Vanara popularly refers to the race of ape-like
humanoidA humanoid is a hybrid term from Latin humanus "human" and the Greek -oeides expressing likeness. The term was coined in the year of 1918 to refer to fossils considered close to human but not strictly human, including species now classified as Homo such as the Neanderthals.The term more generally...
s in the
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
epic
RamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon . The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being Mahabharata...
who were brave and inquisitive by nature. The term
Vanara can be described as forest-dweller (vane carati iti vanara). The epic
MahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
describe them as a tribe dwelling in the midst of forest, and mentions them being encountered by
SahadevaSahadeva was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was one of the twin sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. His twin brother was named Nakula...
, a
PandavaIn the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava brothers are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. All five brothers were married to one woman, Draupadi...
general who led a military campaign to south India. They had some human speech ability but are believed now to be extinct.
Vanaras are created by
BrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
and other gods to help
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
in battle against
RavanaRavana is a character in Hindu and Srilankan history, a powerful legendary king who ruled in Ancient Lanka and is the primary antagonist in the Ramayan epic....
.
Vanara popularly refers to the race of ape-like
humanoidA humanoid is a hybrid term from Latin humanus "human" and the Greek -oeides expressing likeness. The term was coined in the year of 1918 to refer to fossils considered close to human but not strictly human, including species now classified as Homo such as the Neanderthals.The term more generally...
s in the
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
epic
RamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon . The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being Mahabharata...
who were brave and inquisitive by nature. The term
Vanara can be described as forest-dweller (vane carati iti vanara). The epic
MahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa , and forms an important part of Hindu mythology....
describe them as a tribe dwelling in the midst of forest, and mentions them being encountered by
SahadevaSahadeva was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was one of the twin sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. His twin brother was named Nakula...
, a
PandavaIn the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava brothers are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. All five brothers were married to one woman, Draupadi...
general who led a military campaign to south India. They had some human speech ability but are believed now to be extinct.
In the Ramayana
Vanaras are created by
BrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
and other gods to help
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
in battle against
RavanaRavana is a character in Hindu and Srilankan history, a powerful legendary king who ruled in Ancient Lanka and is the primary antagonist in the Ramayan epic....
. They are strong and powerful with many godly traits to fight battles. Taking Brahma orders the gods have agreed and accordingly started to parent sons in the semblance of monkeys (Ramayana 1.17.8). The Vanaras took birth in bears and monkeys attaining the shape and valor of the gods and goddesses who created them (Ramayana 1.17.17-18). After Vanaras are created they began to organize into armies and spread across the forests and some stayed, including Vali, Sugriva, Hanuman etc., near mount Riskshavat. The Vanaras started to procreate too in the forests.
According to the
RamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is attributed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon . The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being Mahabharata...
, the Vanaras lived primarily in the region of Kishkindha in present-day southern
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, in the midst of Dandaka Forest, where Lord
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
met them during his search for
SitaSITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the aviation industry. Originally known as the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, the company no longer uses this long name and is now known simply as...
.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/index.htm The Vanaras helped Rama in his search, and also in his battle against
RavanaRavana is a character in Hindu and Srilankan history, a powerful legendary king who ruled in Ancient Lanka and is the primary antagonist in the Ramayan epic....
, Sita's abductor. As described in the epic, the characteristics of the Vanara include being amusing, childish, mildly irritating, badgering, hyperactive, adventurous, bluntly honest, loyal, courageous, and kind.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/index.htmtranslation
Well-known Vanara
- Lord Hanuman
Hanuman , known also as Anjaneya or Maruti , is one of the most popular concepts of devotees of God in Hinduism and one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic, the Ramayana...
, devotee of Lord RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/hindu/hanuman.htm
- Anjana
' was the mother of Hanuman, one of the heroes of the Indian epic, the Ramayana. According to one version of the story, was an apsara named , who came to earth and married Kesari, a monkey chief. Vayu, God of the wind, who carried the divine power of Lord Shiva to Anjana's woomb,since hanuman is...
, Hanuman's mother
- Kesari
--122.163.160.226 09:52, 18 September 2009 This article is about the Marathi newspaper. For other uses of the word, see Kesari ...
, Hanuman's foster father
- Sugriva
In Hindu mythology, Sugriva In Hindu mythology, Sugriva In Hindu mythology, Sugriva (Sanskrit: सुग्रीव, Sugrīva, Malay: Sugriwa, Thai: Sugreep, Creole: Soogrim , also spelled Sugreeva or Sugreev, was the younger brother of Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara or monkey kingdom Kishkindha....
, king of KishkindhaKishkindha , was the kingdom of the Vanara King Sugriva, the younger brother of Vali, in the Ramayana. This was the kingdom where he ruled with the assistance of his minister, Hanuman....
, son of SuryaIn Hinduism, Sūrya is the chief solar deity, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
- Vali
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, the vanara Vali was king of Kishkindha, a son of Indra and the elder brother of Sugriva. He was killed by Rama, an avatar of Vishnu....
, Sugriva's brother, and a son of Indra' is the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology, and also he is the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall....
- Angada
Angada , in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is a vanara who helped Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor, Ravana. He was the son of Vali and Tara and the nephew of Sugriva. Angada and Tara are instrumental in reconciling Rama and his brother, Lakshmana, with Sugriva after Sugriva fails to fulfill...
, son of Vali, helped Rama find his wife SitaSITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the aviation industry. Originally known as the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, the company no longer uses this long name and is now known simply as...
- Tara
In the Hindu epic The Ramayana, Tara is the name of Vali's queen. Vali is the monkey king who is killed by Rama, at the behest of his brother Sugriva. Sugriva returns to the throne, spends his time carousing and fails to act on his promise to assist Rama in recovering his wife, Sita. Tara is able...
, wife of Vali Created by Brihaspathi
- Gandhamadana, incarnation of Kubera
Kubera is the king of the Yakshas and the lord of wealth in Hindu mythology. He is also known as Dhanapati, the lord of riches...
- Nala, incarnation of Vishwakarma
- Neela
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