Bhima and Hanuman Reading Notes: Part C

 Bhima and Hanuman

Characters:

Bhima (M) "Mighty warrior" has enormous strength and is the son of God of Wind

Draupadi (F) "tragic heroine" most beautiful woman of her time

Hanuman (M) "strength, heroic initiative and assertive excellence" also the son of God of Wind

Rama (M) "Supreme Being" the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu

Brahma (M) "the god of creation" attainable by all

Vayu (M) "God of Wind" Bhima and Hanuman's father

The Four Castes:

Brahmin: priests, scholars, and teachers

Vaishya: agriculturalists and merchants

Kshatriya: rulers, warriors, and administrators

Shudra: laborers and service providers

Important Phrases:

Bhima tried to lift the monkey by the tail with both hands, but could not move it (his mighty strength was not enough to pick up Hanuman by his tail).

This was no ordinary monkey

Hanuman showed himself in his real, gigantic shape

There were no gods or demons

All men were equal

The men became less devoted to truth, and more subject to passion

In these ages, all kinds of evil prevail 

Image Information: Bhima Tries to Lift Hanuman's tail. Source: Wikipedia.

Bibliography: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1913). Source.