In Hindu scriptures, a chiranjivi (Sanskrit: चिरञ्जीविन्, pronounced [t͡ɕi.ɾɐɲ.d͡ʑiː.ʋin̪], romanized: cirañjīvin, lit. 'one who has long life') is an immortal being fated to remain alive on Earth until the end of the current epoch, the Kali Yuga.[1] Several such figures are traditionally enumerated, collectively referred to as the Chiranjivi.
Etymology and scriptural context
[edit]The Sanskrit nominal stem चिरञ्जीविन्, cirañjīvin, meaning "long-lived individual", is a tatpuruṣa compound consisting of the adjective चिर, cira, here in its adverbial form चिरम्, ciram ('for a long time'), and of the noun जीविन्, jīvin ('one who lives'), which is derived from the verbal root √जीव्, √jīv ('to live'). The specific form चिरञ्जीवी, cirañjīvī is the masculine singular nominative of this stem.
While the term cirañjīvin denotes profound longevity, often extending for an entire kalpa (aeon), it is distinct from amaratva, which signifies absolute immortality. The distinction is illustrated in mythological narratives: at the end of the last manvantara (age of Manu), the asura Hayagrīva attempted to attain immortality by swallowing the Vedas as they escaped from the mouth of Brahmā, but the scriptures were retrieved by Viṣṇu in his Matsya incarnation. Likewise, other avatars of Viṣṇu—Narasiṃha and Rāma—slew Hiraṇyakaśipu and Rāvaṇa, respectively, both of whom had sought immortality through devotion to Brahmā and Śiva. In this context, "immortal" can signify not absolute eternity but rather survival until the cosmic dissolution, when all embodied beings, including Brahmā himself, are destined to lose their material form with the destruction of the universe.[2]
List
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The extant Purāṇas, the Rāmāyaṇa, and the Mahābhārata generally describe seven immortal personalities in the Hindu pantheon.[3] Some scholars opine the count to be eight.[4] Each chiranjivi embodies a distinct attribute of humankind; that attribute persists among humankind for as long as the chiranjivi lives.[5]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aśvatthāmā | The son of Droṇa. Droṇa performed many years of severe penance to please Śiva 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 Kṛṣṇa for the attempted murder of Parīkṣit, suffering from incurable painful sores and ulcers.[6] |
| Mahābali | 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 Pātāla, the netherworld, by Vāmana, an avatar of Viṣṇu, to restore cosmic order,[7] and was blessed with immortality by the deity. |
| Vyāsa | The sage and author of the Mahābhārata. He represents erudition and wisdom. He is the son of sage Parāśara and Satyavatī, a fisherwoman.[8] He was born towards the end of the Dvāpara Yuga. |
| Hanumān | A great vānara devotee of Rāma.[9] A brahmacārin, he stands for selflessness, courage, devotion, intelligence, strength, and righteous conduct. |
| Vibhīṣaṇa | A brother of Rāvaṇa. A rākṣasa, Vibhīṣaṇa defected to Rāma's side before the Laṅka War owing to his devotion to dharma. He was later crowned the King of Laṅka after Rāvaṇa's death. He stands for righteousness.[10] |
| Kṛpa | The royal guru of the princes in the Mahābhārata. Along with his nephew Aśvatthāmā, he was among the lone survivors of the Kaurava warriors who fought in the Kurukṣetra War.[11] |
| Paraśurāma | The sixth avatar of Viṣṇu. He is knowledgeable in the use of all the divine weapons (astra) and the treatises (śāstra). The Kalkipurāṇa 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 |
|---|---|
| Mārkaṇḍeya | A sage and the author of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. Fated to be an exemplary child who would die at the age of sixteen, his devotion to Śiva rescued him from an early death from Yama, the god of death. The deity blessed him with immortality for his ardent faith.[14] |
| Kākabhuśuṇḍi | A devotee of Rāma, he narrates the story of the Rāmāyaṇa to Garuḍa in the form of a crow.[15] |
| Jāmbavān | The king of the bears. He was born from the yawn of Brahmā and was already six manvantaras old during the period of the Rāmāyaṇa. He assisted Rāma in his quest to rescue his wife in the epic.[16] |
| Agastya | A great sage. He is the composer of many hymns in the Ṛgveda and is regarded the father of Siddha medicine.[17] |
| Nārada | A mind-born son of Brahmā and sage-divinity. He travels to different worlds and delivers tidings carrying his vīṇā.[18] |
Chiranjivi Shloka
[edit]The Chiranjivi Shloka (Sanskrit: चिरञ्जीविश्लोक, romanized: cirañjīviśloka) is a hymn that names the Chiranjivi and states the effects of their meditation:
|
Original Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो हनुमांश्च विभीषणः। |
Transliteration: aśvatthāmā balirvyāso hanumāṃśca vibhīṣaṇaḥ |
English translation: Aśvatthāmā, Mahābali, Vyāsa, Hanumān, Vibhīṣaṇa, |
The mantra states that the remembrance of the eight immortals (Aśvatthāmā, Mahābali, Vyāsa, Hanumān, Vibhīṣaṇa, Kṛpa, Paraśurāma, and Mārkaṇḍeya) offers one freedom from ailments and longevity.
References
[edit]- ^ Vanamali (20 March 2018). 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 (1 May 2014). 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 (24 April 2003). 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 (18 August 2005). 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 13 October 2020.
- ^ Lutgendorf, Philip (11 January 2007). 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. (14 July 2017). End of Days: An Encyclopedia of the Apocalypse in World Religions. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 294. ISBN 978-1-4408-3941-2.
- ^ Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). 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 (13 February 2024). The Sea of Separation: A Translation from the Ramayana of Tulsidas. Harvard University Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-674-29566-7.
- ^ Mani, Vettam (1 January 2015). 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.