02-14-2006, 08:10 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->btw, does hanuman have ANY vedic or puranic reference??? or did the legend of Hanuman (and the worshipping too) start after the Ramayana was WRITTEN (not when Ramayana actually happened/occurred.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hanuman, Sugreeva, Vali and others were sons of (or born with the blessings of) celestial beings like Vayu, Surya, Indra, etc respectively. From the description given by Valmiki, Hanuman definitely had a tail and he was proud of it. Also, Hanuman according to Valmiki had the powers to physically change his size at will.
These people were termed Vaanaras - Forest dwellers - which is also synonymous with the word for Monkeys. Thus, even if you take the vanaras to be monkeys, they were no ordinary monkeys. Hanuman was literate, educated, and well versed in diplomacy, warfare, and other fine arts.
There is no record (as far as I know) of Hanuman being worshipped before or even during period depicted in Valmiki Ramayana. The worship should have begun later on.
Hanuman, Sugreeva, Vali and others were sons of (or born with the blessings of) celestial beings like Vayu, Surya, Indra, etc respectively. From the description given by Valmiki, Hanuman definitely had a tail and he was proud of it. Also, Hanuman according to Valmiki had the powers to physically change his size at will.
These people were termed Vaanaras - Forest dwellers - which is also synonymous with the word for Monkeys. Thus, even if you take the vanaras to be monkeys, they were no ordinary monkeys. Hanuman was literate, educated, and well versed in diplomacy, warfare, and other fine arts.
There is no record (as far as I know) of Hanuman being worshipped before or even during period depicted in Valmiki Ramayana. The worship should have begun later on.