Hanuman

Hanuman in Lanka

*Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes* (mentioned)

*Aru Shah and the City of Gold*

**Hanuman** is a divine vanara companion of Lord Rama. He is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is a very ardent devotee of Lord Rama. He is also mentioned in several other texts, such as the epic Mahabharata and the various Puranas.

## History

### Birth

According to Hindu legends, Hanuman was born to Anjana Devi and the Vanara king, Kesari. Hanuman is also known to be the son of Vayu, the wind god.

### Childhood

When he was young, the son of Vayu mistook the sun for a fruit, he had lots of mischievous exploits as a kid. He clashed with a planet and threw off a scheduled eclipse, Indra got so mad he used Varja to strike him in the side of his face and down from the sky. That's how he earned the name Hanuman, it means 'prominent jaw'. Vayu got so upset by this he shut himself in a cave cutting off the planet's oxygen supply. Shiva decided to bring Hanuman back to life, which made Vayu return. Indra apoligzed by making Hanuman's body as strong as hi Vajra, which is also now immune to him. Agni and Varuna also gave him immunity to fire and water. Vayu gave his son the power to be as fast as wind and immunity from it. Brahma allowed Hanuman to move at any place where he cannot be stopped at anywhere, Vishnu gifted Hanuman with a divin mace.

He was also known for playing countless pranks at sages. This, in turn, led to him getting cursed by the sages to forget his powers until reminded.

## In the Ramayana

### Helping Lord Rama

After Rama and his brother Lakshmana, searching for Rama's kidnapped wife, Sita, arrive in Kishkindha, the new king, and Rama's newfound ally the monkey king Sugriva, agree to send scouts in all four directions to search for Rama's missing wife. To the south, Sugriva sends Hanuman and some others, including the great bear Jambavan. This group travels all the way to the southernmost tip of India, where they encounter the ocean with the island of Lanka visible in the horizon. The group wishes to investigate the island, but none can swim or jump so far (it was common for such supernatural powers to be common amongst characters in these epics). However, Jambavan knows from prior events that Hanuman used to be able to do such a feat with ease, and lifts his curse. The curse lifted, Hanuman now remembers all of his dynamic divine powers. He is said to have transformed into the size of mountain, and flew across the narrow channel to Lanka.

### In Lanka

#### Meeting with Sita

Upon landing, he discovers a city populated by the Lanka king Ravana and his demon followers, so he shrinks down to the size of an ant and sneaks into the city. After searching the city, he discovers Sita in a grove, guarded by demon warriors. When they all fall asleep, he meets with Sita and discusses how he came to find her. She reveals that Ravana kidnapped her and is forcing her to marry him soon. He offers to rescue her but Sita refuses, stating that her husband must do it.

#### Burning Lanka

After visiting Sita, he starts destroying the grove, prompting his capture. Regardless of the tale, he ends up captured in the court of Ravana himself, who laughs when Hanuman tells him that Rama is coming to take back Sita. Ravana orders his servants to light Hanuman's tail on fire as torture for threatening his safety. However, every time they put on an oil-soaked cloth to burn, he grows his tail longer so that more clothes need to be added. This continues until Ravana has had enough and orders the lighting to begin. However, when his tail is lit, he shrinks his tail back and breaks free of his bonds with his superhuman strength. He jumps out a window and jumps from rooftop to rooftop, burning down building after building, until much of the city is ablaze. Seeing this triumph, Hanuman leaves back for India.

### War

Upon returning, he tells his scouting party what had occurred, and they rush back to Kishkindha, where Rama had been waiting all along for news. Upon hearing that Sita was safe and was awaiting him, Rama gathered the support of Sugriva's army and marched for Lanka. Thus begins the legendary Battle of Lanka.

#### Carrying the Sanjeevini Mountain

Throughout the long battle, Hanuman played a role as a general in the army. During one intense fight, Lakshmana, Rama's brother, was fatally wounded; it was thought that he would die without the aid of an herb from a Himalayan mountain. Hanuman was the only one who could make the journey so quickly, and was thus sent to the mountain.

Upon arriving, he discovered that there were many herbs along the mountainside, and did not want to take the wrong herb back. So instead, he grew to the size of a mountain, ripped the mountain from the Earth, and flew it back to the battle.

### Aftermath of the war

In the end, Rama revealed his divine powers as the incarnation of the God Vishnu, and slew Ravana and the rest of the demon army. Finally finished, Rama returned to his home of Ayodhya to return to his place as king. After blessing all those who aided him in the battle with gifts, Rama gave Hanuman his gift, who threw it away. Many court officials, perplexed, were angered by this act. Hanuman replied that rather than needing a gift to remember Rama, he would always be in his heart. Some court officials, still upset, asked him for proof, and Hanuman tore open his chest, which had an image of Rama and Sita on his heart. Now proven as a true devotee, Rama cured him and blessed him with immortality, but Hanuman refused this and asked only for a place at Rama's feet to worship him. Touched, Rama blessed him with immortality anyway. Like Shesha Nag, Hanuman would live on after the Kalpa.