Divine Beings
Hanuman
हनुमान
The Divine Monkey
Who was Hanuman?
Hanuman (हनुमान): The Divine Monkey, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. The mighty vanara, son of Vayu and thus divine brother to Bhima.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | हनुमान |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Divine Monkey |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | Strong, Devoted, Immortal, Wise |
| Notable relationships | Divine Brother: Bhima, Protector: Arjuna, Lord (previous avatar): Rama |
| Featured in | 17 stories |
About Hanuman
The mighty vanara, son of Vayu and thus divine brother to Bhima. He resides on Arjuna's chariot flag, protecting it throughout the war.
In Their Words
Strength without devotion is like a body without soul.
Hanuman
Traits
- Strong
- Devoted
- Immortal
- Wise
Stories Featuring Hanuman
17 tales on this site name Hanuman, in canonical reading order.
- Adventures in the ForestTwelve Years of Pandava Exile
- The Meeting of BrothersThe Lesson in Humility
- The Child Who Leapt for the SunThe Birth and Boons of Hanuman
- The Arrow From Behind the TreeA wife who read the omens, and a king who would not listen
- The Bird With the Burnt WingsA search that ended at a cliff, and the brother of Jatayu
- The Sleeper WokenRavana spends his brothers one after another
- The Testimony of the ElementsWhat Rama said when she was brought back to him
- Nala's BridgeThe Ocean refuses to part and names a workman instead, and the monkey army walks to Lanka
- Lanka in the MahabharataRavana's island as the epic remembers it
- Bhima at Kubera's LakeViolence as an instrument of release
- Gandhamadana, Mountain of FragranceThe Himalayan ascent of the exile
- The Eve of BattleLast Embassies Before Kurukshetra
- The Ape on the BannerHanuman's unseen war
- The Mace That Turned BackVaruna's gift to a river's son, and the one rule he forgot
- The Bow Tip and the BoastKarna keeps his word to Kunti and pays for it in insults
- The King Falls Out of His SeatDhritarashtra hears that Drona is dead, faints in his hall, and wakes to ask who was supposed to be guarding him
- The Plunder of the Kaurava CampThe victors ride into Duryodhana's empty tents, and Arjuna's chariot turns to ash
Character Arc
- The MeetingTests Bhima in the forest
- The ProtectionGuards Arjuna's chariot
Key Relationships
Places in Hanuman's Story
Drawn from the stories Hanuman appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.