Hanuman and the Five Great Elements: Symbolism and Spiritual Teachings
In the Tamil epic Kamba Ramayanam, the eternal devotee Hanuman is portrayed not only as the unstoppable servant of Rama, but also as a profound embodiment of the five great elements (pancha-mahabhutas) which form the cosmic and human principle in Hindu thought. These elements — Vayu (air/wind), Jala (water), Akasha (sky/ether), Agni (fire) and Bhumi(earth) — each find expression in Hanuman’s deeds, nature and character. In this article we explore how Hanuman’s life exemplifies each element, the symbolic meaning and benefits to the seeker, and how these teachings relate to traditional Vedic–Upanishadic philosophy.
Vayu – Air (Wind)
Hanuman’s very birth is intimately tied to the wind-god. He
is called the son of Vayu, the lord of breath and movement. This affirms that
his essence is dynamic, unbounded, and free. In Kamba Ramayanam he is
repeatedly praised as “wind-born”, rising with the speed of the gale and the
freedom of air.
Symbolism & meaning:
- Vayu stands for prana, the vital life-force, the breath that animates all beings.
- It signifies movement, change, liberation — the capacity to transcend boundaries.
- Hanuman, as wind-born, teaches us to overcome inertia, to move beyond the known and to serve selflessly with agility.
Spiritual benefit:
When one aligns with the Vayu element through devotion, service and
breath‐discipline, one attains freedom of mind, swiftness of action, the
ability to respond with agility and lightness. Like Hanuman soaring across
boundaries, the devotee may overcome limiting patterns and rise above fear.
Jala – Water
One of Hanuman’s definitive acts is his crossing of the
ocean to reach Lanka in search of Sita. For example, in the Sanskrit original
Valmiki Ramayana we find:
“sa sāgaramanādṛṣyamāṇ atikramya mahābalaḥ …” (Book V, Sarga
2) – “The mighty Hanuman crossed the inviolable sea, stood on Trikūṭa’s peak
and looked at Lanka.”
This narrative powerfully enacts the Jala element.
Symbolism & meaning:
- Water stands for flow, adaptability, emotional depth, the capacity to dissolve boundaries and connect.
- Hanuman’s crossing of the sea is symbolic of undertaking the inner journey: leaving the familiar shore, entering the vast unknown, and embracing risk for the sake of dharma.
- It illustrates surrender to purpose and the ability to traverse obstacles (the ocean) with devotion and strength.
Spiritual benefit:
When one beholds the Jala principle, one becomes adaptable, calm, responsive.
Just as water doesn’t resist but flows around barriers, the devotee can move in
life’s currents, maintain emotional equilibrium and serve the higher goal.
Akasha – Sky (Ether)
In Kamba Ramayanam the sky-leap episode of Hanuman is
highlighted: while his childhood exploits depict him leaping towards the sun,
mistaking it for a fruit. This expansion into the heavens evokes the Akasha
dimension — infinite space, subtle consciousness.
Symbolism & meaning:
- Akasha is the subtlest element, the space or ether that allows everything else to exist. It signifies awareness, vastness, transcendence.
- Hanuman’s flight toward the sun shows longing for the supreme, expansion beyond personal bounds, and union with the cosmic.
- It teaches that devotion is not only to physical action but to the infinite consciousness that pervades all.
Spiritual benefit:
Recognizing the Akasha-principle within, the aspirant realizes spaciousness of
mind, non-attachment, and the capacity to hold vastness rather than being
confined by narrowness. Hanuman becomes an exemplar of boundless devotion
reaching into the infinite.
Agni – Fire
One of the most dramatic events is Hanuman’s setting ablaze
of Lanka with his burning tail. In Valmiki’s Ramayana (Sundara Kanda, Sarga 54)
we read: he asked “Which act indeed remains for me …?” then “It is justified to
satisfy this blazing flame on my tail … by feeding it with the excellent houses
(of Lanka).”
Symbolism & meaning:
- Fire (Agni) is transformation, power, purification, illumination.
- Hanuman’s burning of Lanka stands for the destruction of ego, ignorance, adharma. His tail becomes the fiery instrument of divine justice and deliverance.
- It shows that devotion, when ignited, becomes heroic and purifying.
Spiritual benefit:
Embodying the fire-element means cultivating inner zeal, clarity, courage, and
the power to transform lower impulses into service. Hanuman’s fire shows us
that devotion is not passive; it can blaze into action that uplifts, purifies
and rescues.
Bhumi– Earth (Patience, Humility, Strength)
Finally, the earth element is reflected in Hanuman’s
humility, his grounded strength, his capacity to await Rama’s command, to bear
trials and to carry enormous burdens (both physical and emotional). In Tamil
commentary on Kamba Ramayanam, Hanuman is praised for his endurance, his
patience, his unshakable devotion even when humiliated in Lanka.
Symbolism & meaning:
- Earth stands for stability, support, endurance, nurturing.
- In Hanuman’s context it signifies the substratum of devotion: the capacity to stay rooted, to serve quietly, to carry burdens for others, yet not be shaken.
- It also secondarily connects to his lifting of mountains (earth masses) in service of Rama and the army, showing strength grounded in moral foundation.
Spiritual benefit:
Cultivating the Bhūmi‐principle means the devotee becomes steady, patient,
humble, reliable — the rock upon which action is built. Like Hanuman, one does
not merely leap in excitement but waits, listens, serves, and endures until the
right moment.
Integrating the Five Elements in One Figure
Hanuman is thus a microcosm of the five great elements. He
is born of wind (Vayu), crosses the waters (Jala), leaps into the sky (Akasha),
ignites the fire (Agni), and stands rooted in the earth (Bhūmi) with humility
and service. In this way his story becomes a living teaching: to awaken all the
elemental energies within ourselves and align them with devotion to the divine.
From the Upanishadic tradition we know that the human body
itself is composed of these five elements: “That which is hard in a body is the
essence of earth; that which is fluid is water; that which is hot is fire; that
which moves is air; and that which is the openings or pores is the cosmic space
(ether).”
By seeing Hanuman’s deeds symbolically we recognise how each
element plays a role in spiritual life — movement, flow, vastness, clarity, and
groundedness. When we align ourselves with these, our inner life becomes
vibrant and balanced.
Practical Application & Benefits
For the aspirant: Meditate on Hanuman’s elemental deeds; ask
yourself, which element is dominant or deficient in your own life?
- Breath and movement (Vayu): Embrace service and spontaneity; be ready to act.
- Emotional flow (Jala): Cultivate adaptability, compassion, remaining cool in adversity.
- Inner spaciousness (Akasha): Develop awareness, detachment, connection to the infinite.
- Purifying fire (Agni): Ignite devotion, transform lower instincts, act heroically in dharma.
- Grounded strength (Bhumi): Stay humble, patient, dependable; carry others’ burdens when required.
The reward is not only external: it is inner mastery of the elements, harmonised in service of the divine, just as Hanuman embodied. As the yogic tradition calls it — bhuta-shuddhi (purification of the elements) leads to mastery over the body-mind complex and alignment with the cosmic.
Final Thoughts
In the majestic verse of the Kamba Ramayanam, Hanuman stands
out as the divine hero who is simultaneously elemental and spiritual — the
vanara who moves like wind, flows like water, expands like ether, burns like
fire and stands like earth. His story invites us to recognise, honour and
integrate the five elements within our own being. When we do so with devotion,
humility and courage, we too may manifest the qualities of strength, service,
freedom, purification and stability that Hanuman exemplifies.
May his grace awaken the five elements within us, and may
our life become a living offering in his service.