Most of us know him as Hanuman—a name he acquired only after his jaw (Hanu) was injured by Indra’s thunderbolt during his childhood attempt to swallow the sun. But what was he called before that?
According to the Parasara Samhita tradition and ancient commentaries, when Anjana gave birth to her son, she was mesmerized by his golden radiance and enchanting form. Overcome with maternal love, she named him Sundara—"The Beautiful One".
For Anjana, he was not a warrior or a monkey; he was simply Sundara, the most beautiful child in the universe. This childhood name is the key to understanding the heart of the Ramayana.
कपि रूपं सुतं दृष्ट्वा ह्यंजना मुदमाप्नुयात् | सुन्दर इति तन्नाम चकार प्रीतिमानसा ||
Kapi rūpam sutam dṛṣṭvā hyañjanā mudamāpnuyat | Sundara iti tannāma cakāra prītimānasā ||
kapirūpaṁ sutam dṛṣṭvā — “Having seen her son in the form of a monkey”
hyanjanā mudam āpnuyāt — “Anjanā obtained (felt) joy”
sundara iti tat nāma cakāra prītimānasā — “With a heart full of love, she gave him the name ‘Sundara’”
“Seeing the child in the form of a monkey, Anjanā was filled with joy; with a heart full of affection, she gave him the name Sundara.”
The explicit claim that "Anjana named him Sundara" based on the above shloka is a widely held oral and commentary-based tradition often attributed to the Parasara Samhita, but it does not appear as a verse in the main body of the birth narrative in Chapter 6 (Hanumajjanmakathanamm) in the standard editions. While the birth chapter may not explicitly state "I name you Sundara," the name Sundara is scripturally validated in the Parasara Samhita in the Hanuman Sahasranama (The Thousand Names of Hanuman) section.
Chapter 6 (Hanumajjanmakathanamm) describes his birth and the sun-swallowing incident, but it generally refers to him as Bala (child), Kapi (monkey), or Mahateja (great radiant one) until he is named Hanuman by Indra. The specific verse Sundara iti tannāma ("His name was Sundara") is often cited in discourses (pravachans) and secondary articles as being "from the Samhita," but it is likely an explanatory verse from a commentary (Tika) or a different recension of the text, rather than the mula (root) text of Chapter 6 itself.
Why "Sundara"? The Parasara Samhita explains that he was named Sundara because he was born from the power of Bhagavan Shiva in his "Sundara" (Beautiful) form—the form Shiva assumed to charm Parvati before their marriage.
2. Valmiki’s Tribute to the Hero
In the vast epic of the Ramayana, every chapter (Kanda) is named after a place, a time, or an event. We have the Bala Kanda (The chapter of childhood), Ayodhya Kanda (The Chapter of Ayodhya), the Aranya Kanda (The Chapter of the Forest), Kishkindha Kanda (The Chapter of Kishkindha), the Yuddha Kanda (The Chapter of War) & Uttara Kanda (The chapter after return). But there is one exception.
The fifth book is named Sundara Kanda—"The Beautiful Chapter." When Sage Valmiki composed the Ramayana, he followed a strict naming convention for every Kanda—except the fifth.
Why did Sage Valmiki break his own rule? Why name a chapter about a monkey crossing an ocean, burning a city, and fighting demons "Beautiful"?
Traditional scholars explain that Valmiki chose the title Sundara Kanda to honor the hero of that section. In this chapter, Rama is absent for the most part. Lakshmana is absent. The entire narrative rests on the shoulders of Hanuman.
By naming it Sundara Kanda, Valmiki was subtly referencing Hanuman’s original birth name. It was his way of saying, "This is the chapter of Sundara."
3. What Makes it ‘Sundara’ (Beautiful)?
Beyond the name, the chapter is considered beautiful because it marks the turning point of the epic. Until this chapter, the Ramayana is filled with sorrow: Dasharatha dies, Rama is exiled, and Sita is kidnapped.
But in Sundara Kanda, hope returns. Hanuman finds Sita. The message of Rama is delivered. The end of Ravana is prophesied.
A famous Sanskrit verse (shloka) perfectly captures this "all-encompassing beauty":
सुन्दरे सुन्दरः रामः सुन्दरे सुन्दरी कथा |
सुन्दरे सुन्दरी सीता सुन्दरे सुन्दरं वनम् ||
सुन्दरे सुन्दरं काव्यं सुन्दरे सुन्दरः कपिः |
सुन्दरे सुन्दरं मन्त्रं सुन्दरे किं न सुन्दरम् ||
sundare sundaro rāmaḥ sundare sundarī kathā |
sundare sundarī sītā sundare sundaraṃ vanam ||
sundare sundaraṃ kāvyaṃ sundare sundaraḥ kapiḥ |
sundare sundaraṃ mantraṃ sundare kiṃ na sundaram ||
Meaning: In Ramayana(Which is called Sundara here) & specifically in Sundarkanda, beautiful is Lord Rāma, beautiful is the sacred story, beautiful is Mother Sītā, and beautiful is the forest where the divine events unfold. The poetry itself is beautiful, Hanumān—the noble monkey hero—is beautiful in his character and deeds, the mantra associated with this sacred episode is beautiful, and finally the verse concludes by stating that in the realm of Sundara, what indeed is not beautiful?
The repeated use of “sundara” is deliberate, emphasizing that beauty here is not merely visual, but spiritual, moral, poetic, and divine in every dimension.
4. The Spiritual Significance
For the devotee, the Sundara Kanda is the "Beautiful Chapter" because it symbolizes the reunion of the soul with the Divine.
Sita represents the Soul (Jivatma) trapped in the material world (Lanka) by the Ego(Ravana)
Rama represents the Divine (Paramatma).
Hanuman represents the Guru or Spiritual Teacher.
It is only through the "Beautiful One" (the Guru/Hanuman) that the Soul is reassured that God is seeking it. This restoration of hope is the true beauty of the Sundara Kanda.
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