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Hanuman - The Monkey God
Hanuman, the revered Hindu monkey deity, is celebrated for his courage, strength, and unwavering dedication to selfless service. Legends narrate his birth from Anjana, a celestial nymph cursed to live as a monkey, and Vayu, the wind god, from whom he inherited the ability to fly.
The Symbolism of Hanuman
Famously, Hanuman once mistook the Sun for a giant fruit and leaped to snatch it, leading to a chase that reached the heavens of Indra. Indra intervened by striking Hanuman with a thunderbolt, injuring his jaw. Vayu, in retaliation, caused discomfort to the gods until they healed Hanuman and granted him immortality.
Notorious for his mischievous youth, Hanuman often vexed forest-dwelling sages with his powers. To curb his antics, the gods sought Brahma's intervention, who then cursed Hanuman to forget his immense powers, effectively shielding the world from his juvenile disruptions.
"When there is a mountain to be moved, remember me - I am the servant of Lord Rama and the son of the wind."
Hanuman's incredible power, such as his ability to grow significantly larger, was rekindled by Jambavant, the King of the bears, who reminded him of his dormant capabilities. For instance, Hanuman could enlarge himself to surpass an elephant's size with ease.
During the Ramayana, Hanuman was tasked as a scout to Lanka. To get there, he had to overcome Sursa, who demanded that anyone she encountered must pass through her mouth as per a divine boon. In a clever maneuver, Hanuman expanded his size as Sursa attempted to swallow him, only to quickly shrink and escape through her ear, thus adhering to the boon's conditions.
In Lanka's Ashokvatika, Hanuman located Sita, held captive by Ravana, who persistently coerced her to marry him. Disguised, Hanuman reassured Sita of her impending rescue and presented Rama's signet ring as proof of his mission. After revealing himself, Hanuman confronted Ravana's son Meghnaath and defeated him, although he was eventually captured by the demon forces of Lanka.
Brought before the demon king, Ravana ordered that while as a messenger of Rama he could not be killed, his tail could be set afire with cloth and oil. Hanuman used his powers to grow his tail so large that the demons had no cloth left to cover it. While they continued to put fire to his tail, Hanuman suddenly became very small and escaped from his ropes.
Trailing his burning tail behind him, Hanuman set fire to all of Lanka and flew back to the mainland. He rejoined Rama and gave him valuable information on Ravana's forces. The army crossed a bridge to Lanka that was made by another monkey leader and master architect called Nala.
During the mighty battle that followed, Hanuman defeated the Demon Lankini, who was the principal guard of the city of Lanka.
Hanuman's greatest feat during the battle of Lanka recovering an herb that cured Lakshman from a fatal wound. He flew all the way to the Himalayas to find it. Being harassed by many demons along the way, such as Kalanemi. Indra was confusing Hanuman which stopped him from finding the herb intself. Instead, Hanuman would bring the entire mountain back to Lanka.
Ravana was ultimately defeated by Rama and Rama and Sita were crowned King and Queen of Ayodhya. Hanuman, present for the ceremony, remained Rama's favorite general and continued his life in service to him. When Rama offered him any boon that he cared to name, he asked to live for as long as men spoke of the deeds of Rama.
