Lord Ram had to face a difficult journey in the Ramayana, but one of his greatest sources of strength came in a form that many devotees know as Hanuman. According to several Hindu traditions, Hanuman is regarded as an incarnation or manifestation of Shiva’s divine power, sent to support Ram’s mission. But why would Mahadev, one of the greatest deities in Hindu tradition, take the form of a vanara? The answer is closely connected with devotion, service and the divine relationship between Ram and Shiva. The story becomes even more meaningful when we understand what Hanuman’s role truly represented.
