Cirajivins
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
Revision as of 23:59, 15 December 2016 by 127.0.0.1 (Links to existing pages added by LinkTitles bot.)
By Swami Harshananda
Cirajivins literally means ‘those who live eternally’.
The epics and purāṇas have listed seven persons as ‘cirajivins’ or ever-living. Due to various reasons as depicted in the mythological stories, they obtained the boon of living for ever on this earth, though in a subtle body. They are:
- Aśvatthāma - the son of preceptor Droṇa
- Bali - the king of pātāla or the nether world
- Hanumān - the monkey-devotee of Rāma
- Kṛpa - a brāhmaṇa warrior mentioned in the Mahābhārata
- Paraśurāma - the sage who killed the evil kṣattriyas
- Vibhīṣaṇa - youngest brother of Rāvaṇa, the king of Laṅkā
- Vyāsa - the sage and author of the epic Mahābhārata and the purāṇas
Mārkaṇḍeya, the sage who conquered death through his devotion to Śiva, should be added to this list.
References
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore