Seven Chiranjeevis (immortals) in Hinduism

Seven Chiranjeevis (immortals) in Hinduism :-

There are seven Chiranjeevis as mentioned in Hinduism; Chiranjeevis are those who are believed to be still alive throughout this Kali Yug. Chiranjeevi is a sanskrit word which is a combination of two words “Chiram” which means “long” and “Jeevi” means “lived” beings that will live a very long life, so long that normal humans feel that they live for eternity; they started off as humans, but have received the boon of eternal life.

“Ashwatthaama Balirvyaaso Hanumanshcha Vibheeshanaha, Krupaha Parshuramascha Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha”.

Which means that Aswatthama, King Bali, Ved Vyas, Lord Hanuman, Vibhishan, Krupacharya and Parashuram are death-defying or imperishable personalities.

(1) ASHWATTHAMA, the son of Guru Drona, he was born with a gem in his forehead which gives him power over all living beings lower than humans; it protected him from hunger, thirst and fatigue. Aswatthaman means "the horse-voiced". It is so called because when he was born he cried like a horse.

Ashwatthama killed all the sons of Pandavas (Upa-Pandavas), when he attacked the Pandava camp on the 18th night of the Kurukshetra war during the India’s Greatest Epic Mahabharat. To placate a distraught Draupadi (Panchali), the Pandavas agree to obtain the gem from Ashwatthama's forehead.

Pandavas went searching for Ashwatthama at Ved Vyas's ashram. On seeing the approaching Pandavas, Ashwatthama, as a last resort, used his sacred knowledge of the vedas to devise a Bramashirsha Astra or Bramashtra from a blade of grass. On seeing the Brahmashirsha Astra approaching the Pandavas, Lord Krishna asked Arjun to invoke the same.

On seeing the two powerful Astras heading for a head on cataclysmic collision that would result in the total annihilation of the entire Earth, Ved Vyas stopped these divine weapons from colliding with each other by using his yogic power. He asked both these warriors to withdraw their respective weapons. Arjun could do so, while Ashwatthama didn't have the required knowledge. However, Ashwatthama was capable of redirecting the weapon to a single isolated object in a place where the weapon would detonate harmlessly. But instead, out of rage, he directed the weapon towards the womb of Uttara (Abhimanyu’s wife), carrying the Pandav heir, in an attempt to end the lineage of the Pandavas. The angered Pandavas want to kill Ashwatthama, but Ved Vyas reminded the Pandavas of their own deceit in killing their own guru’s son. Ved Vyas explained that due to the severe sin of killing their guru’s son by unethical means, the Pandavas had suffered such tragedy. Further, Ved Vyas warned that he will curse the Pandavas if they ever tried to kill Ashwatthama, the lone survivor of their Guru's lineage.

Ashwatthama was asked to surrender the gem on his forehead. Enraged, Lord Krishna then cursed Ashwatthama. For 3000 years he will roam in the forests with blood and puss oozing out of his injuries as he cries for death. Since he had no fear of death during war, death will not meet him. He will have neither any hospitality nor any accommodation; he will be in total isolation without any contact of physical communication from mankind and society. The wound caused by the removal of this gem on his forehead will not heal and his body will suffer from a host of incurable diseases forming sores and ulcers.

Even if Ashwatthama fired the Bhrahmastra at Uttaraa's womb, attacking the foetus form of Parikshit, Bhagwan Shri Krishna intervened and revived the stillborn baby, giving Parikshit his name.

(2) KING BALI also called Mahabali is immortalised because even Lord Vishnu had to humble himself as Vaman to conquer him. He stands out for his valour and charity -two great eternal qualities. King Bali knew full well who Vaman was. Yet, he prepared to surrender all he had, to his Lord. So this man of grace is still revered.

Lord Vishnu, seeing the devotion of Mahabali, appeared in his true form and said, “I bless you, Bali. From now on, you will rule Patal Lok forever hence indirectly Bali Raja blessed to be immortal (Chiranjeevi).”

(3) VED VYAS, the great scholar and writer, the composer/author of the India’s Greatest Epic Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagavatam, is another immortal, a shining beacon of erudition and wisdom. A katha-wachak reading from the holy texts is said to ascend the Vyaspeeth- blessed by the immortal Vyas. He comes to represent the continuity of erudition, scholarship and the apotheosis of the writer as the ultimate visionary.

(4) LORD HANUMAN exemplifies selflessness, courage, devotion, energy, strength and righteous conduct. He stands for the potential that is inherent in all of us. He also represents the air, the atmosphere and thus the life-breath -the prana. Devi Sita is believed to have bestowed on him the boon which made Hanuman ever-youthful, energetic and immortal.

When Bhagwan Shri Rama left this world to go back to Vaikuntha (Saket Dham), He asked Hanuman to remain in this world and continue to chant the Ram-Nama so that the world could be benefited by it and that is what Chiranjeevi Lord Hanuman continues to do to this day!

(5) VIBHISHAN had unshakable faith in what he believed. He was a fearless counselor of righteousness even when all around him were given to sycophancy and peer pressure. As a follower of right conduct, Vibhishan survived unscathed while tragedy befell the unrighteous king and his followers.

Vibhishan had a sattvic (pure) mind and a sattvic heart. Once upon a time, along with his brothers Ravan & Kumbhakarna, Vibhishan performed a major Yajna and penance for Lord Brahma. Eventually, Brahma appeared and offered him any boon he wanted. Vibhishan said that the only thing he wanted was to have his mind fixed at the feet of the Lord as pure as lotus leaves (charan kamal) FOREVER. He prayed that he should be given the strength by which he would ALWAYS be at the feet of the God and that he would receive the darshan (holy sight) of Lord Vishnu. This prayer was fulfilled, and he was able to give up all his wealth and family, and join Bhagwan Shri Ram, who was Avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Here, Lord Brahma gave him a boon to be chiranjeevi (immortal).

(6) KRIPACHARYA was an extraordinary teacher. To him, all pupils were equal. A guru like Dronacharya favoured Arjun and sacrificed an equally if not more promising student-he asked Ekalavya for his right thumb. Kripacharya, on the other hand, upheld the highest standards expected of a teacher: He was impartial.

(7) PARASHURAM was master of martial arts. No one could beat him-whether the tools were astras , sastras or divine weapons. He had no temporal ambition. Had he so wished, he would have been the greatest Chakravarti Samrat India had ever known. But he lived a hermit's life. He was also one who never hesitated to admit a mistake.

During Sita's swayamvar, after Bhagwan Shri Ram had broken the divine bow of Lord Shiva, Parashuram asked both Ram & Lakshman for forgiveness. Despite his excellent qualifications, he did not hesitate to apologise in all humility that he had lost his reason in anger. Parashuram symbolises excellence and strength, tempered by humility.