or taken away from lord of the body or soul to very far away or at very lower level to muladhar chakra. Since ahamkar is due to body and body is very densiest part of the universe which represents the muladhar chakra. Ravan has taken Mata sita from sahasrar to his home i.e. muladhar. With help of Sri Hanuman or mind it was possible to search Mata Sita i.e. by deep meditation and Dhyan it becomes possible to search Mata Sita (kundalini jagaran) to enter in Lanka.Pramod Dubey · 7 years ago2Thumbs up 0Thumbs downCommentAsker's rating Report Abuse

Even though i didnot knew the esoteric meaning of Ramayan or the Mahabaratha, in our yahoo Group's discussion one of our wise & Learned freind posted the following message. IAM COPYING THIS WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION in a veiw that his message is read by many people here. the Credit goes to our beloved freind ShantanuJI. 

He in this message on the hidden Tantric meanings of Ramayan(it assumes knoweldge of Kundalni & Chakras) explains as follows: 

The hero of Ramayan is Ram, which is also mantra for Manipura chakra, that defines our personality. He is a pure Satoguni. His wife, Sita is the Kundalini. She is kidnapped by Ravan, the lower sensory Ego,and held across the sea-The Swadhistan Chakra is for the element of water. 

Ram need the help of Lakshman. In Sanskrit, Laskshye is one pointed concentration. So to raise Kundalini, we need to be Satoguni, and must have complete dedication. 

But this isnt enough- they also need someone else, very strong, to fight demons and clear the way for them. That is Hanuman, who is the son of Vayu(air). In Upanishads, vayu is also used for Pran(life force). So Hanuman is the God of Pran. This also makes sense since in the Upanishads also Pran is the one who fights and destroys the demons. 

Together, these 3 go across the sea(water element of Swadhitan chakra). To cross the sea they need to build a bridge with stones who have Ram written on it. So to raise Kundalini, we need pure bakti, just doing Kundalini or Kriya Yoga isnt enough. 

They defeat Ravana, and bring back Sita. Sita hs to give Agni pariksha, means you have to show your inner fire(agni) is pure, ie you have complete faith in God. If you dont, you will burn in the fire of Kundalini. The Mystery of Hanuman - Inspiring Tales from Art and MythologyArticle of the Month - August 2004 by Nitin Kumar 

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Once Shiva and Parvati, ever the adventurous lovers, decided to transform themselves into monkeys and indulge in amorous games in the dense Himalayan forests. During a climactic moment, the seed of Shiva found its mark and impregnated Parvati. Since they were in simian form it was but natural that the offspring born of such a union too would be a monkey. Not desiring to go against the laws of nature, Shiva directed the wind god Vayu to carry his semen from Parvati's womb, and deposit it into that of Anjana - a female monkey, who at that very moment was praying for a male child.

Another slightly variant version of this story in the Shiva Purana states that when Vishnu once disguised himself as the heavenly beauty Mohini, her charms so impressed Shiva that he could not restrain his seed. Vayu then carried the seed and deposited it into Anjana's womb. There was

no question of Shiva's potent discharge resulting in an offspring less than extraordinary and the child conceived under such exceptional circumstances was bound to be especial, and so it was. The resulting bundle of joy was none other than Hanuman, one of the most celebrated and worshipped figures in Indian thought. Two exceptional traits further marked his birth. The first was that unlike ordinary children, Hanuman was born wearing a loincloth. This was an early pointer to his life-long pursuit of a celibate, almost ascetic lifestyle. The other significant occurrence was the presence of elaborate earrings adorning his ears. The latter has an interesting piece of legend explaining it:

At the time of Hanuman's birth, the undisputed leader of the monkey-world was Vali, a strong and powerful ape. When Vali came to know that Anjana was pregnant with a child who was bound to develop into a powerful rival, he decided to end matters in Anjana's womb itself. He created a missile using five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. When the unsuspecting mother was asleep, he directed the missile into her womb. A normal child may have succumbed to this dastardly attack, but not one born of Shiva's fiery seed. The missile as soon as it touched Hanuman's body melted, and transformed into a pair of earrings. Thus wearing the trophies of his first battle, fought while still in his mother's womb, Hanuman gloriously entered this world.

 

 

 

 

Indeed, having both Shiva and Vayu as his illustrious fathers, he was no ordinary child. Hanuman was restless, spirited, energetic and inquisitive. He was obviously endowed with awesome strength and the scriptures abound in tales expounding on his remarkable feats. Once for example he mistook the sun for a ripe fruit (monkeys are naturally lured by red ripe fruits), and rushed towards the sky in an attempt to grab it.

 

 

 

 

Little Hanumana Goes for the Sun

 

On his way however he saw Rahu the dragon making his way to devour the sun and thus cause an eclipse. Mistaking him to be a worm, the restless Hanuman dashed towards Rahu and attempted to catch hold of him. Rushing for his life, Rahu sought shelter in the refuge of Indra, the lord of the skies. Indra picked up his deadly thunderbolt, mounted his white elephant named Airavata and made off in search of Hanuman, seeking to restrain his seeming impudence. The clouds rumbled and lightning thundered across the vast skies in an expression of Indra's wrath. But neither this scary scenario, nor the mightily armed Indra on his high mount, was sufficient enough to induce even a trace of fear in the heart of Hanuman. On the contrary, the spectacle only served to fuel his excitement and mistaking Airavata for a toy, he made a grab for the pachyderm, seized its trunk and leapt on its back. Taken aback by the child's spirited and playful defiance, Indra stuck at Hanuman with his thunderbolt, and the wound thus inflicted hurtled him speedily down to the earth. His father Vayu immediately sprung to his rescue and caught him in mid air.

The sight of his beloved son lying helpless in his arms infuriated the wind-god. He drew in a mighty breath and sucked away all the air from the cosmos. "Let all those who have harmed Anjana's son choke to death," he thought out aloud. Predictably there was panic in the cosmos. Without air, life on every level was threatened. The gods, realizing their folly, went in unison to Vayu and asked for his forgiveness. To make amends they showered the following blessings and powers on the monkey child:

a). Brahma: "May you live as long as Brahma himself lives."

b). Vishnu: "May you live all your life as the greatest devotee of God."

c). Indra: "No weapon of any kind will wound or hit your body."

d). Agni: "Fire will never affect you."

e). Kala: "May death never court you."

f). All the Devas (gods): "None will ever equal you in strength and speed."

Brahma concluded the session by bestowing on Hanuman a power greater than even Vayu and Garuda, and endowed him with a speed faster than even the mightiest wind. Thus pacified, Vayu restored air into the cosmos and Hanuman was returned to his parents.

There was one catch however. It was decreed that Hanuman would remain blissfully unaware of his own prowess, unless, during the course of a meritorious deed, his memory would remind him of his superhuman ability. It will be seen later how this apparently insignificant matter lays bare the symbolical significance of Hanuman.

Hanuman's Education

As he grew up, Hanuman sought to educate himself and for this purpose he chose Surya the sun god as his guru saying: "You see everything there is to see in the universe and you know everything there is to know. Please accept me as your pupil." Surya hesitated. "I don't have the time," he said. "During the day I ride across the sky, and at night I am too tired to do anything."

"Then teach me as you ride across the sky during the day. I will fly in front of your chariot, facing you from dawn to dusk." Impressed by Hanuman's zeal and determination, Surya accepted him as his pupil. Thus Hanuman flew before the chariot of the sun god, withstanding the awesome glare, until he became well versed in the four books of knowledge (the Vedas), the six systems of philosophies (darshanas), the sixty-four arts or kalas and the one hundred and eight occult mysteries of the Tantras.

Having become a master of all that he set out to learn, it was now time for Hanuman to pay for his education (guru-dakshina). Surya asserted that watching the devoted pupil study was payment enough for him but when Hanuman insisted on giving something to express his gratitude, the sun god asked him to look after the welfare of his son Sugriva, who was the stepbrother of Vali, the king of monkeys.

Before Vali became the lord of apes, a simian named Riksha ruled over them. Once it so transpired that Riksha fell in an enchanted pool and turned into a woman. Both the sky-god Indra and the sun-god Surya fell in love with her and she bore each of them a son. Indra's son was her first born Vali while Sugriva her second offspring was the son of Surya. After bearing the sons, Riksha regained his male form.

When Riksha died, in accordance with the law of the jungle, the monkeys fought each other for becoming the leader. Vali successfully killed or maimed every other contender to the throne and became the undisputed ruler of the monkey world. As one who had successfully earned his dominant place among the apes, Vali was not obliged to share the spoils of power with anyone, but being of a magnanimous nature he shared everything with his younger brother Sugriva. It was in these circumstances that Hanuman entered the companionship of Sugriva who later became the king of monkeys himself. It was under Sugriva that the massive army of monkeys helped Lord Rama reclaim his wife who had been abducted by the demon Ravana.

Hanuman The Selfless

Abduction of Sita by Ravana

 

 

 

 

A pair of lovebirds, reveling in their natural freedom, was soaring the boundless skies. Fate however had scripted a cruel ending to their mating. A hunter's arrow found its mark and the devoted female lost her male. She did not however escape from the scene but rather lingered on, circling over the lifeless form of her mate. Witnessing this poignant episode inspired the accomplished sage Valmiki to poetry and what came out of his heart was the Ramayana, one of the greatest epics the earth has had the good fortune to inherit. Indeed, Valmiki's poem became renowned in the three worlds as it struck a chord in every heart that heard it.

 

 

 

 

One day Valmiki came to know that the great Hanuman too had penned the adventures of Rama, engraving the story with his nails on rocks. A curious Valmiki traveled to the Himalayas where Hanuman was residing to partake this version. When Hanuman read out his narration, Valmiki was overwhelmed by its sheer power and poetic caliber. It was truly an inspired piece. Valmiki felt both joy and sorrow. Joy because he had had the chance to hear an exceptionally beautiful poem, and sad because it obviously overshadowed his own work.

When Hanuman saw the unhappiness his work had caused Valmiki he smashed he engraved rocks destroying his creation forever. Such was Hanuman's selflessness. For him, narrating the tales of Rama' s adventures was a means to re-experience Rama, not a ticket to the hall of fame.

Hanuman's name too illustrates his self-effacing character, being made up of 'hanan' (annihilation) and 'man' (mind), thus indicating one who has conquered his ego.

Hanuman and Yoga

Valmiki and the Wounded Bird

 

 

 

If yoga is the ability to control one's mind then Hanuman is the quintessential yogi having a perfect mastery over his senses, achieved through a disciplined lifestyle tempered by the twin streams of celibacy and selfless devotion (bhakti). In fact, Hanuman is the ideal Brahmachari (one who follows the path of Brahma), if ever there was one.

He is also a perfect karma yogi since he performs his actions with detachment, acting as an instrument of destiny rather than being impelled by any selfish motive.

 

 

 

 

 

Hanuman - The First to Teach Pranayama and the Inventor of the Surya Namaskar

Pranayama is the ability to control one's breath so that the inhalation and exhalation of air is rhythmic. Vayu, the god of air and wind, first taught pranayama to his son Hanuman, who in turn taught it to mankind.

The Surya Namaskar (salutation to the sun) too, was devised by Hanuman as a greeting for his teacher Surya.

Hanuman and Sorcery

The villain of the epic Ramayana was the mighty demon Ravana. When he carried away Sita, her aggrieved husband Rama, accompanied by Hanuman and a massive army of monkeys laid siege on Lanka, the capital of Ravana's empire. As the battle progressed, the demon lost all his brothers and sons and it became clear that he was headed towards defeat. Finally, he sent for his only surviving son Mahiravana, a powerful sorcerer who ruled over the underworld (patala loka). Mahiravana was a great devotee of Goddess Kali from whom he had obtained vital occult secrets. Initially Mahiravana did not wish to join the fight against Rama since he felt the latter's cause to be just. But understanding his weakness for ritual magick Ravana addressed him thus: "Think of

Hanuman as Yogachara

the powers the goddess Kali will grant you when you offer to her the heads of two handsome and virile youths like Rama and Lakshmana." Needles to say, Mahiravana agreed.

The great sorcerer Mahiravana managed to kidnap both Rama and his brother Lakshmana while they were sleeping. He left behind, in place of their bed, a dark trail stretching deep into the bowels of the earth. Hanuman immediately dived into the tunnel and made his way to patala, the subterranean kingdom of Mahiravana. There he found the two brothers tied to a post, their bodies anointed with mustard oil and bedecked with marigold flowers, ready to be sacrificed. Near them, Mahiravana was sharpening the sacrificial blade and chanting hymns to invoke the goddess.

 

Hanuman taking the form of a bee whispered into Rama's ear, "When Mahiravana asks you to place your neck on the sacrificial block, inform him that being of royal lineage you have never learned to bow your head. Tell him to show you how." Mahiravana fell for the trap. No sooner had he bowed his head in the ritually prescribed manner than Hanuman regained his form, seized the blade, and decapitated the sorcerer. Thus did Hanuman turn the tables and sacrificed the demon himself to Mother Goddess Kali. Impressed, she made Hanuman her doorkeeper and indeed many temples of the goddess are seen to have a monkey guarding their doorways. Further, to this day, Hanuman is invoked in any fight against sorcery, and amulets and charms depicting him are therefore extremely popular among devotees.

 

 

Hanuman and Astrology

Mahiravana's death filled Ravana's heart with fear. He consulted the court astrologers who studied his horoscope and decreed that the alignment of celestial bodies was not in his favor. Now, Indian astrology is governed by nine planets, known as the navagrahas. Ravana thought that by changing the alignment of these heavenly bodies he would be able to alter his destiny. Mounting his flying chariot he rose to the skies, captured the nine planets, and herded them to his capital in chains. He then began a series of rituals which if successful would force the planets to realign themselves in his favor. When Hanuman came to know of this ritual, he assembled and led a band of daredevil

Sri Vaibhav Hanumana Yantra

monkeys to Ravana's sacrificial hall, intending to disrupt the proceedings. They found the villain sitting beside a fire altar with his eyes shut in profound meditation, mouthing mantras. The group of simians let out a loud war cry and rushed into the hall. They snuffed out the sacred fire, kicked off the ceremonial utensils and wiped off the occult diagrams (yantras) painted on the floor. Unfortunately none of this roused Ravana from his deep trance and he continued chanting the holy formulas. Hanuman realized that Ravana would have to be stopped at any cost, otherwise the villain would succeed in changing the course of destiny.

Towards this end he devised a mischievous plan, and ordered his lieutenants to enter the female chambers and scare away Ravana's many wives. The monkeys did as instructed and attacked Ravana's queens and concubines, pulling their hair, scratching their faces and tearing away their clothes. But it was all to no avail; the immovable Ravana did not stir.

 

At last the monkeys confronted Mandodari, the chief wife of Ravana. They bared their teeth, beat their chests and began to grunt menacingly. Terrified, Mandodari lamented, "Woe is me. My husband meditates while monkeys threaten my chastity." Her words ashamed Ravana to open his eyes and rush to her defence. Thus having successfully distracted Ravana, Hanuman ran back to the sacrificial hall and liberated the nine planets held captive there. For having successfully aborted Ravana's misplaced attempts to subvert fate, Hanuman won the eternal gratitude of the grahas and is thus believed to exercise considerable power over them. Correspondingly, he is worshipped by his devotees whenever they perceive their troubles to be a result of the unfavorable configuration of celestial bodies. Indeed, Hanuman is often shown trampling under his feet a woman who is said to represent Panvati, a personification of baneful astrological influences.

 

 

 

Another interesting legend deals specifically with the planet Saturn (Shani). Perceived to be an unfavorable influence, it is believed that Saturn visits each individual at least once in his/her lifetime for a period of seven-and-a-half years. As fate would have it, Saturn descended on Hanuman when he was busy building a bridge over the ocean to help Rama and his army cross

Hanuman – The Remover of Unfavourable Astrological Influences

over to Lanka. Hanuman requested the planet to postpone his visit till he had successfully assisted Rama in regaining Sita. But Saturn was adamant and Hanuman had to bow against the will of nature. He suggested that Saturn sit on his (Hanuman's) head as his hands were engaged in serving Rama and his legs were too lowly for Saturn.

Saturn happily settled on Hanuman's head and the mighty monkey continued with his work, piling heavy boulders and stones on his head in an apparently casual manner and carrying them to the construction site. After a while Saturn found it impossible to bear the load of the heaped boulders any longer and wished to climb down. Hanuman insisted that he complete his mandatory seven-and-a-half years but Saturn pleaded for release saying that the seven-and-a-half minutes he stayed on Hanuman's head felt like seven-and-a-half years anyway. Thus speaking Saturn took leave of Hanuman and since then worshippers of this monkey god rest assured that the unavoidable ill effects of Saturn's sade-sati (seven-and-a-half year's stay) can be whittled down by a true devotion to Hanuman.

Hanuman and the Mother Goddess

We have seen above how Hanuman serves as a favorite of the Mother Goddess. But the attribute of Hanuman, which impresses the goddess most, is his brahmacharya. Indeed Hanuman never threatens the world with his virility unlike say Shiva whose virility often has to be restrained by goddess Kali. Accordingly, Hanuman gains her unparalleled appreciation.

Hanuman and Tantra

Tantra represents the occult side of Hinduism. With the aid of chants (mantras) and diagrams (yantras) Tantriks (practitioners of Tantra) channelise the powers of the cosmos for the advantage of humanity.

Tantriks believe that Hanuman is the most accomplished of their lot having achieved the much-sought after eight occult powers:

1). Anima - The ability to reduce his size.

2). Mahima - Ability to increase his size.

3). Laghima - The ability to become weightless.

4). Garima - Ability to increase weight.

5). Prapti - The ability to travel anywhere and acquire anything.

6). Parakamya - Irresistible will power.

7). Vastiva - Mastery over all creatures.

8). Isitva - Ability to become god like with the power to create and destroy.

The Ramayana abounds with tales illustrating Hanuman's mastery over each of these siddhas (occult powers). Not surprisingly, he is reverently deified as a Mahsiddha (Maha - Great).

Hanuman and the Potency of Mother's Milk

After the annihilation of Ravana, Rama asked Hanuman how he would like to be thanked for his services. He answered, "My lord, let me spend the rest of my days in your service." Rama gladly accepted the request. Thus Hanuman too boarded the chariot, that was to take Rama and his entourage back to their native Ayodhya.

On the way however, Hanuman thought of visiting his mother Anjana who lived on a mountain nearby. Rama and all other members of the party too were curious to meet Hanuman's mother and hence the chariot was diverted to her dwelling.

On reaching the place Hanuman approached his mother whose happiness knew no bounds. She embraced her bundle of joy. All others present too bowed in reverence to the mother of Hanuman. The worthy son narrated to her the entire sequence of events ending with Ravana's death on the battlefield. Surprisingly, his words did not please his mother but rather she became remorseful and addressed Hanuman thus: "My giving birth to you has been in vain, and feeding you with my milk has been of no avail." On hearing her strange words all became panicky and were left speechless. Hanuman too stared at her in mute incomprehension.

After a brief pause she continued with her tirade: "Shame on your strength and velour. Did you not have enough power to uproot Ravana's city of vice Lanka on your own? Could you not have annihilated the ten-headed monster and his army yourself? If you were not strong enough to do so it would have been better if you had at least perished yourself in fighting him. I regret the fact that even though you were alive Lord Rama had to build a perilous bridge of stones over the turbulent ocean to reach Lanka and had to fight the massive army of demons and thus suffer a great ordeal in order to recover his beloved Sita. Indeed, the nourishment my breast has given you has proved to be unfruitful. Go away and don't ever show me your face again." She was obviously referring to the instance when Hanuman was deputed to go and search for Sita in the city of Lanka. Only when he had confirmed Sita's presence in Ravana's custody could a formal battle be launched to rescue her. Hanuman not only brought news of her wretched condition in captivity but also during his brief visit managed to burn down the whole city and thus gave Ravana an inkling of the times to come. Anjana's annoyance stemmed from the fact that even though Hanuman was supremely capable of bringing back Sita on his own during that visit itself, he did not do so and much effort had to be expended later to accomplish the mission.

Hence was she trembling with wrath. With folded hands Hanuman addressed her: "O Great Mother, no way have I compromised on the sacred worth of your milk. I am but a mere servant. During that visit I had been instructed only to search for Sita and not kill Ravana. Had I done so of my own accord it would have amounted to overstepping my brief. I therefore acted scrupulously and kept my word." In fact, Hanuman had asked Sita, when he met her in Ravana 's

captivity, whether she would prefer to be rescued by him at that very moment. She replied in the negative stressing that it was her husband's duty to liberate her and Rama himself would have to come and take her back.

The entire gathering corroborated Hanuman's version and much mollified his distressed mother. She spoke to him affectionately: "Dear son I never knew all this but now that I do it is comforting that my milk has indeed borne abundant fruit."

The repeated glorification of her own milk by Anjana was not relished by Lakshmana, who thought it an exaggeration. Sensing this, she addressed him saying: "Lakshmana, you are wondering why this apparently feeble monkey-woman is harping on the efficacy and potency of her own milk? My milk is indeed extraordinary." Saying this Anjana squeezed her breast and the oozing milk shower shot to a nearby mountain cleaving it thunderously into two. Addressing Lakshmana again she elaborated: "Hanuman has been brought up on the same milk, how could it ever go to waste?" (This story was narrated in the annual issue of the spiritual journal 'Kalyan,' published at Gita Press Gorakhpur. (1975, page 327)).

Why Idols of Hanuman are Red in Color 

 

 

After safely reaching Ayodhya, Rama in no time settled down to a happy life of kingship and matrimony. Hanuman continued to be a constant and devoted companion with an unrestricted access to Rama.

 

 

 

Life went on normally. Many delightful episodes from this period establish Hanuman as the ultimate bhakta, and shed much light on his unique personality.

Rama Durbar

 

 

Every morning Hanuman would observe Sita put a red mark on her forehead and smear the parting of her hair with vermilion powder, enacting a ritual which is the exclusive prerogative of married women in India. Being naturally of a curious bent of mind he asked her the reason behind this daily ritual. "For the well-being of my husband," replied she. Hanuman, ever the humble well-wisher of his chosen lord wondered: "If a virtuous woman like Sita has to apply vermilion in this manner for the good of Lord Rama, I, a mere monkey, need to do more." Thus thinking, he took a bowlful of the paste and smeared his whole body with it. Needless to say, both Rama and Sita were moved by the purity of Hanuman's heart. Since then, idols of Hanuman are colored a rich vermilion red.

 

 

 

Why Hanuman is Shown Tearing Open his Own Chest 

 

Once Sita gave Hanuman a necklace of pearls. After a while, the residents of the city observed him breaking the necklace and inspecting each pearl minutely. Intrigued they asked him the reason. "I am looking for Rama and Sita," replied Hanuman. Laughing at his apparent naivety the spectators pointed out to him that the royal couple was at the moment seated on the imperial throne. "But Rama and Sita are everywhere, including my heart" wondered aloud the true bhakta. Not understanding the depth of his devotion, they further teased him: "So Rama and Sita live in your heart, can you show them to us?" Unhesitatingly, Hanuman stood up and with his sharp talons tore open his chest. There,

Hanumana

Hanuman Tears Open His Chest

within his throbbing heart, the astonished audience were taken aback to find enshrined an image of Rama and Sita. Never again did anyone make fun of Hanuman's devotion.

 

 

 

The Five-Headed (Panchamukhi) Hanuman - An Intriguing Image 

 

 

 

Vaishnavas believe that the wind-god Vayu underwent three incarnations to help Lord Vishnu. As Hanuman he helped Rama; as Bheema he assisted Krishna; and as Madhavacharya (1197-76), he founded the Vaishnava sect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madhavacharya (1197-76)

Hanuman, Humble and Powerful

 

It is interesting to note that in his youth Madhavacharya distinguished himself in physical exercises and field games and is said to have had a wonderful physique. Truly, physical prowess is an integral aspect of the cult of Hanuman and he is the patron deity of wrestlers and body-builders. He is most popularly referred to as 'Vajra-anga-Bali,' meaning the Powerful One (bali) with a body (anga) hard as a thunderbolt (vajra).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vaishnavas evolved a syncretic form of Hanuman with five heads and ten arms, incorporating in the composite image five important Vaishnavite deities:

At the center a monkey's face (Hanuman).

A lion's visage representing Narasimha gazing southwards.

An eagle's head symbolizing Garuda facing west.

A boar head of Varaha (north).

A horse's face for Hayagriva (facing the sky).

Each head signifies a particular trait. Hanuman courage and strength, Narasimha fearlessness, Garuda magical skills and the power to cure snake bites, Varaha health and exorcism and Hayagriva victory over enemies.

 

 

 

Five-Headed Hanumana

The Spiritual Significance of Hanuman

The goal of all mystical yearning is union of the individual soul with the universal soul. In the Adhyatma ('spiritual') Ramayana, a Sanskrit text dating from the fourteenth or fifteenth century, Sita represents the individual (jiva-atma), which has separated from the universal (param-atma) symbolized by Rama. In a beautiful interpretation, Hanuman here is said to personify bhakti, which annihilates the 'ahankara' or ego (Ravana), and re-unites the two.

The Enduring Relevance of Hanuman

In Hindu symbolism, a monkey signifies the human mind, which is ever restless and never still. This monkey-mind happens to be the only thing over which man has absolute control. We cannot control the world around us but we can control and tame our mind by ardent discipline. We cannot choose our life but we can choose the way we respond to it. Hanuman, when he was a child, was tempted by the sun and he rushed towards it thinking it to be a delectable fruit. On his way however, he was distracted by the planet Rahu and changed his path. Thus Hanuman is the temperamental human intellect, which is unquiet and excitable. It is only by diverting it to the path of pure bhakti (devotion), that it can be made aware of its profound and silent essence.

According to the Hindu point of view, there is no objective world 'out there.' The whole manifested world is a subjective phenomenon created by our own selves. We - as humans - have the unique ability to condition our minds. In other words, we have the power to change the way we perceive life. And by changing our perceptions of life, we have the power of changing our world. When Hanuman enters Rama's life, he changes Rama's world. He transforms a crisis (the loss of Sita) into an opportunity (rid the world of Ravana). He transforms a victim into a hero.

Thus, Hanuman is no ordinary monkey. While embarking on the search for Sita, the monkeys were confronted by the vast ocean lying between them and Lanka. They wondered how they would make their way across this mighty obstacle. Someone suggested that Hanuman jump and cross over the sea. But Hanuman was doubtful, "I cannot do that," he said. At that moment, one of his companions reminded Hanuman of the awesome powers lying dormant within him. Instantly Hanuman regained memory of his divine strength and he successfully leaped across the ocean. Thus our mind too needs to be reminded of its divine potential and of the fact that it can achieve phenomenal heights provided it believes in its ability to perform the task in question. Truly Hanuman is symbolic of the perfect mind, and embodies the highest potential it can achieve.

References and Further Reading

Khokar, Ashish and S. Saraswati. Hanuman: New Delhi, 2001. Nagar, Shanti Lal. Hanuman in Art, Culture, Thought and Literature: New Delhi, 1995. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Hanuman an Introduction: Mumbai, 2001. Shri Hanuman Ank (In Hindi): Gita Press Gorakhpur, 1975. Tompkins, Ptolemy. The Monkey in Art: New York, 1994.

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Click here for all our The esoteric meaning of Ramayana is this: Ravana represents Ahankara or egoism. His ten heads represent the ten senses. The city of Lanka is the nine-gated city of t Birth and childhood [ edit ]

Murti   of Hanuman and his mother   Anjana , at the Anjani Mata temple,   Chomu .

Hanuman was born to the   vanaras . His mother   Anjana   was an   apsara   who was born on   earth   due to a curse. She was redeemed from this curse on her giving birth to a son. The   Valmiki   Ramayana states that his father   Kesari   was the son of   Brihaspati   and that Kesari also fought on Rama's side in the war against   Ravana . [12]   Anjana and Kesari performed intense prayers to   Shiva   to get a child. Pleased with their devotion, Shiva granted them the boon they sought. [13]   Hanuman, in another interpretation, is the incarnation or reflection of Shiva himself.

Hanuman is often called the son of the deity   Vayu ; several different traditions account for the Vayu's role in Hanuman's birth. One story mentioned in   Eknath 's   Bhavartha Ramayana   (16th century CE) states that when Anjana was worshiping Shiva, the King   Dasharatha   of Ayodhya   was also performing the ritual of   Putrakama   yagna   in order to have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding ( payasam ) to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births

of   Rama ,   Lakshmana ,   Bharata , and   Shatrughna . By divine ordinance, a   kite snatched a fragment of that pudding and dropped it while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship.   Vayu , the   Hindu   deity of the wind, delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who consumed it. Hanuman was born to her as a result. [12][14] Another tradition says that Anjana and her husband Kesari prayed Shiva for a child. By Shiva's direction, Vayu transferred his male energy to Anjana's womb. Accordingly, Hanuman is identified as the son of the Vayu.

Another story of Hanuman's origins is derived from the   Vishnu Purana   and   Naradeya Purana .   Narada , infatuated with a princess, went to his lord   Vishnu , to make him look like Vishnu, so that the princess would garland him at   swayamvara   (husband-choosing ceremony). He asked for   hari mukh   (Hari is another name of Vishnu, and   mukh   means face). Vishnu instead bestowed him with the face of a vanara. Unaware of this, Narada went to the princess, who burst into laughter at the sight of his ape-like face before all the king's court. Narada, unable to bear the humiliation, cursed Vishnu, that Vishnu would one day be dependent upon a   vanara . Vishnu replied that what he had done was for Narada's own good, as he would have undermined his own powers if he were to enter matrimony. Vishnu also noted that   Hari   has the dual Sanskrit meaning of   vanara . Upon hearing this, Narada repented for cursing his idol. But Vishnu told him not repent as the curse would act as a boon, for it would lead to the birth of Hanuman, an avatar of Shiva, without whose help Rama (Vishnu's avatar) could not kill Ravana.

Birthplace [ edit ]

Multiple places in India are claimed as the birthplace of Hanuman.

According to one theory, Hanuman was born on 'Anjaneya Hill', in   Hampi ,   Karnataka . [15]   This is located near the Risyamukha mountain near the lake called Pampa Sarovar, where Sugreeva and   Rama   are said to have met in Valmiki Ramayana's Kishkinda Kanda. There is a temple that marks the spot. Kishkinda itself is identified with the modern Anegundi   taluk   (near Hampi) in Bellary district of Karnataka. [ citation needed ]

Anjan, a small village about 18   km away from   Gumla , houses "Anjan Dham", which is said to be the birthplace of Hanuman. [16]   The name of the village is derived from the name of the goddess Anjani, the mother of Hanuman. Aanjani Gufa ( cave ), 4   km from the village, is believed to be the place where Anjani once lived. Many objects of archaeological importance obtained from this site are now held at the   Patna Museum .

The Anjaneri (or Anjneri) mountain, located 7   km from   Trimbakeshwar   in the   Nasik district , is also claimed as the birthplace of Hanuman. [17]

According to Anjan Dham, Hanuman was born on Lakshka Hill near   Sujangarh   in   Churu district ,   Rajasthan . [18]

According to Puri Dham, Hanuman was met Sri Ram on dense forest of mountain hill near   Khurda ,   Bhubaneshwar   . It is believed that the mountain was once the kingdom of Bali (The Monkey King),where Bali deafeated a   Asura   in a cave,fighting for 15days and 15 nights.

Childhood [ edit ]

Hanuman Mistakes the Sun for a Fruit   by   BSP Pratinidhi

As a child, believing the   sun   to be a ripe   mango , Hanuman pursued it in order to eat it.   Rahu , a Vedic planet corresponding to an eclipse, was at that time seeking out the sun as well, and he clashed with Hanuman. Hanuman thrashed Rahu and went to take sun in his mouth. [19]   Rahu approached   Indra , king of   devas , and complained that a monkey child stopped him from taking on Sun, preventing the scheduled eclipse. This enraged Indra, who responded by throwing the   Vajra   (thunderbolt) at Hanuman, which struck his jaw. He fell back down to the earth and became unconscious. A permanent mark was left on his chin ( हनुः   hanuḥ   "jaw" in   Sanskrit ), due to

impact of   Vajra , explaining his name. [12][20]   Upset over the attack, Hanuman's father figure Vayu deva (the deity of air) went into seclusion, withdrawing air along with him. As living beings began to asphyxiate, Indra withdrew the effect of his thunderbolt. The devas then revived Hanuman and blessed him with multiple boons to appease Vayu. [12]

Brahma   gave Hanuman a boon that would protect him from the irrevocable Brahma's curse. Brahma also said: "Nobody will be able to kill you with any weapon in war." From Brahma he obtained the power of inducing fear in enemies, of destroying fear in friends, to be able to change his form at will and to be able to easily travel wherever he wished. From   Shiva   he obtained the boons of longevity, scriptural wisdom and ability to cross the ocean. Shiva assured safety of Hanuman with a band that would protect him for life. Indra blessed him that the Vajra weapon will no longer be effective on him and his body would become stronger than Vajra.   Varuna   blessed baby Hanuman with a boon that he would always be protected from water.   Agni   blessed him with immunity to burning by fire.   Surya   gave him two   siddhis   of yoga namely "laghima" and "garima", to be able to attain the smallest or to attain the biggest form.   Yama , the God of Death blessed him healthy life and free from

his weapon   danda , thus death would not come to him.   Kubera showered his blessings declaring that Hanuman would always remain happy and contented.   Vishwakarma   blessed him that Hanuman would be protected from all his creations in the form of objects or weapons.   Vayu   also blessed him with more speed than he himself had.   Kamadeva   also blessed him that the sex will not be effective on him. So his name is also   Bala Bramhachari . [ citation needed ]

On ascertaining   Surya   to be an all-knowing teacher, Hanuman raised his body into an orbit around the sun and requested to Surya to accept him as a student.   Surya   refused and explained claiming that he always had to be on the move in his chariot, it would be impossible for Hanuman to learn well. Undeterred, Hanuman enlarged his form, with one leg on the eastern ranges and the other on the western ranges, and facing   Surya   again pleaded. Pleased by his persistence, Surya agreed. Hanuman then learned all of the latter's knowledge. When Hanuman then requested Surya to quote his "guru-dakshina" (teacher's fee), the latter refused, saying that the pleasure of teaching one as dedicated as him was the fee in itself. Hanuman insisted, whereupon Surya asked him to help his (Surya's) spiritual son   Sugriva . Hanuman's choice of Surya as his teacher is said to signify Surya as a   Karma Saakshi , an eternal witness of all deeds. Hanuman later became   Sugriva 's minister. [12][20]

Hanuman was mischievous in his childhood, and sometimes teased the meditating sages in the forests by snatching their personal belongings and by disturbing their well-arranged articles of worship. Hanuman when he was young once looked at the Sun and thought it was a ripe mango and flew towards it to eat it. Finding his antics unbearable, but realizing that Hanuman was but a child, (albeit invincible), the sages placed a mild curse on him by which he became unable to remember his own ability unless reminded by another person. The curse is highlighted in   Kishkindha Kanda   and he was relieved from the curse by the end of   Kishkindha Kanda   when   Jambavantha   reminds Hanuman of his abilities and encourages him to go and find Sita and in   Sundara Kanda   he used his supernatural powers at his best. [12]

Adventures in Ramayana [ edit ] The   Sundara Kanda , the fifth book in the Ramayana, focuses on the adventures of Hanuman.

Meeting with Rama [ edit ]

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa meeting Hanumān at Rishyamukha

Hanuman meets   Rama   during the Rama's 14-year exile. [21]   With his brother   Lakshmana , Rama is searching for his wife   Sita   who had been abducted by   Ravana . Their search brings them to the vicinity of the mountain Rishyamukha, where   Sugriva , along with his followers and friends, are in hiding from his older brother   Vali .

Having seen Rama and Lakshmana, Sugriva sends Hanuman to ascertain their identities. Hanuman approaches the two brothers in the guise of a   brahmin . His first words to them are such that Rama says to Lakshmana that none could speak the way the brahmin did unless he or she had mastered the   Vedas . He notes that there is no defect in the brahmin's countenance, eyes, forehead, brows, or any limb. He points out to Lakshmana that his accent is captivating, adding that even an enemy with sword drawn would be moved. He praises the disguised Hanuman further, saying that sure success awaited the king whose emissaries were as accomplished as he was. [21]

When Rama introduces himself, the brahman identitifies himself as Hanuman and falls prostrate before Rama, who embraces him warmly. Thereafter, Hanuman's life becomes interwoven with that of Rama. Hanuman then brings about friendship and alliance between Rama and Sugriva; Rama helps Sugriva regain his honour and makes him king of Kishkindha. Sugriva and his vanaras, most notably Hanuman, help Rama defeat Raavana and reunite with Sita.

In their search for Sita, a group of Vanaras reaches the southern seashore. Upon encountering the vast ocean, every vanara begins to lament his inability to jump across the water. Hanuman too is saddened at the possible failure of his mission, until the other vanaras and the wise bear   Jambavantha   begin to extol his virtues. Hanuman then recollects his own powers, enlarges his body, and flies across the ocean. On his way, he encounters a mountain that rises from the sea, proclaims that it owed his father a debt, and asks him to rest a while before proceeding. Not wanting

to waste any time, Hanuman thanks the mountain, touches it briefly, and presses on. He then encounters a goddess disguised as a sea-monster,   Surasa , who challenges him to enter her mouth. When Hanuman outwits her, she admits that her challenge was merely a test of his courage. After killing Simhika, a   rakshasi , he reaches   Lanka .

Finding Sita [ edit ]

Hanuman finds Sita in the ashoka grove, and shows her Rama's ring

Hanuman reaches Lanka through flight and marvels at its beauty. After he finds Sita in captivity in a garden, Hanuman reveals his identity to her, reassures her that Rama has been looking for her, and uplifts her spirits. He offers to carry her back to Rama, but she refuses his offer, saying it would be an insult to Rama as his honour is at stake. In order to give Sita faith, Hanuman gives her a ring that Rama wanted Hanuman to give her. After meeting Sita, Hanuman begins to wreak havoc, gradually destroying the palaces and properties of Lanka. He kills many rakshasas, including Jambumali and Aksha Kumar. To subdue him, Ravana's son   Indrajit   uses the   Brahmastra . Though immune to the effects of this weapon Hanuman, out of respect to   Brahma , allows himself be bound. Deciding to use the opportunity to meet Ravana, and to assess the strength of Ravana's hordes, Hanuman allows the rakshasa warriors to parade him through the streets. He conveys Rama's message of warning and demands the safe return of Sita. He also informs Ravana that Rama would be willing to forgive him if he returns Sita honourably.

Enraged, Ravana orders Hanuman's execution, whereupon Ravana's brother   Vibhishana   intervenes, pointing out that it is against the rules of engagement to kill a messenger. Ravana then orders Hanuman's tail be lit afire. As Ravana's forces attempted to wrap cloth around his tail, Hanuman begins to lengthen it. After frustrating them for a while, he allows it to burn, then escapes from his captors, and with his tail on fire he burns down large parts of Lanka. After extinguishing his flaming tail in the sea, he returns to Rama.

Shapeshifting [ edit ]

In the   Ramayana   Hanuman changes shape several times. For example, while he searches for the kidnapped Sita in Ravana's palaces on Lanka, he contracts himself to the size of a cat, so that he will not be detected by the enemy. Later on, he takes on the size of a mountain, blazing with radiance, to show his true power to Sita. [22]

Also he enlarges & immediately afterwards contracts his body to out-wit Surasa, the she-demon, who blocked his path while crossing the sea to reach Lanka. Again, he turns his body microscopically small to enter Lanka before killing Lankini, the she-demon guarding the gates of Lanka.

He achieved this shape-shifting by the powers of two   siddhis ;   Anima   and   Garima   bestowed upon him in his childhood by Sun-God,   Surya .

Mountain lifting [ edit ] Hanuman fetches the herb-bearing mountain, in a print from the Ravi Varma Press, 1910s

When Lakshmana is severely wounded during the battle against Ravana, Hanuman is sent to fetch the   Sanjivani , a powerful life-restoring herb, from   Dronagiri mountain   in the   Himalayas , to revive him. Ravana realises that if Lakshmana dies, a distraught Rama would probably give up, and so he dispatches the sorcerer Kalanemi to intercept Hanuman. [23]   Kalanemi, in the guise of a sage, deceives Hanuman, but Hanuman uncovers his plot with the help of an   apsara , whom he rescues from her accursed state as a crocodile. [23]

Ravana , upon learning that Kalanemi has been slain by Hanuman, summons   Surya   to rise before its appointed time because the   physician Sushena had said that Lakshmana would perish if untreated by daybreak. Hanuman realizes the danger, however, and, becoming many times his normal size, detains the Sun God to prevent the break of day. He then resumes his search for the precious herb, but, when he finds himself unable to identify which herb it is, he lifts the entire mountain and delivers it to the battlefield in Lanka. Sushena then identifies and administers the herb, and   Lakshmana   is saved. Rama embraces Hanuman, declaring him as dear to him as his own brother. Hanuman releases Surya from his grip, and asks forgiveness, as the Sun was also his   Guru .

Hanuman was also called "langra veer";   langra   in   Hindi   means limping and   veer   means "brave". The story behind Hanuman being called   langra   is as follows. He was injured when he was crossing the Ayodhya with the mountain in his hands. As he was crossing over Ayodhya,   Bharat , Rama's young brother, saw him and assumed that some   Rakshasa   was taking this mountain to attack Ayodhya. Bharat then shot Hanuman with an arrow, which was engraved with Rama's name. Hanuman did not stop this arrow as it had   Rama 's name written on it, and it injured his leg. Hanuman landed and explained to Bharat that he was moving the mountain to save his own brother,   Lakshmana .   Bharat , very sorry, offered to fire an arrow to Lanka, which Hanuman could ride in order to reach his

destination more easily. But Hanuman declined the offer, preferring to fly on his own, and he continued his journey with his injured leg.

Patala incident [ edit ]

In another incident during the war, Rama and Lakshmana are captured by the rakshasa Mahiravana and   Ahiravan ), brother of Ravana, who held them captive in their palace in Patala   (or Patalpuri) --the netherworld. Mahiravana keeps them as offerings to his deity. Searching for them, Hanuman reaches Patala, the gates of which are guarded by a young creature called   Makardhwaja   (known also as Makar-Dhwaja or Magar Dhwaja), who is part reptile and part Vanara.

The story of Makardhwaja's birth is said to be that when Hanuman extinguished his burning tail in the ocean, a drop of his sweat fell into the waters, eventually becoming Makardhwaja, who perceives Hanuman as his father. When Hanuman introduces himself to Makardhwaja, the latter asks his blessings. Hanuman enters Patala.

Upon entering Patala, Hanuman discovers that to kill Mahiravana, he must simultaneously extinguish five lamps burning in different directions. Hanuman assumes the Panchamukha   or five- faced form of Sri   Varaha   facing north, Sri   Narasimha   facing south, Sri   Garuda   facing west, Sri   Hayagriva   facing the sky and his own facing the east, and blows out the lamps. Hanuman then rescues Rama and Lakshmana. Afterwards, Rama asks Hanuman to crown Makardhwaja king of Patala. Hanuman then instructs Makardhwaja to rule Patala with justice and wisdom.

To date Chandraloak Devpuri mandir is located at Dugana a small village 17   km from Laharpur,Sitapur district,Uttar Pradesh. A divine place where Chakleswar Mahadev situated.

Honours [ edit ]

Hanuman showing Rama in His heart

Shortly after he is crowned Emperor upon his return to   Ayodhya , Rama decides to ceremoniously reward all his well-wishers. At a grand ceremony in his court, all his friends and allies take turns being honoured at the throne. Hanuman approaches without desiring a reward. Seeing Hanuman come up to him, an emotionally overwhelmed Rama embraces him warmly, declaring that he could never adequately honour or repay Hanuman for the help and services he received from the noble Vanara. Sita, however, insists that Hanuman deserved honour more than anyone else, and Sita gives him a necklace of precious stones adorning her neck.

When he receives it, Hanuman immediately takes it apart, and peers into each stone. Taken aback, many of those present demand to know why he is destroying the precious gift. Hanuman answers that he was looking into the stones to make sure that Rama and Sita are in them, because if they are not, the necklace is of no value to him. At this, a few mock Hanuman, saying his reverence and love for Rama and Sita could not possibly be as deep as he implies. In response, Hanuman tears his chest open, and everyone is stunned to see Rama and Sita literally in his heart.

Hanuman Ramayana [ edit ]

Hanuman beheads Trisiras-from The Freer Ramayana

After the victory of Rama over   Ravana , Hanuman went to the Himal. There he scripted a version of the Ramayana on the Himalayan mountains using his nails, recording every detail of Rama's deeds. When Maharishi   Valmiki   visited him to show him his own version of the Ramayana, he saw Hanuman's version and became very disappointed.

When Hanuman asked Valmiki the cause of his sorrow, the sage said that his version, which he had created very laboriously, was no match for the splendour of Hanuman's, and would therefore go ignored. At this, Hanuman discarded his own version, which is called the   Hanumad Ramayana . Maharishi Valmiki was so taken aback that he said he would take another birth to sing the glory of Hanuman which he had understated in his version.

Later, one tablet is said to have floated ashore during the period of Mahakavi   Kalidasa , and hung at a public place to be deciphered by scholars. Kalidasa is said to have deciphered it and recognised that it was from the Hanumad Ramayana recorded by Hanuman in an extinct script, and considered himself very fortunate to see at least one   pada   of the stanza.

After the Ramayana war [ edit ]

After the war, and after reigning for several years, the time arrived for Rama to depart to his supreme abode   Vaikuntha . Many of Rama's entourage, including Sugriva, decided to depart with him. Hanuman, however, requested from Rama that he will remain on   earth   as long as Rama's name was venerated by people. Sita accorded Hanuman that desire, and granted that his image would be installed at various public places, so he could listen to people chanting Rama's name. He is one of the   immortals   ( Chiranjivi ) of   Hinduism . [24]

Mahabharata [ edit ] Hanuman is also considered to be the brother of   Bhima , on the basis of their having the same father,   Vayu . During the   Pandavas ' exile, he appears disguised as a weak and aged monkey to Bhima in order to subdue his arrogance. Bhima enters a field where Hanuman is lying with his tail blocking the way. Bhima, unaware of his identity, tells him to move it out of the way. Hanuman, incognito, refuses. Bhima then tries to move the tail himself but he is unable, despite his great strength. Realising he is no ordinary monkey, he inquires as to Hanuman's identity, which is then revealed. At Bhima's request, Hanuman is also said to have enlarged himself to demonstrate the proportions he had assumed in his crossing of the sea as he journeyed to Lanka and also said that when the war came, he would be there to protect the   Pandavas . This place is located at   Sariska National Park   in the   Alwar District   of the State of   Rajasthan   and named as   Pandupole (Temple of Hanuman ji). Pandupole   is very famous tourist spot of   Alwar .

During the great battle of   Kurukshetra ,   Arjuna   entered the battlefield with a flag displaying Hanuman on his   chariot . [24]   The incident that led to this was an earlier encounter between Hanuman and Arjuna, wherein Hanuman appeared as a small talking monkey before Arjuna at   Rameshwaram , where

Rama had built the   great bridge   to cross over to Lanka to rescue Sita. Upon Arjuna's wondering aloud at Rama's taking the help of monkeys rather than building a bridge of arrows, Hanuman challenged him to build a bridge capable of bearing him alone; Arjuna, unaware of the vanara's true identity, accepted. Hanuman then proceeded to repeatedly destroy the bridges made by Arjuna, who decided to take his own life. Krishna smiled and placed his divine discus beneath the bridge,and this time hanuman could no longer break it. Vishnu   then appeared before them both after originally coming in the form of a   tortoise , chiding Arjuna for his vanity and Hanuman for making Arjuna feel incompetent. As an act of penitence, Hanuman decided to help Arjuna by stabilizing and strengthening his chariot during the imminent great battle. After, the battle of   Kurukshetra   was over,   Krishna   asked Arjuna, that today you step down the chariot before me. After Arjuna got down, Krishna followed him and thanked Hanuman for staying with them during the whole fight in the form of a flag on the chariot. Hanuman came in his original form, bowed to Krishna and left the flag, flying away into the sky. As soon as he left the flag, the chariot began to burn and turned into ashes. Arjuna was shocked to see this, then Krishna told Arjuna, that the only reason his chariot was still standing was because of the presence of Himself and Hanuman, otherwise, it would have burnt many days ago due to effects of celestial weapons thrown at it in the war.

According to legend, Hanuman is one of the four people to have heard the   Bhagwad Gita   from Krishna and seen his Vishvarupa (universal) form, the other three being   Arjuna , Sanjaya   and   Barbarika , son of   Ghatotkacha .

Other texts [ edit ]

Indonesian   Javanese   wayang representation of Hanuman.

Hanuman is characterized as a celibate in most Indian texts. However, in the Khmer   Reamker   and

Thai Ramakien , Hanuman falls in love with the pretty mermaid   Suvannamaccha [25]

Apart from Ramayana and Mahabharata, Hanuman is mentioned in several other texts. Some of these stories add to his adventures mentioned in the earlier epics, while others tell alternative stories of his life.

Paumacariya   (also known as   Pauma Chariu   or   Padmacharit ), the   Jain   version of Ramayana written by Vimalasuri, mentions Hanuman as a   Vidyadhara   (a supernatural being), who is the son of Pavangati and Anjana Sundari. Anjana gives birth to Hanuman in a forest cave, after being banished by her in-laws. Her maternal uncle rescues her from the forest; while boarding his   vimana , Anjana accidentally drops her baby on a rock. However, the baby remains uninjured while the rock is shattered. The baby is raised in Hanuruha, his great uncle's island kingdom, from which Hanuman gets his name. In this version, Hanuman is not celibate. He marries princess Anangakusuma, the daughter of Kharadushana and Ravana's sister Chandranakha. Ravana also presents Hanuman one of his nieces as a second wife. After becoming an ally of   Sugriva , Hanuman acquires a hundred more wives. Hanuman is originally enraged at Rama for murdering his father-in-law Kharadushana. However, he becomes a supporter of Rama after meeting him and learning about Sita's kidnapping by Ravana. He goes to Lanka on Rama's behalf, but is unable to convince Ravana to surrender. Ultimately, he joins Rama in the war against Ravana and performs several heroic deeds. After the victory and subsequent celebrations, both Rama and Hanuman take Jaineshwari Diksha and become Jain Munis and achieve salvation. [26]   Later Jain texts such as   Uttarapurana   (9th century CE) by Gunabhadra and   Anjana-Pavananjaya   (12th century CE) tells the same story.

The   Brahma Purana   mentions that the vanaras built several Shiva   lingams   in   Kishkindha . After his return to Ayodhya, Rama asks Hanuman to destroy these lingams, as they are no longer required. However, when Hanuman is unable to uproot these lingams, Rama orders them to worshipped permanently. The   Skanda Purana   mentions a variant of this story, which happens in   Rameswaram . [27]   The Narada Purana   describes Hanuman as a master of vocal music, and as an embodiment of the combined power of Shiva and Vishnu.

Apart from the   Puranas , the   Agama   Saunaka Samhitha , and   Agastya Sara Samhitha   explains certain stories which are not mentioned in other Hindu texts along with the worship rituals of Hanuman. Recently a simple English Translation of some of stories are released as a book named Tales Of Hanuman: Tales from the eternal life of Hanuman [28]

The 16th-century Indian poet   Tulsidas   wrote   Hanuman Chalisa , a devotional song dedicated to Hanuman. He claimed to have visions where he met face to face with Hanuman. Based on these meetings, he wrote   Ramcharitmanas , an   Awadhi language   version of Ramayana. [29]   The   Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple (Varanasi)   is said to be located on the spot where Tulsidas had these visions. The works of Tulsidas played an important role in increasing the popularity of Hanuman worship in North India.

Durga Chalisa   mentions that Hanuman leads and welcomes the procession of the ferocious lion- riding   Bhavani .

The non-Indian versions of Ramayana, such as the Thai   Ramakien , mention that Hanuman had relationships with multiple women, including Svayamprabha,   Benjakaya   (Vibhisana's daughter),   Suvannamaccha   and even Ravana's wife   Mandodari . [7]   According to these versions of the Ramayana ,   Macchanu   is son of Hanuman borne by Suvannamaccha, daughter of   Ravana . [30][31][32]   The Jain text Paumacariya   also mentions that Hanuman married Lankasundari, the daughter of Lanka's chief defender Bajramukha. [33]   Another legend says that a demigod named Matsyaraja (also known as   Makardhwaja   or Matsyagarbha) claimed to be his son. Matsyaraja's birth is explained as follows: a fish ( matsya ) was impregnated by the drops of Hanuman's sweat, while he was bathing in the ocean. [7]

Prophecy and legacy [ edit ]

Hanuman as depicted in Yakshagana , popular folk art of   Karnataka

A number of religious leaders have claimed to have seen Hanuman over the course of the centuries, notably   Madhvacharya   (13th century CE), Tulsidas   (16th century),   Samarth Ramdas   (17th century),   Raghavendra Swami   (17th century) and   Swami Ramdas   (20th century).

Swaminarayan , founder of the Hindu Swaminarayan sects, holds that other than worship of God through the Narayana Kavacha, Hanuman is the only deity who may be worshiped in the event of trouble by evil spirits.

Others have also asserted his presence wherever the Ramayana is read. [34]

अमलकमलवर्णं� प्रज्ज्वलत्पावकाकं्ष सरसिसजनिनभवक्त्रं सव�दा सुप्रसन्नम् | पटुतरघनगात्रं कुण्डलालङ्कृताङं्ग रर्णंजयकरवालं वानरेशं नमामिम ||

यत्र यत्र रघुनाथकीत�नं तत्र तत्र कृतमस्तकाञ्जसिलम् । बाष्पवारिरपरिरपूर्णं�लोचनं मारुतितं नमत राक्षसान्तकम् ॥

yatra yatra raghunāthakīrtanaṃ tatra tatra kṛta mastakāñjalim । bāṣpavāriparipūrṇalocanaṃ mārutiṃ namata rākṣasāntakam ॥

“ Bow down to Hanumān, who is the slayer of demons, and who is present with head bowed and eyes full of flowing tears wherever the fame of Rāma is sung. ”

This can be found in other texts such as the   Vinaya Patrika   by   Tulsidas   and the   Mahabharta , and in other texts with only slight variation in language. During the readings of the Ramayana   (Ramayanpath), a special   puja   and space (asan) are reserved for Hanuman.

Temples [ edit ]

Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple ,   Coimbatore

Lord Anjaneya decorated with flowers,   Namakkal ,   Tamil Nadu

41 meters high Hanuman monument at Yerravaram,   Andhra Pradesh

Hanuman temple,Nurawa Eliya,Sri Lanka

Hanuman is worshipped by villagers as a boundary guardian, by   Shaiva   ascetics as a   Yogi , and by wrestlers for his strength. [35]   There are numerous temples for Hanuman, and his images are usually installed at all temples where images of avatars of   Vishnu   are installed. Hanuman temples   are believed to keep the area and surroundings free of   rakshasas   (demons) and other evil beings. Hanuman idols are found on mountain roads because it is believed that he protects people from accidents.

Jakhu temple   is a famous temple at   Shimla , the capital of   Himachal Pradesh . The word "Jakhu" is derived from "Yaku"/"Yaksha". The hill is the legendary abode of Yaksha, Kinners Nagas and Asuras. The temple was founded on a plain where, according to legend, Hanuman's sudden landing flattened a hill. A 108-foot (33-metre) statue of Hanuman has been erected at the top of the 8,500-foot (2,591-metre) tall Jakhu Hill, the highest point in   Shimla . [36]

According to the   Ramayana , during the battle between Lord Rama and Ravana at Lanka, Lakshmana, brother of Lord Rama, was mortally wounded by an arrow. To save his life, Hanuman journeyed to the Himalayas to retrieve the   Sanjeevani   herb. En route, he encountered a meditating sage on Jakhu mountain; as he paused to inquire about the herb, Hanuman's landing on the mountain compressed the earth, changing the shape of the mountain to its present state. In his haste to depart, Hanuman is said to have left his friends behind, and they are said to continue to roam the area even today. A temple honoring Lord Hanuman was constructed by the Jakhu sage.

The oldest known independent Hanuman statue is the one at   Khajuraho , which has an inscription dated Sam. 940 (AD 883) mentioning that it was erected by Gahil's son Gollak. [37][38]

Sankat Mochan Shri Hanuman Mandir, located in the   Punjab   town of   Phillaur   is one of the popular temples of Hanuman.   Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Varanasi , believed to be built by   Tulsidas , is second most popular temple in the city.

Namakkal   Anjaneyar temple is located in the town of   Namakkal ,   Tamil Nadu . There is an 18-feet idol of Sri Hanuman in the temple facing east, worshipping Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami (one of the avatar of god Vishnu) in this temple. Anjenayar idol is   Swayambu , believed to be growing in height; thus, temple has no roof enclosing.

Sholinghur   Sri Yoga Narasimha swami temple and Sri Yoga Anjaneyar temple, located in Sholinghur, a town which is about 30   km from Arakkonam   of   Vellore District .Sri yoga Anjaneyar temple located over small hill containing 480 steps from ground. Lord Anjaneyar with Sathurpujam (sathur=four, pujam=arms) Sri Sangu and Sri Chakaram 2 hands and Jabba Malai and Jaba Shankaram in other two respectively facing Sri yoga Narasimha swami and Yoga Amurthavalli Thayar present over hill (periya malai= big hill) with 1305 steps from ground. Sholinghur shetram one among 108 divya desams also one of most famous temple of our Lord Anjaneya.

Ragigudda Anjaneya temple   is a Hanuman temple located in JP Nagar Bangalore. The temple is located on a hillock. The Hanuman temple at Nerul, Navi Mumbai,   Maharashtra ,   India   is situated inside SIES complex. The Hanuman idol is 33 feet (10   m) tall and is installed on a pedestal of height 12 feet (4   m), bringing the total height to 45 feet (14   m). In the picture shown, Hanuman has silver coverings (Silver Kavasam). The 33 feet Hanuman idol is carved out of single granite stone. This is the tallest single granite stone Hanuman idol in India as per the temple.

Similarly, a 32 feet (10   m) idol of Sri Anjaneyar was entrenched in 1989 at   Nanganallur   in Chennai,   India . The distinguishing factor of the idol is that it was molded out of a single rock.

An 85-foot (26   m) Karya Siddhi Hanuman statue was installed at   Carapichaima   in   Trinidad and Tobago , by Avadhoota Dattapeetham's Pontiff Ganapathi Sachchidananda . It is the tallest in the Western hemisphere and second tallest in the world. One has also built a Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple in Frisco, Texas in the U.S.

The tallest Hanuman statue is the   Veera Abhaya Anjaneya Hanuman Swami , standing 135 feet tall at Yerravaram, 46   km from   Rajahmundry in   Andhra Pradesh , installed in 2003. [38]

The image of Hanuman is said to have come alive and moved when installed at the   Shri Hanuman Mandir, Sarangpur . The temple is noted for getting rid of evil spirits. [39]

Suchindram temple is a pious place lying about 14   km from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. The temple is famous for it 18 feet tall Hanuman idol. This idol is decorated fully with butter (Vennai kappu in Tamil) and Sandalwood paste (Chandana kappu in Tamil).

In Rajasthan,Hanuman Temples at Mehendipur Balaji in Dausa district (80   km from Jaipur) and Salasar dhaam in Churu district (160   km from Jaipur) attract a large number of devotees from all over India. The idol of Hanuman ji at Hanuman Temple, Mehendipur Balaji is svaymbhu & attracts many devotees for getting rid from evil spirits. Apart from this Sri Balaji Maharaj(Bal-Hanuman) of Mehndipur Balaji give blessings and grants wishes to his devotees. [{Chandraloak Devpuri Balaji}] is located in Dugana 17   km from Laharpur district-sitapur,UttarPradesh

Bhaktha Anjaneyar   is Temple is located in Vedasandur, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.   Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple   is located in Coimbatore . The idol of the deity is made of   Salagrama   stone. In the temple, Goddess   Lakshmi   graces the devotees from the right palm of Hanuman who tail faces North, direction of   Kubera , God of wealth. The main deity faces west, is seen posing Abhaya Mudra with his right hand and holding a club with the other hand. [40]   During the   Tamil New Year , an offering of 10,008 fruits is made to the deity. Raja Maruthi Alankaram, Vennai Alankaram and Vadamalai offerings are the regular Sevas here on Saturdays. In the Tamil month of   Purattasi , Vadai Malai, Swaya Roopam, Chenduram, Swarnamayam and Muthangi Sevai are offered to God on Saturdays.[41]

Kaviyoor   is a small village about 5–6   km from the town of Thiruvalla, Kerala The   Kaviyoor Mahadevar Temple   here is about 100 years old and the Hanuman temple inside the Shiva temple is considered as very auspicious by devotees. Hanuman idol consecrated here is made of Panchaloha and is depicting him telling the story of Ramayana to Sita in the Asoka Vana.

Yalagur , a small village about 30–35   km from the town of Bagalkot in Karnataka, also has a temple dedicated to Hanuman.

Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple, Ramboda. Sri Lanka. Ramboda is a place where Hanuman was searching for Sita Devi.

Worship [ edit ] This article   possibly contains   original research .   Please   improve it   by   verifying   the claims made and adding   inline citations . Statements

consisting only of original research should be removed.   (April 2012)

Some of the prayers, songs,   mantras ,   shlokas , devoted to Hanuman include   Hanuman Chalisa ,   Bajranga Baan ,   Maruti Strotam ,   Anjaneya Dandakam   ,   Vadvanal Strotam , Hanuman Sathhika ,   Hanuman Bahuk ,   Hanuman Dwadesha ,   Bhimrupi Strotam ,   Sundara Kanda ,   Maruti Gayatri Mantra ,   Hanumansahasranam stotra   ( Stotra   of thousand names of Hanuman),   Ek-mukhi Hanuman Raksha Kavacham ,   Pancha-mukhi Hanuman Raksha Kavacham   and   Sapta-mukhi Hanuman Raksha Kavacham .

" Ram Raksha Strotam ", the   Sanskrit   Strota , a Shield of   Rama   has lines devoted to Hanuman, saying, whoever, reads this, will be protected by Hanuman.

Panchamukhi Sri Hanuman [ edit ]

Sri Hanuman assumed Panchamukhi or five-faced form to kill   Ahiravana , a powerful   rakshasa   black- magician and practitioner of the dark arts during the   Ramayana   war. Ahiravana, brother of   Ravana , had taken Lord   Rama   and   Lakshmana   to netherworld as captive, and the only way to kill him was to extinguish five lamps burning in different directions, all at the same instant. Sri Hanuman assumed His   Panchamukha   form and accomplished the task, thus killing the   rakshasa , and freeing   Rama   and   Lakshmana .

Face Direction Significance

Sri Hanuman East This face removes all blemishes of sin and confers purity of mind.

(Original)

Narasimha South

Removes fear of enemies and confers victory. Narasimha is the Lion-Man avatar of Lord   Vishnu , who took the form to protect his devotee   Prahlad from his evil father,   Hiranyakashipu . Sri Hanuman may have had this face during the burning of Lanka and fighting in the war.

Garuda West

Drives away evil spells, black magic influences, negative spirits and removes all poisonous effects in one's body. Garuda is Lord   Vishnu 's vehcile, as the King of birds he knows the secrets of death and the beyond. The   Garuda Purana   is a Hindu text based on this knowledge.

Varaha North

Wards off the troubles caused by bad influences of the planets and confers all eight types prosperity ( Ashta Aishwarya ). Varaha is another Lord Vishnu   avatar, he took this form and dug up land, Sri Hanuman may have had this face whilst collecting the Sanjeev mountain.

Hayagriva Upwards( Urddha Mukha ) face confers knowledge, victory, good wife and progeny.

This form of Sri Hanuman is very popular, and is also known as Panchamukha Anjaneya and Panchamukhi Anjaneya. ( Anjaneya , which means "son of Anjana", is another name of Sri Hanuman). These faces show there is nothing in the world which does not come under any the influence of any of the five faces, symbolic of his all around security to all devotees. This also signifies vigilance and control over the five directions - north, south, east, west and the upward direction/zenith.

There are five ways of prayer, Naman, Smaran, Keerthanam, Yachanam and Arpanam. The five faces depict these five forms. Lord Sri Hanuman always used to Naman, Smaran and Keerthanam of Lord Sri Rama. He totally surrendered (Arpanam) to his Master Sri Rama. He also begged (yachanam) Sri Rama to bless him the undivided love.

The weapons are a   parashu , a   Khanda , a   chakra , a   dhaalam , a   gada , a   trishula , a   kumbha , a   Katar , a plate filled with blood and again a big   Gada .

Chitrakoot   in Central India is claimed to be the resting place of Sri Hanuman. The Hanuman Dhara Temple is situated on the peak of mountain where there is natural rock formation image of Shri Hanuman inside the cave and a natural stream of water falling on the tail. It is believed that after the coronation of Lord   Rama , Sri Hanuman requested for a permanent place to settle in the Kingdom of Lord Rama, where his Injury of burns on his tails will be cured. Lord Rama, then with his arrow, spurred a stream of water on the tip of mountain and asked Sri Hanuman to rest there with water of the stream falling on his tail to cool down burning sensation in his tail. The access to the cave temple is through stairs starting from bottom of the mountain to its top. It takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes to reach the temple. Over time the temple has gained a new name, namely Hanuman Dhara. [ citation needed ]

Sri   Panchamukha   Anjaneya Swami was the main deity of Sri   Raghavendra Swami . The   place where he meditated   on this five-faced form of Sri Hanuman is now known as Panchamukhi , wherein a temple for him has been built. There is also a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami at   Kumbakonam   in   Tamil Nadu ,   India . A 40 feet (12   m) tall monolithic green granite   murti   of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in   Thiruvallur , also in Tamil Nadu. This place was known as Rudravanam in olden times when many saints and seers had blessed this place with their presence. The Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram itself was established by a saint called Venkatesa Battar. [ citation needed ]   A four foot image of Panchmukha Hanuman has been consecrated West of Lusaka, Zambia in Oye Kapi farm.

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In Hinduism, Hanuman is one of the few deities not afflicted by   Shani . [42]   Hanuman is the one of the deities in Hindu religion, over whom Shani could not cast his spell. Shani could not overcome Hanuman and as such people worship Hanuman to get rid of malefic effects of Shani.

In the   Ramayana , Hanuman is said to have rescued Shani, from the clutches of   Ravana . [43]

In gratitude, Shani promised Hanuman that those who prayed him (Hanuman) would be rescued from the painful effects of Saturn, which in Hindu astrology, is said to produce malefic effects on one's life when one is afflicted "negatively" with Saturn. [43]

Another version of the encounter between Lord Hanuman and Shani Bhagavan is that the latter once climbed on to Lord Hanuman's shoulder, implying that he (Hanuman) was coming under the effects of the influence of Shani. At this, Hanuman assumed a large size, and Shani was caught painfully between Hanuman's shoulders and the ceiling of the room they were in. As the pain was unbearable, Shani requested Hanuman to release him, promising that he (Shani) would moderate the malefic effects of his influence on a person praying to Hanuman. Hanuman released Shani thereafter. [44]

In the verse with a thousand Names of Hanuman the   Hanumansahasranam stotra , Shani is one of the Names of Hanuman. In some regions of India, Hanuman is also seen sporting an iron whip akin to Shani.

Hanuman and negative energies [ edit ]

Hanuman is worshiped also to get rid or win over demons (like   daitya ,   danava ), demi-gods (like   Yaksha ,   kinnara ,   Gandharvas ,   Nāga - Nāginī ), evil spirits (like   Bhutam ,   Preta ,   Pishacha ,   Churela ,   Vetala ,   Brahmrakshasa ) and other powerful negative energies (like Dakini ,   Shakini ,   Kakini ,   Kamini ), which find their mention in   Hinduism . [45][46][47][48]

Thai Hanuman [ edit ] The Thai Hanuman was adapted from the origin of   Ramakien   in the   India   Hanuaman. In   Thailand   culture the appearance of Hanuman wearing crown on his head and   armor   to protect him from the   demon . In addition Hanuman is a white   monkey   was derived form   Lopburi   monkey. According in Thai myth Hanuman was created by   Lord Shiva . The body of Hanuman was created by the great   Lord Shiva   main weapon. Hanuman appearance having a   crystal   teeth, diamond fur,and long tail that can surrounded the whole mountain. Moreover, Hanuman mother is   Anjana   was paralyzed for many month until god of wind   Vayu   blow into her month, and give birth from her mouth the white monkey Hanuman come out form her mouth and was already seven years old.

Hanuman was totally devoted soldier of   Rama   but still find time to seduced woman. The non-India version Hanuman in Thailand was considered as a flirty monkey character that like to seduced woman but also a very strong monkey that can kill million of King Toskaka   Demon   armies. In   Thailand   people don't believe Hanuman as a god compared to   Indiahindu   religion but only as a myth that tell form generation to generation.

The traditionally real thai   Ramakien   with no India story is that Hanuman seduced with the   mermaid   Suvannamaccha   while doing the mission for   Rama . As a result Hanuman having a son with the   mermaid   half   monkey   half   fish   Macchanu . Moreover, Hanuman having another son with the beautiful female   demon . [49]

See also [ edit ]

Hanuman temples

Hanuman Jayanti

Hanumanasana , an   asana   named after Hanuman

Sun Wukong , a Chinese literary character in   Wu Cheng'en 's masterpiece   Journey to the West

The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army

Hanuman and the Five Riders

he physical body. Vibhishana corresponds to the intellect. Sita is peace. Rama is Jnana (wisdom). To kill the ten-headed Ravana is to kill the egoism and curb the senses. To

recover Sita is to attain the peace which the Jiva (individual) has lost on account of desires. To attain Jnana is to have Darsana of Rama or the Supreme Self.

He who crosses this ocean of Moha and destroys the Rakshasas,—Raga and Dvesha (likes and dislikes),—is a Yogin who is united with Santi or Peace, ever rests in Atman, and enjoys the eternal bliss. Sri Rama stands for the 'Good' (Sattva); Ravana for the 'Evil'. Sri Rama and Ravana fought with each other. Eventually Sri Rama became victorious. The positive always overcomes the negative. Good always overcomes evil.

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Once they pass the test, Ram and Sita fly back. Air is the element of Anahat, or heart chakra. This also signifies that your path becomes a bit easier after you pass Agni pariksha.Source(s):What a great Interpretation! Thanks.senthil r · 7 years ago2Thumbs up 1Thumbs down