Hanuman Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, is one of the most celebrated and worshipped figures in Indian religion. He is one of the heros of the Ramayana, and is famous for his devotion to Rama. Hanuman is hailed as a symbol of selflessness and loyalty. The worship of Hanuman helps a person to counter the bad karma that was born out of selfish action, and grants the believer fortitude and strength in their own trials through their journey of life. Hanuman’s birth starts with an apsara (a heavenly maiden) named Anjana. She was a celestial maiden of Brahma's court. One day, pleased by her service, Brahma told her he would grant her one boon. Hesitantly, she asked him to remove a curse that had been placed on her by a Rishi Angirasa, a sage.…show more content… As a child his mother told him that he would be fed fruits as red and ripe as the sun. One day when Anjaneya was hungry, he looked up and saw the sun and took it for a fruit. He leapt up and tried to eat it. The sun, afraid, called for help. Indra, the leader of the devas, heard his call and ordered Anjaneya to cease his chasing. The monkey child refused and in his anger Indra struck his chin with his vajra (lightning thunderbolt), disfiguring his jaw and making him fall back to earth. Vayu saw his godson in such disarray and was furious. He took his godson underneath the earth. But with him gone, the wind did not blow, and eventually people began to die. To appease his anger, the other devas gifted Anjaneya with many blessings. He was blessed with invulnerability, shapeshifting, longevity, wisdom, a strong body, speed, invulnerability to fire and water, immorality, and many more boons. He was also given the name Hanuman by Indra. Hanuman means disfigured jaw and as such, was an apt name for…show more content… He worked his way up from the bottom and through his perseverance, rose to the top. Since he is also a devotee, people relate to him more, as they know that he likely went through the same struggles as they do. His humbleness is also very appealing to people. Once, Hanuman carved into a mountain the exploits of Rama. When Maharishi Valmiki went to show Hanuman his version of the Ramayana, Valmiki was astound by Hanuman’s version and was ashamed of his own. When Hanuman found out about Valmiki’s shame, he immediately threw his version into the river so that Valmiki’s would be the one
