Hanuman in the Mahabharata and Beyond
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Thousands of years after the Ramayana, Hanuman appears again in the Mahabharata. It shows that, in tradition, he is a chiranjivi, one who never left the world.
- Episodes
- Meeting Bhima (Vana Parva) and the flag of Arjuna's chariot
- Relationship
- Hanuman and Bhima are both sons of Vayu, so Hanuman is Bhima's elder brother
- Chiranjivi
- Counted among the seven traditional immortals
Hanuman and Bhima
During the exile of the Pandavas, Bhima went to fetch a fragrant flower for Draupadi. On his way he found an old monkey lying across the path, his tail stretched out. Bhima, proud of his strength, told him to move aside. The monkey said he was too old and asked Bhima to lift the tail out of the way himself. Bhima, the strongest of the Pandavas, could not move it. Humbled, he asked the monkey's name, and Hanuman revealed himself. Since both were sons of Vayu, they embraced as brothers. Hanuman showed Bhima the enormous form he took to cross the ocean, and blessed him.
On Arjuna's flag
Arjuna's chariot flew a banner with Hanuman on it, which is why Arjuna is called Kapidhvaja (whose flag bears the monkey). Tradition says Hanuman promised to remain on the flag and protect the chariot in the war at Kurukshetra, and that his roar shook the hearts of Arjuna's enemies.
Hanuman the chiranjivi
In popular belief there are seven chiranjivis, the long-lived ones: Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripa and Parashurama. Hanuman's long life comes from the boons of the gods and from Ram's blessing. Devotees believe he is present wherever the story of Ram is recited, often in the form of an unseen listener.
Hanuman and Tulsidas
Tradition says Tulsidas, the poet-saint attributed with the Hanuman Chalisa and the Ramcharitmanas, was helped by Hanuman to see Ram. The Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi is traditionally linked to Tulsidas and Hanuman.
Back to the story of Hanuman and Ram or the Hanuman ji guide.
A note on sources: the story of Hanuman is told in the Valmiki Ramayana (Sanskrit), Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas (Awadhi), the Mahabharata, the Puranas and many regional retellings. The accounts agree on the main events but differ in details, so this guide says so wherever traditions differ.