Hanuman ji was Vanar or Monkey in Ramayana

Was Hanuman ji Human or Monkey?

Pawanputra Hanuman popularly known as Bjarangbali is the most famous character from Ramayana and the most worshipped and loved God in Hinduism.I was so curious to know how Hanuman ji and Sugriv Army can speak and act like humans.Well, Complete information about Lord Rama ji and his supreme devotee Hanuman ji can be found only in Valmiki Ramayana and Tulsikrit Ramcharitramanas. In Valmiki Ramayana, apart from Lord Rama, only the most virtuous and powerful character is Sri Hanuman ji. Those who have done big tasks very easily in a moment. There was a question arise while reading the Ramayana that whether Hanuman ji was really from species of monkey or not?

Whenever we see the picture of Hanuman ji, he appears in it as a monkey who also has a tail. Seeing his picture, many questions also arise in everyone's mind like- Was Hanuman ji really a monkey? Was his tail really engaged? And so on. The answer is clearly found in Valmiki Ramayana.

In many places in the Ramayana, Hanuman ji is also addressed as a "Vanar" -In general, we assume that the word "Vanar" means Monkey.But if we analyze this word, then the word "Vanar" means one who eats the food produced in the forest. For example, those who live in the mountain i.e. Giri and take food there are called Girijan. Similarly, a forest dweller is called a monkey. The word Vanar does not indicate any particular species, caste, species or sub-caste.

- At one place in the Kishkindha Kanda, there is a narration that when Shri Ramchandra Ji Maharaj first met Hanuman on the Rishimuk mountain, after talking to both of them, Ramchandra ji said to Laxman - 

  न अन् ऋग्वेद विनीतस्य न अ यजुर्वेद धारिणः। 

न अ-साम वेद विदुषः शक्यम् एवम् विभाषितुम्।।

Na Ann the Rigveda Vinitasya na -a- Yajurveda Dharinah |

Na-a-Samveda vidush Shakyam Ewam Vibhashitum ||

That is, a person who is unaware of the study of the Rig Veda and who does not have knowledge of Yajurveda and who has not studied the Samveda, cannot do such refined things. Of course, he has practiced the whole grammar many times, because he has not uttered any impure words in speaking for so long. Their rites, pronounced with classical rhyme, make their heart rejoice. This makes it clear that Hanuman ji was alot more than a monkey. We can say that Vanar species was more evolved than a monkey that time. If we say monkey god then it will create lots of confusion that how a monkey could speak and act like a human.

In Sundar Kand, at one place there is a description that when Hanuman ji thinks before introducing himself to Sita sitting in the middle of demons in Ashoka Vatika - If using Sanskrit language refined like Brahmin-Kshatriya-Vaishya. If I do, SitaMata will be frightened by considering me as Ravana. Seeing this Vanvasi form of me and listening to the Sanskrit, Goddess Sita will be frightened and she will make       others frightened too. Therefore, I will use refined language like a normal citizen.

That Conversation or Bajranjbali with Sita Mata in Ramayana, evidence proves that Hanuman ji who has knowledge of many languages ​​including the four Vedas, grammar, and Sanskrit.

One thing is not good in our religion that people ask questions on each and everything. Suppose if Hanuman ji is portrayed in TV series like a mixture of Monkey and human then what's the problem.?In some TV serials, Hanuman is portrayed like a Monkey only that doesn’t mean he was like a monkey too. What had happened several thousand years ago we don’t have any idea about it. Scientists only can assume and predict about the age of the scripture.In reality no one witnessed how the characters of Ramayana appears. Of course there is an explanation of how Lord Ram appears how the goddess Sita appears but what we see in tv series or in the picture is only an assumption not the exact appearance.

Lord Hanuman was definitely not a monkey he and his armies are evolved form of the species of monkey. One can argument then how all worship Lord Hanuman in the form of a monkey? then also no problem as Lord Krishna said  in Bhagavad Gita chapter 7 that you are free to worship any deity as the appearance of the deity doesn’t matter.

So the main motive of writing this article is to clarify that appearance of the deity is not seen or witnessed by anyone. Only the people who lived in that era can tell us the exact story. Some of the artist may be asked to portray the characters as per the scripture so they sketch the characters as per their guru guidelines,this is only an assumption. Because one may argue how arrows were acting like bombs during collision, how arrows were producing such a thunderstorm etc.

So those things are displayed is just for our understanding. If there will be only text then the scripture will bore many of us. Those pictures and animations are displayed only to generate interest in our scriptures.

Let me ask few questions, How many of us know about Veda’s?

How Veda’s are originated? I am so sure 99% of Sanatani followers only familiar with the term Veda.They don’t know anything about it why? Because there is no pictorial or video series made on the Veda's.This example was only to clarify that those TV series are made on EPICS and characters are displayed only to generate interest in the great Epics.

In addition to Hanuman ji in Valmiki's Ramayana, Bali's son Angad is also said to be full of Ashtanga intellect, with four types of force and with fourteen qualities of politics. This proves how a Vanar can be beautified with so many qualities. So We can say that Hanuman Ji and his armies were more evolved than a monkey and they are known as Vaanar.