Hanumat Kuṇḍa is a sacred tīrtha in the Setu-kshetra, named for Bhagavān Hanumān. It is known for giving children to those who have none. Its māhātmya (greatness) is shown by the account of King Dharmanakha of the Kekaya dynasty. He had a hundred wives but no sons, and he gained a hundred sons by bathing at Hanumat Kuṇḍa.

Location and name

Hanumat Kuṇḍa is one of the sacred tīrthas of the Setu-kshetra of Rāmasetu, on the Gandhamādana mountain. It bears the name of Hanumān, the great devotee of Bhagavān Rāma, who took a central part in building Rāmasetu and in the conquest of Laṅkā. The tīrtha is linked with Hanumān and with the gift of children. This reflects the tradition that Hanumān gives his grace to devotees who ask for children and strength.

King Dharmanakha

King Dharmanakha of the Kekaya dynasty was a righteous ruler. He had a hundred wives, yet he had no son. This was a great sorrow to him. The dharmic tradition holds that sons are needed to carry on the family line and to perform the piṇḍa and śrāddha rites for the ancestors.

Dharmanakha came to the Setu-kshetra to be freed from this sorrow, and he bathed at Hanumat Kuṇḍa. By the grace of this tīrtha and the blessing of Hanumān, the king received a hundred sons.

Phala

The chief phala (fruit) of Hanumat Kuṇḍa is the gift of children. It takes away the sorrow of the childless and gives sons. The account of Dharmanakha shows the power of the tīrtha even where there seemed no hope, since he had a hundred wives and no sons. The tīrtha also gives ajeyatva, the state of being unconquerable. This matches Hanumān’s own nature, since he cannot be defeated.

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 15