One of the popular images of Hanuman is one where he has five faces and five pairs of hands. It is known as the Panchmukhi, or five-faced, Hanuman. It reminds us of Krishna's Vishwarupa described in the Bhagavad Gita, albeit a diminutive version. It transforms Hanuman from a dependable servant of Ram to a very independent deity worshipped in his own right.

Besides the monkey head, there is the head of a lion, an eagle, a wild boar, and a horse. The horse represents Hayagriva, the god of wisdom, the Varaha represents Vishnu's boar form, the eagle represents the soaring Garuda and the lion represents the powerful Narasimha. In his five hands, Hanuman holds five weapons. Panchmukhi Hanuman is often kept in temples facing the south and is also called Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman, the south being the direction of death, associated with Yama and with ghosts, goblins, negative and malevolent forces. This form of Hanuman is used especially in the occult practices to protect oneself from negative forces.