Among the many characters of Ramayana, Hanuman is probably one of the most revered and loved characters. Apart from Ram and Sita, Hanuman is one who got embedded in the culture, folklores and rituals. Hanuman is considered to be the embodiment of power and humility, who teaches us many important lessons about communication and management as well. We see Hanuman temples in every village and town of the country. Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most recited religious text in Hinduism. Stories of Hanuman are shared from generation to generation, and have been recited through Kirtans and Bhajans. Multiple movies and serials were made about life of Hanuman. Hanuman has become synonymous to unwavering devotion.
The story of Hanuman’s birth
Hanuman is Anjaneya (the one born of Anjani) and Kesarinandan (the beloved son of Kesari). He is also referred as Pavanputra (the son of Pavan). The story of birth of Hanuman appears in three different texts, in three different styles. The Kishkinda Kand of Valmiki Ramayana, the Satarudra Sanhita of Shiv Purana and Bhavarth Ramayana by Saint Eknath talks about the story of Hanuman’s birth.
अप्सर अप्सरसाम् श्रेष्ठा विख्याता पुंजिकस्थला | अंजना इति परिख्याता पत्नी केसरिणो हरेः || ४-६६-८
विख्याता त्रिषु लोकेषु रूपेणा अप्रतिमा भुवि | अभिशापात् अभूत् तात कपित्वे काम रूपिणी || ४-६६-९
दुहिता वानर इन्द्रस्य कुंजरस्य महात्मनः | मानुषम् विग्रहम् कृत्वा रूप यौवन शालिनी || ४-६६-१०
विचित्र माल्य आभरणा कदाचित् क्षौम धारिणी | अचरत् पर्वतस्य अग्रे प्रावृड् अंबुद सन्निभे || ४-६६-११
तस्या वस्त्रम् विशालाक्ष्याः पीतम् रक्त दशम् शुभम् | स्थितायाः पर्वतस्य अग्रे मारुतो अपहरत् शनैः || ४-६६-१२
स ददर्श ततः तस्या वृत्तौ ऊरू सुसंहतौ | स्तनौ च पीनौ सहितौ सुजातम् चारु च आननम् || ४-६६-१३
ताम् बलात् आयत श्रोणीम् तनु मध्याम् यशस्विनीम् | दृष्ट्वा एव शुभ सर्वान्गीम् पवनः काम मोहितः || ४-६६-१४
स ताम् भुजाभ्याम् दीर्घाभ्याम् पर्यष्वजत मारुतः | मन्मथ आविष्ट सर्वान्गो गत आत्मा ताम् अनिन्दिताम् || ४-६६-१५
सा तु तत्र एव संभ्रांता सुवृत्ता वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् | एक पत्नी व्रतम् इदम् को नाशयितुम् इच्छति || ४-६६-१६
अंजनाया वचः श्रुत्वा मारुतः प्रत्यभाषत | न त्वाम् हिंसामि सुश्रोणि मा भूत् ते मनसोइ भयम् || ४-६६-१७
मनसा अस्मि गतो यत् त्वाम् परिष्वज्य यशस्विनि | वीर्यवान् बुद्धि संपन्नः पुत्रः तव भविष्यति || ४-६६-१८
महासात्त्वो महातेज महाबल पराक्रमः | लंघने प्लवने चैव भविष्यति मया समः || ४-६६-१९
एवम् उक्ता ततः तुष्टा जननी ते महाकपेः | गुहायाम् त्वाम् महाबाहो प्रजज्ञे प्लवगर्षभ || ४-६६-२०
Valmiki Ramayana, Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda, Chapter [Sarga] 66
As per the story mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana, Punjikasthala was an apsara from Indraloka, who had to take birth as a monkey woman, because of a curse she received. She took birth as Anjani, daughter of Kunjara, and married Kesari. Anjani had the power to shift he appearance between human and monkey forms. Once, while she was wandering in the forest, in her human form, Pavandev / Vayudev (the god of air element) saw her and fell for her. He impregnated Anjani, without she getting to know. However, the cautious Anjani realised this and asked who did it. Then, Vayudev appeared in front of her and told that he had done this, as part of God’s plan. He informs Anjani that a very powerful and intelligent son will take birth from her womb.
अतः परं श्रुणु प्रीत्या हनुमच्चरितम्मुने।।यथा चकाराशु हरो लीलास्तद्रूपतो वराः ।। १।।
चकार सुहितं प्रीत्या रामस्य परमेश्वराः ।। तत्सर्वं चरितं विप्र शृणु सर्वसुखावहम् ।। २ ।। ।
एकस्मिन्समये शम्भुरद्भुतोतिकरः प्रभुः ।। ददर्श मोहिनीरूपं विष्णोस्स हि वसद्गुणः? ।। ३ ।।
चक्रे स्वं क्षुभितं शम्भुः कामबाणहतो यथा ।। स्वम्वीर्यम्पातयामास रामकार्यार्थमीश्वरः ।। ४।।
तद्वीर्यं स्थापयामासुः पत्रे सप्तर्षयश्च ते ।। प्रेरिता मनसा तेन रामकार्यार्थमादरात ।। ५।।
तैर्गौतमसुतायां तद्वीर्यं शम्भोर्महर्षिभिः।।कर्णद्वारा तथांजन्यां रामकार्यार्थमाहितम् ।। ६।।
ततश्च समये तस्माद्धनूमानिति नामभाक् ।। शम्भुर्जज्ञे कपितनुर्महाबलपराक्रमः ।। ७।।
Shiva Purana, Book 3 (Shatarudrasamhita), Chapter 20
Shivpurana gives us with a different story regarding the birth of Hanuman. The incident relates to the time of Samudra Manthana. When Vishnu took form of Mohini after Samudra Manthana, Shiva got mesmerised by the beauty of Moihini. Because of this feeling of mesmerisation, some semen was discharged from Shiva’s body. Vayu collected this semen and planted it in the womb of Anjani, who was doing a penance for a mighty son. In due course, Hanuman took birth from Anajani’s womb.
अगस्तिमहामुनीप्रती । प्रश्न केला श्रीरघुपतीं । सुग्रीवा निजसखा मारूती । अद्भुतशक्ती असतां ॥१॥
तेणें साधावया मित्र कार्यार्था । कां न करीच वाळीच्या घाता । या हनुमंताच्या भावार्था । मजला साद्यंत सांगावें ॥२॥
ऐसें पुसता श्रीरघुनाथ । अगस्ति मुनि आनंदयुक्त । हनुमंताचें निजसामर्थ्य । असे सांगत स्वानंदे ॥३॥
आतां सांगेन श्रीरघुनाथा । हनुमंताची जन्मकथा । सकळमूळारंभवार्ता । होय सांगता अगस्ति ॥४॥
पुत्रेष्टियाग दशरथासी । ताटप्रसाद यज्ञपुरुषीं । वसिष्ठें करोनि विभागांसी । तिघी राणियांसी दीधलें ॥५॥
कैकेयीभाग हरिला घारीं । ते शापद्वारें जाली नारी । तेथें वर्तली नवलपरी । तेही अवधारीं श्रीराम ॥६॥
यज्ञभाग तिच्या उदरीं । व्हावया श्रीरामसहाकारी । ब्रह्मा तीतें करी वानरीनारी । अंजनी केसरीची ॥७॥
उदरीं यज्ञभाग संपूर्ण । त्याचें व्हावया प्ररोहण । यज्ञपुरुषाचा निजप्राण । तिसीं आपण विचरला ॥८॥
यज्ञभाग अति बळवंत । जन्म पावला हनुमंत । यालागीं म्हणती वायुसुत । अंजनीपुत वानरत्वें ॥९॥
दो भागांचे तुम्ही चवघे जण । सगळ्या भागाचा हनुमंत पूर्ण । यालागीं बळप्रतापी जाण । अति संपन्न बळत्वें ॥१०॥
राम लक्ष्मण शत्रुघ्न भरता । यज्ञभागी हनुमंता । तुम्हीं पांच एकात्मतां । भिन्न दिसतां अभिन्न ॥११॥
ऐकोनि अगस्तीची मात । संतोषला श्रीरघुनाथ । हर्षयुक्त स्वयें हनुमंत । अंनदभरित सौमित्र ॥१२॥
Bhavartha Ramayana, Kishkindhakand, Adhyaya 10
The Bhavarth Ramayana, written in 14th century by Marathi saint-poet Eknath; talks about a Putrakameshthi Yagya performed by Dasharatha. When Dashratha asked Vashishta for a boon of vigorous children, Vashishta asked him to perform a Putrakameshti Yagya. At the end of the Yagya, Vashishta gave a fruit as Parasadam. Dashratha divided the fruit in 3 equal parts, and gave it to the three queens. However, a kite snatched the fruit from Kaikeyi’s hands, and flew away. As the kite was flying high in the sky, the fruit fell from its beak. Vayudev guided the fruit to fall into hands of Anjani, who was performing a penance. Anjani ate the fruit, considering it as a Prasad given to her by God. Because the fruit was blessed with power of Putrakameshti Yagya, she was blessed with a powerful son.
The three stories put different theories about who are Hanuman’s parents. All three of them establish Anjani as Hanuman’s mother. Also, Kesari is regarded as the legal father of the deity, in all texts. The word Kesarinandan is used for Hanuman in all texts. However, there are different opinions about the biological father of Hanuman. The verses in Valmiki Ramayana Vayudev or Pavandev as his biological father. Shivpurana calls Shiva as the biological father, while Bhavarth Ramayana calls Kesari as the biological father and Vayu being merely a facelitator, who helps Anjani by providing her with the Prasad from the Putrakameshthi Yagya.
Places associated with Hanuman’s Birth
Ramayana is a very prominent part of Hindu culture. Because of cultural significance and religious reverence of the epic, most villages and residents like to associate themselves with Ramayana in some way or other. There are countless temples in India, that are said to have been built by Rama or Lakshmana. There are caves, both natural and man-made, that locals believe to have been used by Sita to rest of bathe. Similarly, many people want to associate their area to be connected to Hanuman in some way. This is why there are multiple places in India, that are presented to be Hanuman’s birthplace.
Many devotees consider Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh as the birthplace of Hanuman. They believe that Hanuman was born in Ayodhya, just a week after Rama. And there is a lore that talks about how Ram and Hanuman had met in their childhood. As per this folklore, once Shiva came down to earth and disguised as a juggler. Hanuman disguised as an ordinary monkey, and joined Shiva. Shiva then walks to the palace of Dashratha with the monkey, and requests to entertain the princes. On Dashrath’s approval, Shiva and Hanuman do tricks that entertain Ram and other princes. Ram was very entertained and delighted on watching the tricks, and he wanted to keep the monkey as his pet. Dashrath offered money to the juggler, but he being Shiva who had just come to see Vishnu’s Ram incarnation, refused the money and handed over the monkey (Hanuman) to Ram. Hanuman stayed with Ram there for a few days, and left for Kishkindha, only to meet Ram again after 2 decades.
अंतकाल रघुवरपुर जाई, जहाँ जन्म हरिभक्त कहाई ॥
Ayodhya being the birthplace of Hanuman, is also mentioned in Tulsidas’s sacred text “Hanuman Chalisa”. Tulsidas says that Hanuman went to Raghuvarpur towards the end of his life. This is the same place where Haribhakat (the devotee of Hari / Vishnu) was born. Ram, being born in the lineage of Raghu, is called as Rahuveer. And Raghuvarpur, thus, is Ayodhya, the city of Rama or Raghuveer.
Ayodhya has a temple dedicated to Anjani and Hanuman. A young Hanuman is sculpted here, sitting on the laps of his mother Anjani. The local belief is that this particular temple is the place where Hanuman had taken birth.
The other place that is widely regarded to be the birthplace of Hanuman is Hampi in Karnataka. The land is associated with the ancient Vanara kingdom of Kishkindha. The Kishkindha kand of Valmiki Ramayana describes Kishkindha region in detail. It also gives us timeline of Rama’s pursuit for Sita, and the route he took up. This description perfectly matches with present day Hampi, in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka. Thus, Hampi happens to be the earlier Vanara kingdom Kishkindha. Because of this, many believe that Hanuman was born in this Kishkindha land. In Hampi, there is a temple named Anjaneyadri, which is believed to the birthplace of Hanuman in local legends.
स तम् रत्नमयीम् दिव्याम् श्रीमान् पुष्पित काननाम् |
रम्याम् रत्न समाकीर्णाम् ददर्श महतीम् गुहाम् || ४-३३-४
हर्म्य प्रासाद संबाधाम् नाना रत्नोपशोभिताम् |
सर्व काम फलैः वृक्षैः पुष्पितैः उपशोभिताम् || ४-३३-५
देव गंधर्व पुत्रैः च वानरैः काम रूपिभिः |
दिव्य माल्य अम्बर धारैः शोभिताम् प्रिय दर्शनैः || ४-३३-६
Anjaneri, a small village near Nashik in Maharashtra, is also considered to be the birthplace of Hanuman by many devotees. This claim is often backed by association of Nashik with Rama’s life during exile. Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana. is said to have spent some time towards the final years of the exile in Panchavati. The town of Panchavati is Nashik of today’s times. The devotees believe that Hanuman was born on the hill of Anajaneri, near Nashik, and was waiting for Ram to arrive in the region. When Ram arrived there and Sita go abducted from Panchavati, Hanuman started to follow Ram on his pursuit of Sita. Hanuman stayed hidden behind Ram, until Ram reached the Kishkindha forest. Once Ram was there at the Kishkindha, Hanuman appeared in front of him and the introduced him to Sugriva. The story of Hanuman’s birth at Anjaneri hill is mentioned in the Gautami Mahatmya, which is a part of Brahma Purana.
The temple, that is considered to be the birthplace, is situated at the top of a fort named Anjaneri. On the foothills of the fort, there is a lake shaped like human footprint. The lake is said to have formed, when Hanuman jumped up high in sky, to catch the sun, thinking of it as a big fruit. Legend states that Hanuman pushed his leg hard on the land, in order to jump high. And the lake was formed by the pressure of his leg on the land.
In the village named Anjan in the Gumla district of Jharkhand, is a cave that has 360 Shivlingas. Legends associate this cave with an year long penance performed by Anjana, in order to have a powerful son. This village is also associated with Shabri, the elderly forest woman, who offered sweet berries to Rama, during his early years of exile. Legends say that Hanuman saw Ram here, and started to follow him on his further journey. Like the story associated with Anjaneri, here too, Hanuman revealed himself to Ram only after Ram reached Kishkindha.
The places mentioned earlier, are in some way, part of the Ramayana. Along with these, there are few more places that local legends associate with Hanuman’s birth. In the Anjana hill ranges in the Dang district of Guarat, there is cave that is said to be the birthplace of Hanuman. Kaithal in Haryana is also said to be the birthplace, as per local legends. The older name of Kaithal was Kapisthal, which means the abode of the monkeys. This is used as justification of the place being the kingdom of monkeys.
Rajasthan’s Churu district has a placed named Sujangad. Local beliefs associate this place with birth of Hanuman. In Odisha’s Jariput, near Khurda, is a cave and Hanuman temple. The cave is believed by locals to be the cave where Bali killed an Asura. Locals believe this Hanuman temple, by the cave, to be the birthplace of Hanuman. Among the seven hills near famous Tirumala temple of Andhra Pradesh, is an hill named Anjanadri. This is referred as birthplace of Hanuman by local legends.
Interestingly, most of these places, that are said to be Hanuman’s birthplace, have names associated with Anjani. Like Anjaneri, Anjanadri, Anjaneyadri, Anjan and Anjana. Also, all these places have a hill nearby, that is said to be the place of the Ashrama of sage Matang, who happened to be the first teacher of Hanuman. Matanga is also the sage who pursuaded Anjana to take up the penance of Shiva, to receive a powerful son.
No one can establish the exact birth place of Hanuman, due to lack of any substantial proof. But there is even no need to establish. After all, the establishment of facts is good for history lovers and research papers. When we talk about mythology, we are essentially talking about beliefs playing a vital role. And the belief is what leads to devotion and spirituality. So let’s just let the beliefs guide the devotees.
Dr Janki Thaker
Guest Author