is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word to describe a person whose length of arms is such that his fingers touch his knee. In Indian culture, persons with such physical characteristics are either gods, saints, kings or great warriors. The idols of

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

gods like

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

when shown in standing position are depicted as ajanbahu feature. Even idols of Jain

Tirthankars In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''saṃsāra'', the sea of interminable birth ...

are shown as ajanbahu. The great saints like,

Sai Baba of Shirdi Sai Baba of Shirdi (), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master considered to be a Hindu saints, saint, and revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. According to accounts from his life, Sai ...

, Ramkrishna Paramhansa,

Swami Samartha Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj (Marathi: श्री स्वामी समर्थ) also known as Swami of Akkalkot was an Indian Hindu spiritual master of the Dattatreya Tradition. He lived during the nineteenth century and is a known s ...

and

Gajanan Maharaj Gajanan Maharaj was an Indian Hindu guru, saint and mystic. His origins remain uncertain. He first appeared at Shegaon, a village in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, as a young man aged 30, probably on 23 February 1878. He attained ''Sanjeevana ...

were said to have ajanbahu characteristic. In Buddhism, it is sometimes called ''paṭūrubāhatā'' or ''sthitānavanatājānupralambabāhuḥ''. It is among the thirty-two marks of a great man and as such, is characteristic of all

Buddhas In Buddhism, Buddha (, which in classic Indic languages means "awakened one") is a title for those who are spiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained the supreme goal of Buddhism, variously described as awakening or enlighten ...

. Ajanbahu Jatbasha, was so called because of the length of his arms, his fingers reaching to his knees (''ajanbahu'')
Chhindwara, Central Provinces (1907) pp 28

References

See also