Who Is Hanumān?
Hanumān (also Āñjaneyar, Marutigaṇ) is the son of Añjanā and the wind-god Vāyu, born with extraordinary powers. He serves Rāma as a devoted companion and is the hero of the Sundarakāṇḍa — the most beloved kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa — in which he leaps across the ocean to Laṅkā, finds Sītā, comforts her, and returns with news of her whereabouts.
Hanumān as the Ācārya
The Sri Vaishnava tradition interprets Hanumān's role allegorically as that of the ideal ācārya:
- He searches for the stranded Sītā (the jīva in saṃsāra) across impossible distances
- He finds her in captivity under a tree (the soul trapped in the body and karma)
- He introduces himself as Rāma's messenger — the ācārya who comes from the Lord
- He gives her Rāma's signet ring (aṅguṣṭhīyaka) — the mantra/grace transmitted by the ācārya
- He reassures her that Rāma is coming — the promise of liberation
- He asks her permission before acting — the ācārya's humility and respect for the disciple's will
Hanumān's Bhakti
Hanumān is the archetypal dāsa-bhakta — the servant-devotee. Unlike the intimate sakhya (friend) relation of Arjuna with Kṛṣṇa, or the vātsalya (parental) relation of Yaśodā with Kṛṣṇa, Hanumān's is pure dāsya — the joy of being a servant of the Lord. He represents the ideal of nitya-kainkarya: doing everything for Rāma's sake, taking no initiative for himself.