Chapter 15 - The Glory of Hanamatkuṇḍa: Dharmasakha Blessed with a Hundred Sons

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This Hanumatkuṇḍa-Tīrtha is to the north of Rameswaram Temple.—The story of Dharmasakha to illustrate the greatness of Hanumat Kuṇḍa is a contribution of this Purāṇa.

Śrī Sūta said:

1. After taking the holy bath in the exceedingly meritorious Brahmakuṇḍa, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, one should, with a pure and composed mind, go to the Kuṇḍa of Hanumān.

2-6. Formerly, when the Rākṣasas had been killed and the war (with Rāvaṇa) was over, and Rāma and others had returned, Hanumān, the son of Wind-god, created this excellent Tīrtha on mount Gandhamādana for the sake of helping all the people. It is the most excellent of all the Tīrthas. He named it after himself.

After realizing its glory, Rudra himself resorts to it. A Tīrtha on a par with it has never existed before nor will there ever be. The men who take their holy bath there, go to the eternal world of Śiva. When this Tīrtha which has great merits and which is destructive of great sins was created by the son of Wind-god for the sake of helping all the world, all the hells (Narakas) became empty for a long time.

7-8. It is doubtful whether (god) Śaṅkara himself knows its glory (fully) or not. Formerly a king named Dharmasakha born of Kekaya family, devoutly took his holy bath there and obtained a hundred sons.

The sages said:

O Sūta, it behoves you to recount now the story of Dharmasakha who obtained a hundred sons by taking his holy bath in the Tīrtha called Hanumatkuṇḍa.

Śrī Sūta said:

9-12. Listen, ye sages, to the story of that king. I shall now briefly recount the story of Dharmasakha. Formerly, there was a just and virtuous king named Dharmasakha. He had conquered his enemies. He was much devoted to the task of protecting the subjects. O Brāhmaṇas, he had a hundred wives, all of whom regarded their husband as their deity. That king ruled the earth consisting of mountains, parks and forests. He did not get any son of them, who would have perpetuated his line.

13. The king made great efforts in order to get a son. He made great charitable gifts for the sake of a son.

14. He performed horse-sacrifices and other Yajñas and worshipped Suras. He made plenty of charitable gifts, the chief of which was Tulāpuruṣa-dāna (wherein gold, jewels or other valuable things equal to the donor’s weight are given as gift to Brāhmaṇas).

15. The king distributed liberally foodstuffs to everyone till midnight, along with plenty of pulses and vegetable dishes.

16. With the Pitṛs in view, he performed Śrāddhas in accordance with the injunctions. With his passions and senses under perfect control, he performed the Japa of those Mantras having the efficacy of bestowing progeny.

17-21. The king performed these and many other religious rites for the sake of a son. Thus while engaged in the performance of various excellent holy rites continuously for a long time, the king became aged. In spite of his old age, the king continued his effort and he begot of his chief queen a handsome son named Sucandra.

All the excellent mothers impartially nurtured the son thus born, with milk, etc. This son gave delight to the minds and the eyes of the king, of all the mothers, of the citizens and of the ministers. Fondling his son, the king obtained the greatest joy.

22. Once, while the child was lying in the cradle a certain scorpion stung with its tail the foot of the child emitting the fire of poison as it were.

23. On being stung, the child cried very much. All the mothers too became grief-stricken and frightened. They also lamented.

24-29. All of them stood around the child, O Brāhmaṇas, and lamented. That mingled sound of their cries was intense and confused. King Dharmasakha who was seated in the Assembly along with his ministers and the priest heard the sound of agony. The king sent the Sauvidalla (attendant in the inner apartment) in order to find out what the matter was. The Sauvidalla went to the exit of the inner apartment, called the elderly eunuchs and spoke these words:

“O eunuchs, why do the ladies lament now? Go there and find out the reason thereof. It is for this purpose that the king has deputed me from the assembly.”

On being told thus, they enquired about the reason for the lamentation. Having found it out they came out of the inner apartment and reported to him everything as it had happened. On hearing the words of the eunuchs, the Sauvidalla returned to the assembly.

30-34. He intimated to the king that his son had been stung by a scorpion. On hearing this, King Dharmasakha got up hurriedly. He entered the inner apartment along with the ministers, the (family) priest, those well-versed in Mantras and physicians expert in eradicating poison. He got his son treated with various kinds of medicines and other things. When the child regained his normal state of health, the king fondled him. He duly honoured the knowers of spells with jewels, gold and pearls. Then the king came out exceedingly worried. Accompanied by the Ṛtviks, the priest and the ministers he entered the court and sat there.

Seated on an excellent throne, King Dharmasakha spoke these appropriate words to the Ṛtviks and the priest.

Dharmasakha said:

35-40. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, if one has only one son this is conducive only to misery. It is better to have no son at all rather than have a single son, because it involves many risks. Having no son at all is far better. O Brāhmaṇas, it was only after deep thought that I have married a hundred wives. But my age is advancing though I have married thus, O Brāhmaṇas. My vital airs as well as those of my wives are centered round this son. If any danger were to befall him, the death of all my wives is certain. If this single son dies, I too will die (of grief). So what means can I adopt to have many sons? O Brāhmaṇas, the most excellent ones among those conversant with the Vedas, tell that means to me. I must have a son of good qualities of each one of these hundred wives. All of you go through the scriptures and tell me that holy rite which may be conducive to the same.

41. If the fruit (i.e. birth of sons) is attainable by means of any holy rite, great, small or difficult to be performed, I will undoubtedly perform it.

42. There is no doubt about it that I shall perform the holy rite advised by you; know that that holy rite is (as good as) done. I state this on oath, staking my merit.

43. If there is a rite whereby a hundred sons can be got, where should that rite be performed by me? Tell me now.

44. On being asked by the king thus, all the Ṛtviks and the priests joined together and gave to the king their decisive opinion.

The Ṛtviks said:

45. O king, we shall explain to you that there is a means whereby you will beget hundred sons of your hundred wives, through a great holy rite, O king of Kekayas^[1].

46. There is a highly meritorious mountain named Gandhamādana in the middle of the Southern Sea. It is there in the form of a Setu.

47-51. It is full of multitudes of Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas, Devas and sages. By visiting it and getting contact with it, it destroys great sins.

There is a Tīrṃa there, well-known in the worlds as Hanumatkuṇḍa. It suppresses all great miseries. It yields the benefit of heavenly pleasures and salvation. It subdues the suffering in hells (Narakas). It liberates (people) from poverty. It bestows sons on those who are sonless and wives on those who have no wives.

There you take your holy bath with purity. Perform the sacrifice Putrīyeṣṭi that bestows all desired objectives on its banks with great concentration. Thereby O king, you will immediately have a son from each of your one hundred wives. Do not have any doubt about this.

52-57. On being told thus by the Brāhmaṇas, Ṛtviks and priests, the king immediately went to the Gandhamādana mountain on the Southern Sea. He was accompanied by his wives, servants, priest, ministers and Ṛtviks. He had taken with him all the requisites for the sacrifices.

After arriving at Hanumatkuṇḍa, he took his holy bath there along with his army and retinue. He stayed there for a month on its banks and regularly performed the holy bath.

Then, in the month of Caitra, at the advent of spring, the excellent king began the Putrīya sacrifice^[2] along with the preceptor. The Ṛtviks and the priest performed the holy rites perfectly on behalf of the saintly King Dharmasakha and his wives. When his sacrifice was completed on the banks of Hanumatkuṇḍa, the priest made the wives of the king eat the remnants of the Homa offerings.

58-61. Then, accompanied by his hundred wives, King Dharmasakha duly performed the Avabhṛtha bath in the waters of Hanumatkuṇḍa. He gave innumerable monetary gifts to the Ṛtviks, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. The king granted villages too to the Brāhmaṇas. Then that virtuous king returned to his city with great delight along with his ministers, retinue and his wives. After a lapse of some time, in the tenth month, the hundred wives gave birth to hundred sons of superior qualities.

62. Then the great Dharmasakha, the heroic king who was much delighted in his mind, took his bath. With great purity, he performed the Saṃkalpa rite and performed the post-natal holy rite.

63-65. He gave plenty of cows, plots of lands, gingelly seeds, gold, etc. to the Brāhmaṇas. The chief queen had thus two sons, one elder and one younger. O Brāhmaṇas, all the one hundred and one sons grew up. When they came of age, the king divided the kingdom among them and went to the Gandhamādana mountain, the Setu, along with his wives. After reaching Hanumatkuṇḍa he performed penance on its banks.

66-67. The king performed the penance for a long time. King Dharmasakha meditated on the Trident-bearing Lord. After lapse of a great deal of time, King Dharmasakha, the virtuous king of quiescent mind, passed away.

68-69. The wives of that saintly king followed their husband. The eldest son Sucandra performed the obsequies of his father after the cremation. He performed all the rites up to the Śrāddha rite with great faith. Since the king died here, he and his wives went to Vaikuṇṭha.

70. All those brothers, the princes of great prowess, the chief of whom was Sucandra, enjoyed their respective kingdoms eschewing all rivalry.

71. Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, the glory of Hanumatkuṇḍa has been recounted to you all. The exceedingly wonderful story of King Dharmasakha also has been recounted.

72-73. Hence everyone should take his holy bath (with due rites) in the Kuṇḍa of Hanumān for the sake of achieving all desires.

One who reads this chapter or listens to this with great concentration and mental purity, O Brāhmaṇas, attains infinite happiness hereafter. He shall sport about in heaven along with groups of Devas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kekaya is the country between Beas and Sutlej (De 98).

[2]:

i.e. Putrakāmeṣṭi.