Question: The demigods produced offspring with non-human forms with powers like their own, to assist Visnu in destroying Ravana’s vast army. The Vanaras was one such race of their offspring. The assumption is that Hanuman is Rama’s eternal associate. What is Hanuman’s spiritual form in the spiritual world?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
This 1st response is based on Sri Govindharaja and other Sri Vaisnava resources.
a. Garuda is an eternal associate of the Lord but Hanuman is not.
The 2nd Response:
b. In Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, starting with a discussion on the basis of mantra-upāsanā of Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī proves that Kṛṣṇa has a unique eternal form as Kṛṣṇa with His unique eternal abode and His unique eternal associates. By the same logic it can be established that Rāma also has His unique eternal abode with His unique eternal associates.
Moreover, as Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes in his Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta, each incarnation of the Lord has His own abode in the spiritual world. Among the devotees of Lord Rāma, Hanumān is one who shines with pure devotion to Him, right from the beginning. As such, how he cannot be an eternal associate of Śrī Rāma? There is no meaning to a unique eternal form of the Lord having a unique eternal abode without unique eternal associates.
The 3rd Response:
c. According to Srila Sanatana Goswami’s BB 2.4.255, Gopa Kumar sees Vanaras in Ayodhya (within the Vaikuntha realm). Gopa Kumar meets and is encouraged by Hanuman to enter the inner precincts of Ayodhya
