HANUMAN'S TALE:THE MESSAGES OF A DIVINE MONKEY: The Messages of a Divine Monkey

by Philip Lutgendorf

Hanuman, the devoted monkey helper of Rama and Sita, has long been recognized as a popular character in India's ancient Ramayana epic. But more recently he has also become one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon - enshrined in majestic new temples, but equally present in poster art, advertising, and mass media. Drawing on Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography and modern TV serials, and extensive fieldwork and interviews, Philip Lutgendorf challenges the academic cliché of Hanuman as a "minor" or "folk" deity by exploring his complex and growing role in South Asian religion and culture. This wide-ranging study examines the historical evolution of Hanuman's worship, his close association with Shiva and goddesses, his invocation in tantric ritual, his physical immortality and enduring presence in sacred sites, and his appeal to devotees who include scholars, wrestlers, healers, politicians, and middle-class urbanites.
Lutgendorf also offers a rich array of entertaining stories not previously available in an expanding epic cycle that he christens the "Hanumayana." Arguing that Hanuman's role as cosmic "middle man" is intimately linked to his embodiment in a charming and provocative simian form, Lutgendorf moves beyond the Indian subcontinent to interrogate the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings and as potent signifiers of both Self and Other.

Genres: Spirituality, India

449 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Philip Lutgendorf is Professor Emeritus of Hindi and Modern Indian Studies at the University of Iowa.

Reviews

[Jeevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read. I learned so much more about my own culture, upbringing, surroundings, history, philosophy of one of the most popular (rather I should say a celebrity) deity in India. Right from the misinterpretations of the early translators to the 40 origin stories and the summary of the five faced interpretation, this book has been a tough but worthwhile read. The footnotes can be distracting but provide a lot more context and shows the author's hard work.

[Bob Woodley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great academic resource for all things Hanuman. Stories, temples, mantra, iconography - it is all here.

The evolution of the gods over time is quite interesting.

In the West we have the extinct Greek/Roman gods, then the Christian pantheon which keeps renewing itself for each new generation. Pretty straight forward.

In Hinduism with its layers and layers of divine systems the story is more complicated. You have the extinct group of gods around Indra. Then you have Shaivism/Vaishnavism with their dedicated cities (Varanasi/Ayodhya) and mythologies and puranas. And the cluster of goddesses with and without tantra. And then 'supporting' dieties like Ganesh and Hanuman who along with the Goddess get the most devotees visting the temples on the appropriate days. And then there are more local dieties, as well as the Buddhist versions. And this changes over time. I found these chapters fascinating.

[Jeremy Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Om Nama Shivaya

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very academic.

[Utkarshraj Atmaram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most exhaustive scholarly work on Hanuman till date.