Hanumān: The Power-Dispensing Monkey in North Indian Folk Religion
- 1 August 1978
- journal article
- Published by Duke University Press in Journal of Asian Studies
- Vol. 37 (4) , 653-661
- https://doi.org/10.2307/2054368
Abstract
Hanumān, the ancient monkey-divinity of India: for many, he represents the force of life in man's struggle to exist. He is most famous for his devotion to the god-king Rāma, and for his exploits as leader of the monkey army that helped save Rāma's princess from the demon-king of Laṅkā. Yet in the Bhojpurī-speaking area of western Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Hanumān is a god of great importance in his own right. There he is worshiped as the epitome of strength and vitality; popular legends associate him not so much with the self-restrained Rāma as with Śiva, possessor of creative and destructive energy.Keywords
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