What is the significance of or symbolism behind AjanubAhu (आजानुबाहु)?

Question

This wiki article describes AjanubAhu as

a person, whose length of arms is so that his finger touch his knee

It also claims that many Hindu Gods, saints, kings or great warriors are AjanubAhu.

Is there any deeper spiritual significance to this term?

Answer 1

Sage Narada describes Sri Raama to be having knee-length arms, in Baala Kanda.

महोरस्को महेष्वासो गूढजत्रुररिन्दमः | आजानुबाहुः सुशिराः सुललाटः सुविक्रमः || १-१-१०

"He is lion-chested, with concealed collarbones, knee-length are his arms, and his is a long bow, an enemy-subjugator, and his emperor's countenance is with a crowning-head and an ample forehead, and his gait is majestic like that of a lion..

However, this concept of knee-length arms was not continued in subsequent Sargas of Ramayana.

Be it Sri Raama or Ravana or Dasaratha, or someone else, Sage Valmiki describes him to be as having strong/long arms - महाबाहु or दीर्घ बाहू

विपुल अंसो महाबाहुः कम्बु ग्रीवः शुभ आननः | गूढ जत्रुः सुताम्र अक्षो रामो देवि जनैः श्रुतः || ५-३५-१५

"O princess! Rama is a broad shouldered and a long-armed man. He has a shell-like neck. He has a handsome countenance. He has a hidden collar-bone. He has beautiful red eyes. His fame is heard about by people."

दीर्घ बाहू विशालाक्षौ शर चाप असि धारिणौ | कस्य न स्यात् भयम् दृष्ट्वा हि एतौ सुर सुत उपमौ || ४-२-२०

"Lengthy are their arms, broad are their eyes and they are the wielders of arrows, bows and swords... and on seeing them, to whom there will be no scare? These two are like the sons of some divinity..." Sugreeva thus spoke to Hanuma.

रावणोऽयम् महाबाहुरिति संचिन्त्य वानरः | अवप्लुतो महातेजा हनुमान्मारुतात्मजः || ५-१८-३०

The son of god of wind Vanara Hanuma of great brilliance thinking thus "This long armed one is Ravana", jumped down.

So the concept of आजानुबाहुः - knee-length arms, was not that of Sage Valmiki. As Sargas 1 to 4 of Bala Kanda are interpolations, the concept of आजानुबाहुः - knee-length arms must be a subsequent development.

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However, the concept of आजानुबाहुः - knee-length arms is not without base. Very rarely , we will come across persons with आजानुबाहुः .

Some persons with Divine nature may have knee-length arms.

I had personally visited Akkalkot, Maharashtra. There I saw the blow up photo of Sri Swami Samarth. He was आजानुबाहुः - had knee-length arms.

Answer 2

Ajanubahu is a person who hands are long that it reaches the knees of that person when that person stands.

I believe "Ajanubahu" explains a great personality of extraordinary people physical appearance and this is the deeper meaning in this word.

जानु = knee | बाहु = arm | आजानुबाहु = one whose arms reach up-to his knees

Shri Rama is also called Ajanubahu, since his arms reached upto his knees.

Sri Rama’s limbs have come for description often – Ajanabahu. The Ramayana describes Sri Rama in a verse thus:

Sri raghavam dasarathatmajamaprameyam

sitapatim raghukulanvaya ratna dipam

ajanubahu - araivinda dalayataksham

ramam nisachara vinasakaram namami

Another story in the Mahabharata says when Uttara, Abhimanyu’s wife was with child, and Ashwattama sought to kill the foetus, it was Krishna’s mercy and divine intervention that saved the baby. There in the womb, yet-to-be-born Parikshit (originally christened as Vishnudatta – gift of Vishnu) saw the divine form of the Lord, golden hued and with arms so long that reached his knees.

All these naamas (Pleasant) starting from Suvrana (Gold) are a glorification of the beauty of Bhagavan (God), as having beautiful limbs that are pleasing to the eyes as well as which perform actions that are beautiful/pleasing.

Answer 3

I'm completely new here and certainly no expert in Hinduism but I know that long arms(reach) has widely been associated with athletic ability in many sports. In MMA, around 70% of the top fighters have long reaches. One of India's best wrestlers Bajrang Punia has arms that nearly touch his knees(without bending). Even Michael Phelps isn't far off. There are sports though like Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics, where they can be disadvantageous.

Coming to the point, Rama was an archer and his large wingspan certainly played a role in his success in that and other martial arts he possibly knew. Even Buddha was a warrior, so I think the same logic was used.

Answer 4

First of all, i am not aware of any modern human on which this theory can be tested. In the last 100 years, is it reliably documented/photographed/etc who may have hands reaching to their knee? Of course the hindu association with Sri Rama is mythologically famous, but it is not reliable enough to say one way or another. Even jain tirthankars, etc not verifiable. Akbar the mogul emperor was also reputedly with hands reaching to knees as per some contemporary or later writing, but can we be sure? Unless we can identify some modern people with this feature, the theory may fall apart.