Composing…
हनुमान्
hanumān
Vanara devotee of Rama; son of Vayu. Eleventh Rudra (in some traditions). Embodies devotion, strength, brahmacharya, and yogic mastery (ashta-siddhi-nava-nidhi-data). Chiranjeevi (immortal). Worshipped especially on Tuesday/Saturday.
हनुमान्; अंजनेय; पवनपुत्र।
Hindu thought is built from a vocabulary of carefully-distinguished terms. Words like hanuman are not loose translations — each has a precise scriptural genealogy, a specific role in ritual or philosophy, and often a counterpart that completes its meaning. Many of the major Hindu darśanas (Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika) refined their vocabulary over centuries; the same Sanskrit term can carry different shades in different schools.
Hanuman sits within a cluster of related concepts — rama, vanara, ramayana, hanuman-chalisa. Reading these together gives you the actual texture of the idea, rather than treating it as an isolated definition. Each Sanskrit term in this glossary is cross-linked to the others it presupposes.
Where useful we cite the primary scriptural source — the Upaniṣad, sūtra, or smṛti passage where the term is given its classical sense — alongside trusted modern dictionaries (Monier-Williams, V.S. Apte, Sanskrit Heritage). For practical questions about usage in pūjā or daily life, ask a paṇḍita in your tradition.
Twelve sons of Aditi — solar deities, one per month. Vivaswan, Aryaman, Pusha, Tvashta, Savita, Bhaga, Dhata, Vidhata, Varuna, Mitra, Indra, Vishnu (in some lists). Surya is the chief Aditya.
Fire god; second-most invoked in Rig Veda. Mediator between gods and humans (carries oblations). Dikpala of southeast. Trayi-vidya (three forms): Garhapatya, Ahavaniya, Dakshinagni.
'Filled with food'; form of Parvati/Devi as the giver of food and nourishment. Worshipped at Kashi (Annapurna temple). Annapurna Stotra by Adi Shankara.
Grace; the fifth of Shiva's five acts. The act by which the Lord reveals truth and bestows liberation.
Celestial nymph; Indra's court dancer. Famous: Urvashi, Menaka, Rambha, Tilottama. Often sent to disturb sages' tapasya.
'Half-female-Lord'; the composite form of Shiva-Parvati, half male half female. Symbolizes the inseparability of Purusha and Prakriti, Shiva and Shakti.
Eight forms of Bhairava (fierce Shiva): Asitanga, Ruru, Chanda, Krodha, Unmatta, Kapali, Bhishana, Samhara. Each preside over the eight directions.
Eight forms of Lakshmi: Adi (primordial), Dhana (wealth), Dhanya (grain/food), Gaja (royalty), Santana (offspring), Veera/Dhairya (courage), Vijaya (victory), Aishvarya/Vidya (knowledge).
Awaiting paṇḍita verification before final publication. If you spot an inaccuracy in the Sanskrit, IAST, or interpretation, please write to us.