In the epic Ramayana, Hanuman is referred to by a number of different names. Some of these names include Maruti, Chiranjivi, Anjaneya, and others.
He is the paragon of unflinching devotion to Lord Rama as exemplified by his actions. He is also the oldest known superhuman, is well-known in regions outside of the Indian subcontinent, and is mentioned in the practices and beliefs of a variety of diverse cultures. In this article, we delve into the symbolic significance of one of the most amazing Hindu gods.
Those who are knowledgeable about Hinduism and the story of the Ramayana epic would be familiar with the deity Hanuman.
Lord Hanuman is widely considered the greatest devotee that the world has ever seen. It is said that he was vital in the process of liberating Sita and conquering Ravana, the king of the demons, making him one of the most important characters in the epic Ramayana. Lord Rama was granted permission by his wife Sita to remain on Earth and continue his job there till the completion of the time cycle that is currently occurring.
The term "monkey deity" has been used to describe Hanuman quite frequently in Western culture; nevertheless, this description is incorrect because Hanuman is more than just a monkey.
The Remarkable Qualities of Lord Hanuman
Even in modern times, supporters of Lord Rama believe that whenever his name is invoked or recited, a holy person is there, listening to the chanting of his name while they are lost in thought. He is mentioned in early Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain scriptures in addition to the Ramayana, which is the most well-known of these.
According to Hindu legend, Hanuman's birth to Kesari and Anjana Devi was an act of divine providence on the part of Lord Siva. As a result of the fact that he possessed Vayu's power and blessings from birth, he is frequently referred to as Vayu's son (Pavanputra). He is also known by the name Anjaneya, which comes from the fact that Anjana is his mother.
Hanuman was endowed with superhuman strength and supernatural talents. He was the most powerful superman ever known to mankind, with the ability to fly across huge distances, expand or shrink his body on command, and go all the way across the planets to the Sun and back again. He was also able to change the size of his body at will.
Through the use of his superhuman strength and might, he was able to kill a large number of evil creatures and potent demons. He stated that he had once ventured beyond the globe into space when he was a child and that he had made an unsuccessful attempt to consume the Sun with his mouth because he believed it to be a fruit.
In later years, the deity who represented the sun acted as his guide, due to a curse, he was able to use his magical skills, but he would forget about them and act normally unless someone reminded him of his greatness and motivated him to use his abilities for a good purpose. He would then remember his greatness and use his abilities for a noble cause.
Hanuman served as Sugreeva's chief minister before Rama accidentally killed the brother of Vali from behind a tree, rather than in a frontal confrontation. There are many theories as to why he did it, but if one can connect the dots Rama did it out of genuine love for Hanuman and because he understood the critical nature of his relationship with Hanuman once Vali was gone and Sugreeva, feeble as he was, took over.
There are many other explanations as to why he did it, but in my opinion, it was solely motivated by his love for Hanuman and his awareness of how crucial their connection would be. When the time came for the decisive battle with Ravana, the heavenly leader Rama was searching for people who possessed the same qualities that Hanuman did, namely a high level of intelligence, comprehension, and wisdom. He wanted to form a formidable army of warriors with which to do battle with Ravana at that point.
The first time that Rama and Hanuman meet is recounted in the epic poem known as the Ramayana. During their search for Sita, Sugreeva, and Hanuman happened to cross paths with Rama and Laksmana while they were traveling through the forests of Kishkindha.
In the beginning, Sugreeva was suspicious of the outsiders because he thought that his brother Vali might have been behind their arrival. Hanuman explained to him that because they gave off the impression of being honorable and dignified warriors who were also harmless, it was highly unlikely that they were either Vali's friends or spies sent by him.
Sugreeva gave him his conditional approval, and in order to relieve his doubts and misgivings, he addressed the guests while pretending to be a brahmana and asked them why they were there. Sugreeva's approval was only conditional.
Hanuman's presence brought Rama a great deal of joy. It was his good demeanor, his tasteful language, his naivety, and his straightforward and trusting character that took him by surprise. Instantaneously, he recognized in him the qualities of an excellent messenger (duta), someone on whom he could rely and place his trust when the appropriate moment arose.
This was the beginning of a mythical link between a divine manifestation and a perfect disciple, which is today referenced as the ideal representation of the most unadulterated form of devotion and sincere surrender. This relationship is said to have lasted for thousands of years.
What Lord Hanuman Means Symbolically
Lord Hanuman is a symbol of undying devotion, complete submission, and the absence of one's ego or lower self. He never waivers in his service to the gods. His persona teaches us what we are capable of achieving in life if we become loyal and unwavering followers of God, if we join the forces of righteousness, if we support those who are vulnerable, and if we practice self-control, firm faith, and absolute submission.
When refined and converted, he becomes stabilized in God and serves the divine cause in entire surrender, similar to how Hanuman's lower self served the divine cause in complete surrender. He represents the animal (Neanderthal) essence of man. He is known throughout the vanara race as a strong fighter.
As the son of Vayu, he serves as a representation of the subtle bodies, more especially the breath body, the mental body, and the intelligence body. The breath body is responsible for the ability of our bodies to move prana, also known as life energy. It is strong in those who live lives that are morally upright, who are celibate, and who practice austerities; these are attributes that Anjaneya was famous for.
To those who worship Hanuman, He is a representation of the mental body, which is made up of the thoughts that move through our chitta, also known as our awareness. Our ability to dream, astral projection, and creative expression are all under its purview. Buddhi, also known as discretionary intellect, is one of the highest tattvas, or principles of Nature, and it is responsible for the formation of the intelligence body. It is believed that the buddhi within us is an exact representation of heavenly wisdom. It is in charge of our decision-making abilities, our ability to reason, and our conscience.
Hanuman is the embodiment of morality as well as superhuman might, and as such, he is a symbol of all of these admirable characteristics. In this essay, we'll investigate the symbolic meaning of Hanuman as the mental embodiment of the human mind and all of its many characteristics and capacities. Hanuman is known as the monkey god.
The mind is restless (like a monkey), and it hops from one location to another, following objects and indulging in innumerable activities that disrupt the peace and quiet of the surrounding surroundings. The mind, much like Hanuman, is free to wander anywhere it pleases.
It is able to mentally link with anybody or anything it chooses, as well as soar through the air, instantly travel across continents and the entire planet at the speed of thought, and mentally connect with anything it wants.
It is also able to self-expand and self-contract according to user preferences (again like Hanuman). As long as it is ruled by solely animal passions and behaviors based on senses, it will continue to be unstable and mischievous, and it will be a significant source of disruption in the world that the individual inhabits.
But once the lower self (Sita) and the Soul (Rama) are connected, and the inner self is totally and unconditionally submitted to, it takes on magical skills and achieves tremendous deeds like Hanuman, laboring for the holy cause. In other words, it becomes enlightened.
It does this by using its willpower to eradicate any and all harmful concepts, so laying the groundwork for the establishment of the kingdom of God (Ramarajya) within the physical body. Hanuman is sometimes portrayed as a metaphor for the mental essence that has always been totally devoted to God and completely absorbed in contemplating what He has to offer.
Yet Hanuman can also be understood in a variety of other ways. Because he is the only person who is certain of Rama's presence, he is given the name "Hanuman," which means "the Unwavering One" (God). It is he who, like an anjaniputra, stumbles into this world by accident and, as a result of his own efforts, ascends to higher degrees of spiritual growth than anybody else.
He is our breath body, also known as Vayuputra, and he is able to aid the lower self, also known as Sita. Ignorance has caused Sita to become estranged from its true companion, the inner soul (Rama). Through his portrayal of Veeranjaneya, he inspires courage and self-assurance in the hearts of many people.
He is comparable to Bhajarangbali in terms of both his physical strength and his level of devotion. He is a friend to those who have excellent hearts and a never-ending supply of virtues. He admires the ascetic qualities that are present in man since it is only those who are psychologically detached from the pleasures of life and the desires of their bodies who are able to concentrate completely on the divine and ultimately attain Him.
Hanuman represents the individual Self in the macrocosm, while Rama symbolizes the Absolute Self. Hanuman is the follower of the individual Self. Under the context of the embodied Self as a microcosm, Rama is a stand-in for the embodied Self, or jiva, which is caught up in the endless cycle of births and deaths (Samsara). The term "Sita" refers to the individual's bodily self and is synonymous with the mind-body complex (Kshetra). Ravana's ten heads stand in for the ten senses that have become corrupted as a result of the ego's influence.
Hanuman is a representation of the breath. When the ego and the senses try to carry away and misuse the mind and body, the embodied soul is able to rein in the senses with the assistance of the breath, therefore silencing the ego, reclaiming control of the mind and body, and stabilizing them in the contemplation of God.
Hence, the meaning of Hanuman can mean a variety of things. Chiranjeevi, the immortal man, the animal man, and the flying human (va+nara) are some of the names that have been given to him. He is also known as Superman, the ideal man, the knowledge body (gnana guna sagara) in man, Chiranjeevi, and the animal man.
He exemplifies unwavering allegiance and complete subservience in every way. In addition to this, he symbolizes the potential for the animal man within each of us to become purified and attain immortality by walking the path of devotion and service to God.
He was an advanced being who was oddly born as a manifestation of Lord Shiva, before turning into a great devotee of Shri Mahavishnu through Lord Rama, there is truly no other god in the Hindu pantheon that is comparable to Shri Hanuman. This is due to the fact that Shri Hanuman was an avatar of Lord Shiva.
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