Hanuman ji's caste
Contents |
Hanuman ji’s caste
Hanuman ji painting
Was Hanuman ji a Dalit?
Nowhere in Valmiki’s Ramayan or other traditional Ramayans has the word Dalit been used to describe a caste or hereditary class of people. Nor is there the slightest hint that Hanuman ji was a subaltern in the caste hierarchy or was ‘untouchable’ in any way.
The theory that Hanuman ji might have been a Dalit is based on two premises
i) Hanuman called himself a dâs(daas: servant, slave) of Sri Ram. The word das has sometimes been used in ancient texts for what, today, is known as the Dalit community. Therefore, it is argued, Hanuman ji was a Dalit.
By that logic, Goswami Tulasi Das (who, beyond doubt was a Brahmin) and all saints and poets who used the pen name ‘Das’ and defined themselves as the servants of one deity or another would also be Dalits. Muslims name their children Ghulam (slave of) Muhammad/ Ali/ Hussain. Christians call themselves Servants of Jesus and, in India, Christadas. Sikhs are Gur Sevaks. This self-abasement is a sign of devotion and not subaltern-caste status.
The five heads, left to right, are: Hâya-greev; Garud; Vânar; Nara-simh; and Varâh
The order of the five heads varies in different paintings and idols but Vânar is always in the centre.
ii) According to a fake anecdote, on one occasion when Sri Ram walked towards him with extended hands, Hanuman ji stepped back and did not let Sri Ram touch him. It is argued that he did so because he felt that it would be improper for the upper-caste Sri Ram to touch a subaltern-like himself.
Those who have spread this story and this interpretation have not cited the Kaand and verse in which this incident occurs.
Contrariwise, during their first meeting itself, once Hanuman ji divined that Sri Ram was “Prabhu” (God) he fell at the Lord’s feet. (In turn, according to the KambRâmâyan, it occurred to SrîRâm that Hanumânjî was actually an incarnation of Lord Shiv.)
In many versions of the Ramayan, SrîRâm then lifted Hanumânjî from the ground and embraced him warmly.
By the end of that first meeting, even according to Valmiki, Hanumânjî placed SrîRâm and Srî Lakshman on his back (in paintings and idols: on his enormous shoulders) and started moving towards the Malay hill.
Later, during his first meeting with Sitaji in the Ashok grove, Hanumânjî said to her, “O revered lady, as soon as I give SrîRâm news [about you], he will be here with an army of Vânars and Bhâlluks. However, there is one other way out. You can climb onto my back and I will carry you across the ocean. I will take you out of the clutches of the Râkshases. Before the sun sets today you will get to see SrîRâm, who is as powerful as Lord Vishnu. So please sit on my back.” (From the Valmiki Ramayan.)
Sitaji declined, for reasons of chastity. However, Hanuman ji displayed none of the 'subaltern diffidence’ that is now being attributed to him.
Then, was Hanuman ji a Brahmin?
It is generally assumed that Hanuman ji was Brahmin because
a) The Hanuman Chalisa (written in the late 1500s) says that he wore the sacred thread (kaandhé mooñj janéu saajé). Statues in Hampi (sculpted around the same time), too, show him wearing a janéu. However, it is not certain if the vertical thread leading from Hanuman ji’s necklace to his loincloth in the Hanuman statue (AD 922) in Khajuraho could be called a janéu.
According to a tradition, Hanuman ji once told Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughn about his family, ‘We are not born naked. Not only are our bodies covered with hair and clothes, we come with our own sacred thread, club, helmet, jewellery and even prayer beads.’
This is why even in his Vanar persona Hanuman ji is shown wearing the sacred thread.
b) The Valmiki Ramayan does not mention Hanuman ji’s caste or the existence of caste among the Vanars. However, on many occasions, Hanuman ji ventured out of Kishkiñdhâ dressed like a Brahmin, e.g. when he first met Sri Ram. The Filipino Hikâyat Sarî Râm says that when Hanumânjî first met Sîtâ he was dressed as an old Brâhmin. When he first met Vibhîshan, too, it was as a Brâhmin. When Ravan started doing badly in the war against Sri Ram, he decided to organise a yagya. The Argal Stotrand the Âdhyâtm Râmâyan tell us that Hanumânjî joined this prayer as a Brahmin in order to subvert it and turn it around.
Thus, Hanuman ji had a Brahmin persona, especially when dealing with non-Vanars, but he was not a Brahmin most of the time.
The reason why Hanumânjî could not have been born, say, as an Ayodhyâ-Brâhmin, Swami Keshavananda Saraswati argues, is that in that case Srî Râm and Lakshman ‘would never have allowed [Hanumânjî] to carry them.’ (Brâhmins cannot act as porters to others.) The Vânars were not bound by ‘Védic injunctions of caste and order and stages of life’ and, therefore, there were no barriers to their serving SrîRâm, he adds.
The Valmiki Ramayanclearly mentions that Hanuman ji, then in his Brahmin guise, switched back to his Vanar persona before carrying SrîRâm and Lakshman up the hill.
Was Hanuman ji Kshatriya?
One of the main arguments for Hanuman ji's Kshatriya identity is based on his association with Lord Ram, who is considered a Kshatriya prince. As a loyal ally and servant of Lord Ram, Hanuman ji is seen as part of the Kshatriya retinue that accompanies Ram on his quest. Additionally, the Ramayan describes Hanuman ji as possessing many qualities that are traditionally associated with Kshatriyas, such as bravery, valour, and a sense of duty.
Another argument for Hanuman ji's Kshatriya identity is based on his lineage. According to some versions of the Ramayan, Hanuman ji is the son of the wind god Vayu and the celestial nymph Anjana. Both Vayu and Anjana are considered to be of Kshatriya lineage, which further supports Hanuman ji's association with the Kshatriya caste.
Some scholars point to the fact that Hanuman ji is often depicted as carrying a mace or gada, a weapon traditionally associated with Kshatriyas. The mace is considered a symbol of strength and power, and is often wielded by Kshatriya rulers and warriors.
The Krittivas Ramayan is a Bengali version of the Ramayan. It is known for its extensive descriptions of Hanuman ji's deeds and his association with the Kshatriya caste.
Furthermore, the Krittivas Ramayan portrays Hanuman ji as a fierce warrior, capable of defeating powerful demons and protecting Lord Ram's army. His ability to wield weapons and engage in combat is seen as another indication of his Kshatriya identity. Additionally, the text describes Hanuman ji as a skilled diplomat, who is able to negotiate and persuade even the most stubborn adversaries, demonstrating his prowess as a leader and strategist, traits that are also associated with Kshatriyas.
Were the Vanars tribals?
Theories attempt to explain the association between Hanuman ji and the underprivileged castes. One such theory suggests that Hanuman ji belonged to a subaltern caste because he was born a monkey. Monkeys are considered impure animals in Hinduism.
However, the Vanars were NOT monkeys. They intermarried with the nar [human] as well as Rakshas people and their women were normal humans, without tails. The Valmiki Ramayan tells us that the tails of male Vanars were their bhushan (ornament).
Were the Vanars a forest- dwelling tribe?
This depends on how you define the word ‘tribe.’
‘Tribes were communities that did not practise a religion with a written text; did not have a state or political form of the normal kind; did not have sharp class divisions; and, most important, they did not have caste and were neither Hindus nor peasants,” Byju’s informs us.
The Vanars were not tribal people buy any of these yardsticks.
They had a religion and the religion was what is today called the Sanatan Dharam. Hanuman ji makes repeated references to his devotion to Shri Vishnu whom he also refers to as Shri Hari.
They not only had a written text, the language they spoke was Sanskrit and Hanumanji was a Sanskrit scholar.
They had a state with a king, who in turn had ministers.
It is true that Kishkindha was surrounded by forests. By that definition most kingdoms in Europe and Asia and their capitals would qualify as tribal regions because on the outskirts of most cities there were forests till a few hundred years ago.
The most important thing is that rt were not some kind of primitive animals or primitive people.
The palace of Sugreev is described in great detail in the Valmiki Ramayan and its size and its ornate decor have also been described in extreme detail.
The capital of this Kingdom practised town planning of a kind some European cities did in the mediæval era. The roads were straight and were intersected by other roads at sharp right angles and there were ‘blocks’ between parallel roads, as some European, Latin American and U.S. cities have to this day.
Most importantly, they had street lighting even in that era. Clearly, they were an urban people with surgeons and other skilled professionals.
All these details are from the original Ramayana the Valmiki Ramayan, which does not mention any class divisions or caste among the Vanars.
Why the sudden interest in Hanuman ji?
The popularity of Hindu deities (and pilgrimages) is cyclical.
Hanuman ji’s popularity peaked in the 1300s, beginning with Vijayanagar, and has never seen a downturn after that. Towards the end of the Mughal era urban citizens formed Mahâbîr-dals and Bajrañg-dals in several towns. In both cases devotees began to emphasise the martial side of VîrAñjanéya, rather than, say, the humility that the Cholas had played up.
However, in recent decades, the organisation that named itself after the Bajrañg Bali and tried to promote Muscular Hinduism has remained a relatively small player, and the current Hanuman-wave cannot be attributed to the political use of his name.
Deities and temples become popular when word gets around that prayers offered to them are answered. For this reason, around A.D. 1831 Tirupati-Tirumala, and around 1986 the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, suddenly started becoming all India phenomena, which they were not before that. Shirdi is the third similar 20th century phenomenon.
Christians like my friend Kevin queue up at a central Delhi Hanuman temple every Tuesday because their prayers have beenanswered, and not because of aggressive political effort.
The aspects of Hanuman ji that have won him devotees everywhere include renunciation, self-effacement and humility. Only three days ago these qualities of Hanuman ji inspiredleading politician Uma Bharti to give up ‘all the facilities and trappings of power. [Hanuman ji] fought for everything [and won] and then sat at the feet of Lord Ram,’ she explained.
Parvez Dewan is the founder of Indpaedia.com. He has published three books on Hanumanji and has just completed a 450-page definitive biography of Hanumanji using the Valmiki, Kamb, Tulasi and regional Ramayans.
2018: Renewed interest in Hanuman ji's caste
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on [November 28, 2018] claimed that the Hindu deity Hanuman belonged to the Dalit and tribal communities during his political rally in Rajasthan.
Adityanath…was campaigning in the Malpura constituency. The chief minister said, “Hanuman was a tribal, a forest dweller and was deprived. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west. This was his resolve as it was Lord Ram’s wish."
See also
Hanuman ji's caste
