Hanum
n
,
Hanumat, or Sundara
(the beautiful) A major character in the
R
m
ya
a
, the monkey-king, or chief, Mah
v
ra (‘great hero’). He led a band of monkeys, or ape-like creatures, who gave vital assistance to
R
ma
in the rescue of
S
t
from
R
va
a's
kingdom of La
k
. He is a symbol of strength and loyalty, and is patron of wrestlers.
For the
bhakta
(devotee to God,
bhakti
), Hanum
n is the symbol of
d
sya