Mythological Characters who are still alive

ASHTA CHIRANJIVIS / EIGHT IMMORTALS

The word Chiranjeevi is a combination of two words, Chira means till the end or forever and Jeevi means living being. Chiranjeevis means the persons who live till the end, here it means till the end of the Kali Yuga and called as Immortals.

There are Eight Chiranjeevis mentioned in our Hindu scriptures, who belongs to different ages or Yugas. It is mentioned in this Sloka

Aswadhama Balir Vyaso Hanumanascha Vibhishanah 

Krupacharyacha Parashuramascha Sapthaithey Chiranjeevinah |

Sapthaithaan Samsmaren nithyam Markandeyam Athaashtamam 
Jeeveth Varsha Shatham Praagya Apamruthyu Vivarjithah ||

     

Ashwadhama, Bali King/Chakravarthi, Vyasa Maharshi, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Krupacharya, Parashurama are known as Saptha Chiranjeevis, other than them Rishi Markandeya also considered to be eighth Chiranjeevi and one who remembers these great personalities by chanting this sloka daily will live his life completely without any obstacles. This is the meaning of the above Sloka.

1. ASHWADHAMA

He is son of Dronacharya and his wife Kripi, sister of Kripa or Kripacharya who is also chiranjeevi, and great warrior in the Epic Mahabharatha and grandson of Bharadwaja Mahamuni, the character mentioned in Epic Ramayana, of Thretha Yuga. Ashwadhama was born with a gem on his forehead which gives him power and protects him in all ways, he fought on the side of Kauravas against the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. He is known to be immortal from his birth, but Lord Krishna, due to his cruel behavior cursed him that he live with a great pain as if burnt alive and will roam for 3000 years, in all the forests with blood and foul smelling puss oozing out of his injuries, alone and helplessly. 

[Also Read : Ancient Indian Habits To Improve Your Immunity ]

2.BALI

Bali, also known as Bali Chakravarthi, where the word Chakravarthi means Emperor or King of Kings, because he conquered all the three worlds or lokas including Heaven and Indra also had to surrender to him. King Bali even though was asura, he was mighty and valorous, at the same time he was virtuous, and also dedicated to the welfare of the people in his kingdom. He is grandson of Prahlada, who is great devotee of Sri Maha Vishnu, and son of Virochana, and father of Banasura, who is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatham. Because of him Lord Vishnu has accepted the Vamana avatar,  After dethroning Indra from Amaravathi [rajya of Indra], he was performing Yagna, Vamana murthi came there and asked him three steps of land as charity. Shukracharya realised and said that the one who has come for charity is none other than Lord Sri Maha Vishnu, even after Knowing, he promised to fulfill his wish and Vamana has sent him to Pathala loka by stepping on him and Sri Maha Vishnu blessed him to be a Chiranjeevi. It is believed that Every year on the day of Bali Padyami, where padyami means the other day of full , or new moon day, Bali padyami falls on next day of Diwali,  [also clelebrated as Onam in Kerala] It is believed that he will come to earth from the Pathala lok to see his people because everyone on earth is believed to be from his kingdom.

3. VYASA

Vyasa Maharsi is the son of sage Parashara, who is the founder of Astrology, and Sathyavathi  who is a daughter of a fisherman and also grandson of Shakthi, who is again son of Vashishta Maharshi. He is one of the Incarnation of Lord Vishnu, which is also mentioned in this sloka

Vyasaya Vishnu Rupaya Vyasa Rupaya Vishnave

Namo Vai Bramha Nidhaye Vashishtaya Namo Namah ||

He classified the Veda into 4 parts and further he divided into 18 Maha Puranas [by Veda vibhajana] which are over 4 Lakh Slokas, for the convenience of people in Kali Yuga, because people in this yuga will have a short span of life compared to other Yugas. He is Author of the Great Epic Mahabharatha, which is considered to be the fifth Veda, which is dictated by Vyasa Maharshi and written by Lord Ganesha and  he is also called as VedaVyasa.

4. HANUMAN

Hanuman is the son of Vanara king Kesari and his wife Anjana Devi with the blessings of Vayudeva and known as Maruthathmaja who is the son of Vayu.  He is also mentioned in Mahabharatha in Dvapara Yuga. He is great devotee of Lord Sri Rama,It is believed that in the Kali Yuga Lord Hanuman visit the place wherever people praise the glories of  Lord Rama by saying or listening Srimad Ramayan. He is also the author of the Ramayana named HanumadRamayanam.

Yathra Yathra Raghunaatha Keerthanam 
Tathra Tathra Krutha Masthakanjalim
Vaaspa-Vaari-Paripurna Lochanam 
Maaruthim Namatha Raakshasantakam ||

Meaning

Sri Maruthi (Son of Wind God), the terror to demons (Rakshasas) is present wherever praise of Sri Rama is sung, with joyous tears in His eyes and folded hands over His head. To Him we offer our salutation (Namaskarams).

[Also Read : How many people died in the war of Mahabharat ?]

5. VIBHISHANA

He was the younger brother of Kubera, Rakshasa King Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Vibhishana, is the one who was good even though from the clan of Rakshasas. Vibhishana who always follows Dharma and is also against the kidnapping and abduction of Sita Devi, and said Ravana many times not to do so. He surrendered to Lord Sri Rama before the war and helped Rama. Later, he was crowned as king of Lanka after Ravana was killed by Rama. It is said that Vibhishana was later blessed to be a Chiranjeevi so that he can maintain good deeds and righteousness in Lanka and can guide people about paths of Dharma.

6. KRUPACHARYA

Kripa or Krupa was the Kul Guru of the Kuru Vamsha during the Mahabharat. He is one among the Maharathis who fought in Kurukshetra war on the side of Kauravas and against Pandavas. He was having a twin sister Kripi who married to Dronacharya. After the war of Mahabharatha, he was the guru of  King Parikshit, who is the grandson of Arjuna. He is known for his impartiality towards carrying out his duties.

7. PARASHURAMA

Parashurama is the one of the Incarnations of Lord Vishnu. He is son of sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. His actual name is Bhargava Rama, once he visited Kailasa mountain and  He received an axe after undertaking terrible penance to please Lord Shiva, who in turn taught him the martial arts, and then he is  popular as Parashurama, parashu means axe and he always used to hold it in his hand. He born in the family of Brahmana, but always behaves as a kshathriya, because of this mistake click here. He defeated the King Karthaveeryarjuna, who is also called Sahasra bahu, one with thousand hands because of stealing the cow Kamadhenu and killing his father Jamadagni by losing control of his senses with his power, even though being a great devotee of Lord DattaAthreya and having many boons and after that Parashurama destroyed Kshatriyas who are humiliating people by miss using their powers and who are blind in their pride for 21 times going around the world. He was the guru for the great warriors like Bhishmacharya, Dronacharya and Karna etc., in the Epic Mahabharatha. He made a city by ordering Samudra dev to move a little backward, which is now the city of Kerala, which means where there are more coconuts, after he conquired the earth he gave it to Kashyap Maharshi as donation, Now he is believed to still visit the hill/mountain named Mahendragiri every Chaturdasi, the fourteenth day of every Paksha.

[Also Read : Why Lord Parasuram, being a Brahmin behave like Kshatriya? ]

8. MARKANDEYA

  

He is born in the clan of Brighu Rishi. Markandeya maharshi is a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu. There is a famous story that Lord Shiva saved the Markandeya in the age of 16 from Yama, god of Death, when he did the famous Chandra Shekhara Ashtakam and given him the boon of immortality, by pleasing with his great devotion.As per Markendeya Maharshi Charitra, once Markandeya meditates for Six Manvantras and Lord Indra tries hard to disturb his meditation by all means but fails. After seeing his devoted meditation, Lord Vishnu appears and asks for a boon. Markandeya seeks the Lord that he wants to cherish his magic or to know what is Maya actually. After few days there was a hail storm and every thing destroys., the whole world was covered with darkness, there was neither Sun nor Moon, and the earth was covered by water which was flooded, then Markendeya Maharshi notices a small baby boy floating on banyan leaf, sucking his foot toe by holding his leg with his little hands. Sage Markandeya realizes that the baby boy is none other than Lord Maha Vishnu and glorify Him as “Vatapatra Sai”. On Ordering by Sri Maha Vishnu he enters into his stomach, then Markandeya Maharshi found the whole world, trees, oceans, mountains, every species of world etc., in his stomach, which was invisible at that time when he was out. He then realizes that whatever we see with the eyes  [the whole world] is Maya, created by Sri Maha Vishnu, and he only takes it back or includes the world in himself  which is called as Maha Pralayam.

Do you know, in Indian culture elders recite the above sloka, or just remembering the 8 Chiranjeevi's, is believed to bless individual with long healthy life.

[Also Read : Triguna's and The Universe]

Share this, If you found it informative and useful.