The 7 Chiranjeevis of Hindu Mythology

In Hindu mythology, the Sapta Chiranjeevis, or the 7 Chiranjeevis, are immortal beings believed to still reside on Earth among human beings. 

These beings have transcended time and death. They belong to different Yugas and the reasons for their immortal status vary. All of them, goes the belief, will help Lord Kalki, the 10th avatar of Lord Vishnu, restore Dharma in the world during the Kali Yuga. The Chiranjeevis have been around for centuries, and their stories are fascinating to read. 

In this blog, we’ll learn more about these 7 immortals and the myths behind them.

1. Lord Hanuman

Lord Hanuman is the monkey god renowned for his loyalty and devotion to Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is also believed to be a form of Shiva, called Rudra.

Born to Anjana, an Apsara (celestial maiden) and the monkey king, Kesari, Hanuman had extraordinary powers even as a child.

Once, when he was young, thinking the Sun was a delicious orange, he flew towards it in order to grab it. But Indra, the king of gods,struck him down with his thunderbolt, Vajra. He lost consciousness and his jaw was disfigured as a result. A furious Kesari asked Vayu, the wind god, to stop the winds from blowing until Indra revived his son. Indra had no choice but to revive Hanuman. All the gods bestowed many siddhis, or powers, on Hanuman as well.

All these powers made Hanuman invincible and immortal. This is why people believe that he lives among us even now.

Hanuman was very devoted to Rama. He played an important role in the Ramayana and helped Rama rescue his beloved wife, Sita, from the demon king Ravana.

He performed many heroic deeds that reveal his strength, dedication, and wisdom. It was Indra who granted him immortality, so that he could guide future generations.

Hanuman has many lessons to teach us - humility, courage, devotion, strength, and loyalty. 

Ashwatthama

Ashwatthama was the son of Dronacharya in the Mahabharata epic. Drona was the martial arts guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Dronacharya was also a legendary warrior. Ashwatthama means "horse-voiced."

It also means someone with the vigour of a horse. He possessed divine powers due to the gem Lord Shiva placed on his forehead.

In the epic Kurukshetra War, Ashwatthama sided with the Kauravas. After the Kauravas lost the war, Ashwatthama decided to kill the five Pandava brothers as they slept in their camp at midnight. This was against the ethics of war, as neither side could attack the other after sunset.

By mistake, Ashwatthama killed the sons of the Pandavas.

When the Pandavas discovered this, they were angry and decided to kill Ashwatthama.

Ashwatthama attacked the Pandavas with the deadly weapon, the Brahmastra. Arjuna also did the same.

On seeing this, Lord Krishna, who was Arjuna’s charioteer, begged them to put down their weapons to prevent the annihilation of the entire planet.

Arjuna obeyed him, but Ashwatthama did not. He aimed his weapon at Uttara, Arjuna's pregnant daughter-in-law.

Uttara lost her unborn child, bringing an end to the Pandava lineage. A furious Krishna cursed Ashwatthama for his heinous deed.

Due to the curse, Ashwatthama must endure unending suffering until the end of Kaliyuga.

3. Parashurama

Parashurama is the 6th incarnation of Vishnu and the son of Renuka and Sage Jamadagni, one of the seven sages, or Saptarishis. 

Parashurama lived during the Dwapara Yuga. Thanks to his rigorous penance, he got an ax called Parashu as a reward.  Lord Shiva taught him the martial arts.

After King Kartavirya killed his father, Parashurama vowed to kill all Kshatriyas. He killed twenty-one generations of Kshatriyas.

He played a prominent role in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana epics, especially in the Mahabharata. He was a guide for Bhishma, Karna, and Drona.

Along with other warriors, Parashurama repelled the oncoming tides to protect the Konkan region, Malabar, and Kerala.

Legend says that Parashurama will be a teacher and mentor to Kalki, the last Vishnu avatar, who will appear in Kali Yuga.

As per some mythis, he will help Kalki perform penance so that he can get celestial weapons and knowledge that would save humanity at the end of Kali Yuga.

4. Mahabali

Mahabali, or Bali, was the son of King Devamba and Virochana. He was the ruler of the "Daitya" kingdom, which included Kerala. Prahlada, his grandfather, brought him up and inculcated virtue and devotion in him. He was a just, wise, benevolent king and was a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

Bali was the king of the Asuras, the demon race. The kingdom enjoyed prosperity and stability during his rule. He conquered the entire Earth, as well as the heavens and the underworld.

The Devas, led by Indra, asked Vishnu to help them regain heaven. Meanwhile, Bali began the Ashwamedha Yaga at his Guru, Sukracharya's suggestion, to consolidate his power.

During the Yagna, Bali granted boons to many people. Vishnu appeared at the Yagna site in the form of Vamana, a young, dwarf  Brahmin boy. Vamana is the 5th avatar of Vishnu. When Bali asked him what he wanted, he requested three paces of land.

Once Bali granted his request, Vamana became huge and, with only two steps, covered heaven and Earth.

Bali realized that Vamana was none other than Lord Vishnu. He bowed down and told Vamana to place his foot on his head for the third step.

Vamana placed his foot down and pushed him down into Suthala, one of the 7 realms of Patal lok or the underworld.

However, impressed by Bali’s devotion and generosity, Vishnu allowed Bali to return to Earth once a year to check on the welfare of his subjects on Earth.

Keralites celebrate the festival of Onam every year to honor King Bali when he returns to visit his subjects.

5. Veda Vyasa

Sage Veda Vyasa, whose original name was Krishna Dvaipayana, was the author of the Mahabharata epic and the 18 main Puranas. He was born in late Treta Yuga and lived through the Dwapara and Kali Yugas.

Like the other immortals, the sage was alive during this Manvantara or Kali Yuga. Vyasa wanted to lead an ascetic lifestyle. So, he left his mother, Satyavati, promising to return if she needed him.

Later, Satyavati married King Shantanu of the Kuru kingdom, and they had 2 sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya, who were both childless. After their deaths, the kingdom lacked a monarch.

Other hostile kings were eyeing the kingdom, so Satyavati summoned Vyasa for help.

She ordered him to have children with the widows of her late sons.

So, Vyasa had sons by the two widows and also a maidservant. He then returned to his ascetic lifestyle.

Vyasa requested Ganesha to help him write the Mahabharata, but Ganesha said that Vyasa should tell the story without a pause.

Vyasa agreed on condition that Ganesha understood the verse before transcribing it. Vyasa was also the author of the Upanishads and the 18 Puranas.

Sage Vyasa is a Chiranjivi, or an eternal being who continues to reside on Earth to aid humanity until the end of the Kali Yuga.

Guru Purnima festival celebrates the birthday of Veda Vyasa.

6. Vibhishana

Vibhishana was a son of Sage Vishrava, whose father was Sage Pulatsya, one of the Heavenly Guardians. Kumbhakarna and Ravana, the king of Lanka, were his elder brothers.

Though he was an Asura, Vibheeshana was a devout man and considered himself a Brahmin.

Being a virtuous Asura, Vibhishana advised Ravana to return Sita to Rama. When Ravana ignored his advice, Vibhishana joined Rama's army.

After Rama won the war, he crowned Vibhishana the king of Lanka. At one point, the people of Lanka revered Vibhishana as one of the 4 Heavenly Kings (satara varam deviyo).

Vibhishana was a man whose thoughts and deeds were pure. Even as a young child, he was fixated on the Lord's name. When Brahma told him to ask for a boon, he said he wished to remain at the Lord's feet forever and to receive the darshan of Lord Vishnu. He prayed that he should be able to leave his family and everything he had to follow Rama, an avatar of Vishnu. Brahma granted his wish.

Rama is believed to have granted Vibheeshana a long life.

7. Kripacharya

Kripa, or Krupacharya, is a major figure in the Mahabharata. Before Drona arrived on the scene, the Pandavas and Kauravas had a royal teacher, Kripa.

Kripa's biological father Shardwan appeared in the world armed with arrows, revealing his natural skills in archery. He practiced mindfulness and became a master of combat. Nobody could beat him.

The gods were alarmed by this. Lord Indra sent an attractive Apsara (divine nymph) from the heavens to seduce the saint and disturb his penance.

Janapadi, the nymph, approached Shardwan and tried to seduce him. Shardwan was distracted by her, but he managed to control his desires and resist the temptation. But as he lost focus, his bow and arrows fell to the ground.

The weeds growing on the roadside split in half when his semen landed on them. A boy and a girl were born, and the sage left the monastery for the forest to perform penance.

King Shantanu, the great-grandfather of the Pandavas, recognized the children as the offspring of a legendary Brahmin archer simply by looking at them. He named them Kripa and Kripi and took them to his palace.

Upon hearing about the two children, Shardwan went to the palace to identify them publicly as belonging to the royal family and also to perform the ceremonies for Brahmin children.

He taught them the Vedas and other Shastras and shared his knowledge of archery and the cosmos. By the time they were adults, the children were experts in warfare.

Young Kripa, now called Kripacharya, had the job of teaching the young princes the art of battle. Kripa became the preeminent priest in Hastinapura's royal court.

Kripi, his twin sister, married Drona, master of the court's weapons. Drona also had developed outside a human womb.

Kripa was among the few important characters in the Mahabharata to survive the war and its aftermath. He sided with the Kauravas, though his sympathies were with the Pandavas.

One of his later students was Parikshit, Arjuna's grandson and Abhimanyu's son. He was revered for his fairness. Lord Krishna granted him eternal life.

Markandeya – the 8th Chiranjeevi?  

Sage Markandeya belonged to the family of Saint Brighu. He is a much-revered figure in Hindu mythology. His life was filled with many hardships. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, who was responsible for granting him the gift of immortality.

Markandeya's parents, Sage Mrukandu and Manasvini, yearned for a child and performed rigorous penance to please Shiva.

Pleased by their devotion, Shiva gave them darshan and granted them their wish, with the caveat that they could either have a brilliant son who would live only for 16 years or a dull-witted son blessed with a long life. They chose the former, and soon, a son, Markandeya, was born to them.

Markandeya possessed great wisdom even as a child.

Observing the constant gloom and sadness of his parents, he asked them what was the matter.

They told him about the circumstances of his birth and the fate that awaited him.

Markandeya decided to satisfy Shiva and change his destiny. He began a very rigorous penance.

As his 16th birthday approached, Yama, the god of death, appeared before him to claim his life. Yama used his "Mrutyupasha" (noose of death) to seize Markandeya's soul.

Markandeya clung to the Shiva Linga he had been worshipping. Seeing his devotee’s plight, a furious Shiva emerged from it. In a fit of rage, Shiva killed Yama, thereby saving Markandeya..

Shiva was so impressed by Markandeya's devotion and courage that he bestowed upon him the name "Chiranjeevi" and gave him eternal life. People believe that Sage Markandeya resides in his Sukshma Roopa form in the Himalayas now.

Though most legends mention only 7 Chiranjeevis,  names, the story of Markandeya is mentioned in ancient texts like the Bhagavata Purana, which says that Markandeya worshipped Vishnu for 6 manvantaras. It also describes how Markandeya pleads with Nara-Narayana to experience Vishnu’s Maya (illusion). In the form of a baby, he saw the entire universe, the passing of the different ages, all living creatures, and a vision of his own hermitage. This experience deepened Markandeya's devotion to Lord Vishnu, and he dedicated himself to serving the deity for eternity.

Markandeya’s story speaks of the power of devotion and the miracles it can create. 

Conclusion

'Chiram,' in Sanskrit, means long, and 'jeev' denotes life. Chiranjeevis are warriors who appear in many Satyugas. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas all recount their stories and exploits.