Heroism in Religion

In Hinduism, Hanuman is one of the many gods that are worshipped and one of the central characters

to the Indian epic, Ramayana. In the Ramayana, Hanuman is the one who saved Rama’s wife, Sita, from

the evil king Ravana. He is known for his eternal devotion to Rama (another god; the subject of the

Ramayana), ultimate strength (he lifted an entire mountain just to bring the herb that saved Lakshman

[Rama’s brother]), inner self-control, and heroic intentions.

Some Hindu concepts that highlight the moral code of Hindus are Karma and Dharma. Karma shows

that kind and compassionate thoughts and actions yield positive results, and this helps one reincarnate as a

human in a higher class. Dharma, on the other hand, is more personal to each individual. It is the set of

duties that is specific to each person based on their gender, caste (Brahmins are high, Untouchables are

low, etc), and age. Hanuman’s values are something that every Hindu strives for. He is known as the

living embodiment of the Karma Yogi- one whose devotion (in this case, to Rama) is demonstrated

through hard work or service. Many even consider Hanuman to be the greatest devotee ever, ready to give up his life at any

moment. Hanuman’s ability to completely put down his ego, while essentially being the first

superhuman, shows us humans that we still have a long way to go. The first time I heard of Hanuman was in a Hindu temple. My grandpa said, “Hanuman is superior to Spider-man, Superman, and Batman combined”. As I looked at all of the paintings of

Hanuman’s good deeds, I realized that he would forever be my role model. I thought, and still think,

that he represents the good inside not just Hindus, but people all over the world. If he has the ability

to travel between planets but still think of himself as lower than another being, we can at least try to

achieve a fraction of the goodness of his heart.