HANUMAN.
हनुमान्
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Hanumān
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Hanuman ( Sanskrit: हनुमान्) is an ardent
devotee of Lord Rama and
one of the central characters in the various versions of the epic Ramayana found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. As
one of the Chiranjivi, he is also
mentioned in several other texts, such as the Mahabharata, the
various Puranas and
some Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh texts Several later texts also present him as an
incarnation of Shiva. Hanuman
is the son of Anjana and Kesari and is also son of the
wind-god Vayu, who according to several stories, played
a role in his birth.
His theological origins
in Hinduism are
unclear. Alternate theories include him having ancient roots, being a non-Aryan
deity who was Sanskritised by the Vedic Aryans, or that he is a fusion deity
who emerged in literary works from folk Yaksha protector deities and theological
symbolism.
Hanuman has many names
like Maruti, Pawansuta, Bajrangbali, Mangalmurti but these names are rarely
used. Hanuman is the common name of the monkey god.
One interpretation of
the term is that it means "one having a jaw (hanu) that is
prominent (mant)". This version is supported by a Puranic legend
wherein baby Hanuman mistakes the sun for a fruit, attempts to heroically reach
it, is wounded and gets a disfigured jaw.
A second, less common
interpretation is that the name derives from the Sanskrit words Han ("killed"
or "destroyed") and maana (pride); the name implies
"one whose pride was destroyed". This epithet resonates with the
story in the Ramayana about his emotional devotion to Rama and Sita. He combines two of the
most cherished traits in the Hindu bhakti-shakti worship traditions: "heroic, strong, assertive
excellence" and "loving, emotional devotion to personal god".
·
Anjaneya, Anjaniputra (Kannada),
Anjaneyar (Tamil), Anjaneyudu (Telugu), Anjanisuta all
meaning "the son of Hanuman's mother Anjana".
·
Maruti, or the son of the wind god;
·
Bajrang
Bali,
"the strong one (bali), who had limbs (anga) as hard as
a vajra (bajra)"; this name is
widely used in rural North India.
·
Sankata
Mochana, the
remover of dangers (sankata)
According to Valmiki's Ramayana, one morning in
his childhood, Hanuman was hungry and saw the rising red colored sun. Mistaking it for a ripe fruit, he leapt up to
eat it. In one version of the Hindu legend, the king of gods Indra intervened
and struck his thunderbolt. It hit Hanuman on his jaw, and he fell to the earth
unconscious with a broken jaw. His father, Vayu (air), states Ramayana in
section 4.65, became upset and withdrew. The lack of air created immense
suffering to all living beings. This led Prajapati, the god
of life, to intervene and resuscitate Hanuman, which in turn prompted Vayu to
return to the living beings.
Learned Yogi: In the late medieval texts and thereafter,
such as those by Tulasidas,
attributes of Hanuman include learned in Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism, the Vedas, a poet, a polymath, a grammarian, a singer
and musician par excellence.
Strength: Hanuman is extraordinarily strong, one
capable of lifting and carrying any burden for a cause. He is called Vira, Mahavira, Mahabala and
other names signifying this attribute of his. During the epic war between Rama
and Ravana, Rama's brother Lakshmana is wounded. He can only be healed and his
death prevented by a herb found in a particular Himalayan mountain. Hanuman
leaps and finds the mountain. There, states Ramayana, Hanuman finds
the mountain is full of many herbs. He doesn't know which one to take. So, he
lifts the entire Himalayan mountain and carries it across India to Lanka for
Lakshmana. His immense strength thus helps Lakshmana recover from his wound.
Numerous versions of
the Ramayana exist within India. These present variant legends
of Hanuman, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Ravana. The characters and their
descriptions vary, in some cases quite significantly.
Hanuman Chalisa
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
Hanuman is a central character in the
annual Ramlila celebrations in India, and seasonal
dramatic arts in southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand; and Bali and Java,
Indonesia. Ramlila is a dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama
according to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana or secondary
literature based on it such as the Ramcharitmanas. It particularly
refers to the thousands of dramatic plays and dance events that are staged
during the annual autumn festival of Navratri in India.
1. Pawanputra Hanuman was an incarnation of Lord Shiva
and is considered to be an exemplification of strength, devotion, and
perseverance.
2. The name 'Hanuman' actually means
'disfigured jaw' in Sanskrit.
3) Hanuman
also created his version of Ramayan – which was supposedly a superior
version compared to that of Valmiki’s.
After
the war at Lanka, Hanuman went to Himalaya for continuing his reverence of Lord
Ram, Hanuman etched his version of Ram’s tale on the walls of the
Himalayas with his nails.
When Maharshi Valmiki
visited Hanuman to show his version of Ramayana, he saw the walls and felt sad as Valmiki believed that
Hanuman’s Ramayana was superior and that his arduously created version of
the Ramayana would remain unnoticed. Realising this, Hanuman discarded his
version. Taken aback, Valmiki said he would love to be reborn to sing the glory
of Hanuman!
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