The Chiranjivi (Sanskrit: चिरञ्जीवि, IAST: ciranjīvi) are a group of immortals who are believed to remain alive on Earth until the end of the current age known as the Kali Yuga, according to Hindu literature.[1]
Etymology and scriptural context
editThe term is a combination of chiram, or 'permanent', and jīvi, or 'lived'. It is similar to amaratva, which refers to true immortality. At the end of the last manvantara (age of Manu), an asura named Hayagriva attempted to become immortal by swallowing the sacred pages of the Vedas, as they escaped from the mouth of Brahma. The scripture was retrieved by the first avatar of Vishnu (Matsya). Other incarnations of Vishnu (Narasimha and Rama) also later fought and killed Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, both of whom tried to become immortal through obeisance to Brahma and Shiva, respectively. In one sense, immortal can mean "to live eternally until the destruction of universes", i.e., all physical bodies are foretold to become immaterial at the end of time, along with the Brahma himself, with the destruction of the universe.[2]
List
editThe extant Puranas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata generally describe seven immortal personalities in the Hindu pantheon.[3] Some scholars opine the count to be eight.[4] Each Chiranjivi represents a different attribute of man, which as long as they live, will exist amongst humanity.[5]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Ashwatthama | The son of Drona. Drona performed many years of severe penance to please Shiva to obtain a son who possessed the same valour as the deity. He is regarded to be an avatar of one of the eleven Rudras. He was cursed to be immortal by Krishna for the attempted murder of Parikshit, suffering from incurable painful sores and ulcers.[6] |
| Mahabali | The king of the asuras, he was regarded to be a benevolent ruler. He overran the three worlds and overthrew Indra. He was exiled to the realm of Patala (the netherworld) by the Vamana avatar of Vishnu to restore cosmic order,[7] and was blessed with immortality by the deity. |
| Vyasa | The sage and author of the Mahabharata. He represents erudition and wisdom. He is the son of sage Parashara and Satyavati, a fisherwoman.[8] He was born towards the end of the Dvapara Yuga. |
| Hanuman | A great vanara devotee of Rama.[9] A brahmachari, he stands for selflessness, courage, devotion, intelligence, strength, and righteous conduct. |
| Vibhishana | A brother of Ravana. A rakshasa, Vibhishana defected to Rama's side before the Lanka War owing to his devotion to dharma. He was later crowned the King of Lanka after Ravana's death. He stands for righteousness.[10] |
| Kripa | The royal guru of the princes in the Mahabharata. Along with his nephew Ashwatthama, he was among the lone survivors of the Kaurava warriors who fought in the Kurukshetra War.[11] |
| Parashurama | The sixth avatar of Vishnu. He is knowledgeable in all astras (divine weapons) and shastras (treatises). The Kalki Purana states that he will reemerge at the end of time to be the martial guru of Kalki. He is stated to instruct the final avatar to undertake penance to receive celestial weaponry, required to save mankind during the end times.[12] |
Other individuals who are sometimes additionally included to the list are the following:[13]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Markandeya | A sage and the author of the Markandeya Purana. Fated to be an exemplary child who would die at the age of sixteen, his devotion to Shiva rescued him from an early death from Yama, the god of death himself. The deity blessed him with immortality for his ardent faith.[14] |
| Kakabhushundi | A devotee of Rama, he narrates the story of the Ramayana to Garuda in the form of a crow.[15] |
| Jambavan | The king of the bears. He was born from the yawn of Brahma and was already six manvanataras old during the period of the Ramayana. He assisted Rama in his quest to rescue his wife in the epic.[16] |
| Agastya | A great sage. He is the composer of many hymns in the Rigveda and is regarded the father of Siddha medicine.[17] |
| Narada | A mind-born son of Brahma and sage-divinity. He travels to different worlds and delivers tidings carrying his veena.[18] |
Chiranjivi Shloka
editThe Chiranjivi Shloka is a hymn that names the Chiranjivi and states the effects of their meditation:[19]
Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripa, and Parashurama are the seven chiranjivis, the death-defeating beings. By remembering their names along with Markandeya, the eighth, one gains freedom from sickness and can live up to a hundred years.
References
edit- ^ Vanamali (2018-03-20). In the Lost City of Sri Krishna: The Story of Ancient Dwaraka. Simon and Schuster. p. 793. ISBN 978-1-62055-682-5.
- ^ Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.32.8–10
- ^ Krishna, Nanditha (2014-05-01). Sacred Animals of India. Penguin UK. p. 233. ISBN 978-81-8475-182-6.
- ^ P. Lāl; Veda Vyāsa (2008). The Māhābhārata of Vyāsa, Vol. 09: The Complete Śalya Parva. Public Resource. Writers Workshop (Kolkata). p. 689.
- ^ Malayalam book Bharata Paryatanam (A journey through the Mahabharata) by Kuttikrishana Marar.
- ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt (2003-04-24). Indian Mythology: Tales, Symbols, and Rituals from the Heart of the Subcontinent. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-89281-870-9.
- ^ Pintchman, Tracy (2005-08-18). Guests at God's Wedding: Celebrating Kartik among the Women of Benares. State University of New York Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7914-8256-8.
- ^ J. P. Mittal (2006). History of Ancient India (A New Version). Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 8126906162. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
- ^ Lutgendorf, Philip (2007-01-11). Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey. Oxford University Press. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-19-804220-4.
- ^ dli.scoerat.856thesanatanadharma. p. 89.
- ^ Menon, Ramesh (July 2006). The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering. iUniverse. p. 449. ISBN 978-0-595-40188-8.
- ^ Johnson, Wendell G. (2017-07-14). End of Days: An Encyclopedia of the Apocalypse in World Religions. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 294. ISBN 978-1-4408-3941-2.
- ^ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. p. 375. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
- ^ Jansen, Eva Rudy (1993). The Book of Hindu Imagery: Gods, Manifestations and Their Meaning. Binkey Kok Publications. p. 114. ISBN 978-90-74597-07-4.
- ^ Tulsidas (2024-02-13). The Sea of Separation: A Translation from the Ramayana of Tulsidas. Harvard University Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-674-29566-7.
- ^ Mani, Vettam (2015-01-01). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 341. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.
- ^ Zimmermann, Marion (September 2007). A Short Introduction: The Tamil Siddhas and the Siddha Medicine of Tamil Nadu. GRIN Verlag. p. 6. ISBN 978-3-638-77126-9.
- ^ Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo. Sahitya Akademi. p. 423. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
- ^ Chauhan-Mubayi, Mudita; Mubayi, Adittya Nath (2022-02-28). Mythonama: The Big Book of Indian Mythologies. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. p. 68. ISBN 978-93-5492-178-0.