Hanuman ji is the great devotee of Shri Ram in the Ramayana. He is the son of Anjana and Kesari, born by the blessing of Vayu, the wind god, which is why he is called Pavanputra; the Shaiva tradition sees him as a form of Shiva.
He crossed the ocean to find Sita, burned Lanka and brought the sanjeevani for Lakshman. Hindus worship him for strength, courage and devotion, and believe him to be ever living.
His Parents and Birth
His mother is Anjana and his father Kesari, a chief of the vanaras. The Valmiki Ramayana tells that Anjana received a son by the blessing of Vayu, the wind god (Kishkindha Kanda 66), so Hanuman ji is also called the son of the wind: Pavanputra, Maruti. This and much more is gathered in the Wikipedia article on Hanuman.
The Shaiva tradition sees him as a form of Shiva, and the Hanuman Chalisa says so too: “Sankar Suvan Kesareenandan” (chaupai 6).
Most of India keeps his birth on Chaitra Purnima; other regions keep other days, listed on our Hanuman Jayanti page. Several places claim to be his birthplace: Anjanadri hill near Hampi in Karnataka, Anjaneri near Nashik in Maharashtra, and Anjanadri at Tirumala.
Who He Is in the Hanuman Chalisa
Tulsidas ji tells Hanuman ji’s story in the Chalisa itself. These eight lines, in our English letters with their meaning, give it in short. Tap a place to read the line in full.
| Chaupai 2 | Ram Doot Atulit Bal Dhama । Anjani-Putra Pavanasut Nama ॥ You are Shri Ram’s messenger and a home of strength that has no equal. You are known as Anjani-Putra (son of Anjana) and Pavanasut (son of the Wind god). |
| Chaupai 6 | Sankar Suvan Kesareenandan । Tej Pratap Maha Jag Bandan ॥ You are a form of Lord Shankar (Shiva) and the son of Kesari ji. Your glory and power are great, and the whole world bows to you. |
| Chaupai 3 | Mahabeer Bikram Bajarangi । Kumati Nivar Sumati Ke Sangi ॥ O great hero, you are very brave, and your body is as strong as a vajra (thunderbolt). You take away bad thinking and stand by those who think well. |
| Chaupai 18 | Jug Sahasra Jojan Par Bhanu । Leelyo Tahi Madhur Phal Janu ॥ The sun is a huge distance away (jug sahasra jojan), yet you swallowed it, thinking it was a sweet fruit. |
| Chaupai 19 | Prabhu Mudrika Meli Mukh Mahin । Jaladhi Langhi Gaye Acharaj Nahin ॥ Keeping Lord Shri Ram’s ring in your mouth, you leapt across the ocean. It is no wonder. |
| Chaupai 9 | Sookshma Roop Dhari Siyahin Dikhava । Bikat Roop Dhari Lank Jarava ॥ You took a tiny form to appear before Sita ji, and a fearsome form to burn Lanka. |
| Chaupai 11 | Lay Sajeevan Lakhan Jiyaye । Shreeraghubeer Harashi Ur Laye ॥ You brought the sanjeevani herb and brought Lakshman ji back to life. Shri Raghubeer (Shri Ram) was so happy that he hugged you to his heart. |
| Chaupai 32 | Ram Rasayan Tumhare Pasa । Sada Raho Raghupati Ke Dasa ॥ You hold the medicine of devotion to Ram (Ram rasayan), and you always remain the servant of Shri Raghupati (Shri Ram). |
The Sun, the Jaw and His Name
As a child, Hanuman ji saw the rising sun and leapt at it, taking it for a sweet fruit (chaupai 18). Indra struck him with his vajra, and it hit his jaw. Hanu means jaw, and this is one explanation of the name Hanuman.
He has many other names. Bajrangbali means the strong one whose body is as hard as the vajra; the Chalisa calls him “Mahabeer Bikram Bajarangi” (chaupai 3). Maruti and Pavanputra name him the son of the wind, Kesarinandan the son of Kesari, Anjaneya the son of Anjana. More on our 12 names page.
Why He Forgot His Powers
After the fall, the gods blessed the child with many gifts of strength and protection. As a boy he used his powers for pranks, until he teased a sage at his meditation. The sage cursed him to forget his powers until someone reminded him of them.
Years later, when the search for Sita reached the ocean and no one could cross it, Jambavan, the wise bear, reminded Hanuman ji of who he was. He remembered, grew huge and leapt to Lanka.
Hanuman in the Ramayana
Hanuman ji met Shri Ram and Lakshman in Kishkindha and brought them to Sugriva. When Sita was taken by Ravana, he carried Ram’s ring in his mouth across the ocean (chaupai 19), found Sita in the Ashoka Vatika, laid the garden waste, and burned Lanka with his own burning tail (chaupai 9). This part of the story is told in the Sundara Kanda.
In the war, when Lakshman lay wounded, Hanuman ji brought the sanjeevani herb from the Himalayas, carrying the whole mountain when he could not tell which herb it was (chaupai 11). Through it all he asked nothing for himself and remained Ram’s servant (chaupai 32).
For these deeds devotees call him Sankat Mochan, the one who frees from trouble; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ashtak sings of them.
Was Hanuman Married?
The Ramayana and most of the Puranas describe Hanuman ji as celibate, a brahmachari, and that is how most devotees revere him.
Some regional sources tell of his marriage to Suvarchala, the daughter of Surya. Later stories also tell of Makardhwaj, born from a drop of Hanuman ji’s sweat that fell into the ocean; the Valmiki Ramayana does not mention him. These are different traditions, each kept with respect.
हनुमान जी कौन हैं
हनुमान जी की माता अंजना और पिता केसरी थे, जो वानरों के राजा थे। पवन देव के आशीर्वाद से उनका जन्म हुआ, इसीलिए चालीसा कहती है: “अंजनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा”।
बचपन में उन्होंने उगते सूरज को मीठा फल समझकर उसकी ओर छलाँग लगा दी: “लील्यो ताहि मधुर फल जानू”। इंद्र के वज्र से उनकी ठोड़ी (हनु) पर चोट लगी, और कहते हैं इसी से उनका नाम हनुमान पड़ा।
बड़े होकर वे श्रीराम के भक्त बने। सीता माता की खोज में वे राम जी की अँगूठी मुँह में रखकर समुद्र लाँघ गए: “जलधि लाँघि गये अचरज नाहीं”। लंका जलाई, और युद्ध में घायल लक्ष्मण जी के लिए संजीवनी लाए: “लाय सजीवन लखन जियाये”।
उन्होंने अपने लिए कभी कुछ नहीं माँगा और सदा राम के सेवक रहे। भक्त उन्हें चिरंजीवी मानते हैं, यानी सदा जीवित। पूरी चालीसा अर्थ सहित हमारे अर्थ वाले पेज पर है।
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions people often ask about Hanuman ji, in English and in Hindi.
Read the Hanuman Chalisa in Hindi with its meaning, learn his 12 names, or see when Hanuman Jayanti falls.