Eternal Life Across Eras: Chiranjivitam

Live Long And Prosper

Modern medicine has carved a path into most people’s lives, eradicating diseases we thought incurable even half a century ago. Though this is a commendable pursuit, the pharma field isn’t content with solving existing ailments. Much like everything else in the world, the idea is to go big and achieve that elusive blaze of glory. Why be human when you can be a literal demigod? Eternal life, perfect features, and super-immunity may have been an old wives’ tale back in the day, but it may become reality sooner than we think. Immortality sounds like a cool concept on paper, but what does it actually entail? What’s in the fine print that we often fail to see?

There Is No End?

To know how to bypass death, we have to know what causes it in the first place. From a broad perspective, lives are snuffed out due to three main reasons:

• Senescence, better known as aging
• Trauma, when your body takes too much of a beating
• Disease, a war that your body cannot afford to lose.

Do you see the catch here? Finding a way to put your aging in permanent stasis does not safeguard you from succumbing to severe wounds or illness. The same goes for the other parameters. In other words, while longevity is indeed within our reach, the eternal life that we associate with immortality might still be far down the road. Or is it..?

Age Is Just A Number

The concept of immortality has its roots entrenched within Sanatana Dharma. The term is a portmanteau of chiram (permanent) and jivi (lived), and the chiranjivi hall of fame hosts familiar names from the Hindu pantheon. Chiranjivitam was (and is) revered as the greatest of boons, granted to those who achieved heights deemed unreachable by mere mortals. Nowadays, you will see the moniker of chiranjivi (चिरञ्जीवि) in invitations for religious functions for the most part. Bachelors like me sport the title, but I’m not sure we are worthy of it. That being said, you lose the term when you enter wedlock. Is the universe sending a subliminal message? Make of it what you will.

अश्वत्थामा बलिव्र्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषण:। कृप: परशुरामश्च सप्तएतै चिरजीविन:॥ सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्। जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जित॥

Ashwathaama Balirvyaaso Hanumamshcha Vibheeshanaha
Krupaha Parashuramascha Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha
Saptaitaan Samsmareynnityam Markandeyamathaashtamam
Jivedvarshashatam Sopi Sarvavyadhivivarjita

The excerpt above weaves the names of all eight known Chiranjivis. You recognize some of them, right? All of them are preceded by their formidable reputation as individuals of sheer virtue. By honoring their names, perhaps we can seek to pursue the path of greatness they walk. Their immortality is absolute; they have witnessed the world evolve through entire epochs and will continue to do so even after the human race’s number is up. Who are they? Let’s meet them and find out!

Sentinels of Eternal Life

There are many versions of the Ramayana with their own spins on the classic tale. All of them concur on one aspect: Hanuman’s undying devotion to Lord Rama. The Vanara displays many pious traits like righteousness coupled with near-unparalleled physical might and divine powers. Despite being as all-powerful as he is (even as a mere child, he tried to swallow the Sun!), Hanuman never strayed from the path illuminated by his master and spiritual guide, Sri Rama. In his eyes, service to Rama was his dharma, a duty he served with utmost dedication. When Rama’s term on this mortal plane ended, Hanuman earned immortality for his sheer devotion to him. Some people claim that they’ve witnessed Hanuman’s presence! Much like the timeless epic itself, Hanuman lives on as a standing example of ideal morals and virtue.

Bali is one of the most layered and complex characters in the pantheon just by dint of who he is. His grandfather Prahalada set the bar high in terms of piety, and Bali followed in his footsteps, becoming the most prolific emperor the Asuras had ever witnessed. When you fly that close to the sun, you run the risk of singed wings… and it happened, but not for Mahabali. The Sun God and all the other Devas saw this emergence as a threat to their position, seeking divine guidance from Lord Vishnu to deal with Mahabali.

Eternal Life & A Cause for Celebration

While Vamana/Trivikrama accomplished the mission by playing on the Asura King’s generosity and sending him to the underworld, he had to account for all the good karma the monarch had accrued. After all, Mahabali used his power and stature for the welfare of his people, earning their respect as a leader. Giving credit where it’s due, the Lord granted him eternal life. Once a year, he surfaces and inspects his erstwhile kingdom with a benevolent eye, blessing those who invoke his presence. That festive occasion is Onam, and it’s always a delight to watch the entire state of Kerala celebrate the return of their king.

I remember watching an animated movie in my youth with a pearl of wisdom tucked in its climax: It is not the circumstances of one’s birth, but what we do with the gift of life that determines who we are. Vibhishana is the living embodiment of this motivation. Despite the company he found himself in, he placed faith in his moral compass and persevered on the path of righteousness. He took the hard decision of going against his own kith and kin because he believed in a force bigger than himself or his needs. After Ravana’s defeat, he corrected Lanka’s course as its king. Impressed with his unflinching dedication to dharma and justice, Rama gave him the gift of eternal life, along with the duty of imparting his wisdom to the world across the ages. We could all benefit from imbibing the values he stands for!

Did you know that Veda Vyasa is a title and not a name? The great sage was born as Krishna Dwaipayana to Satyavati and Parashara, bringing about a personal connection to the epic he would go on to compose. Vyasa’s purpose stretched far beyond the Mahabharata, however. Revered as the conduit who distilled and compiled the knowledge of the Vedas, Vyasa’s vision extended to the Srimad Bhagavatam and many other works as well. He is honored on the occasion of Guru Purnima every year. Being an extension of Lord Vishnu himself, he lives on as a fountain of knowledge to those with the courage of conviction to seek the truth.

Kripa is one of the few Kaurava combatants that still stood after the war. Though he was brother-in-law to Drona, he was a renowned scholar and guru in his own right, teaching people regardless of their social stature. It’s this level-headedness and impartiality that set him apart from the crowd. Kripa’s prowess in combat was formidable. He held his own against the top brass of the Pandava forces, but knew when to call a spade a spade. His suggestions for peace treaties fell on deaf ears, and he fought on to the bitter end. Blessed with immortality by Krishna for his virtues, he would go on to become Parikshit’s mentor after the great war. Legend has it that he is spending his life in deep penance, shrouded from civilization to this day.

Right from the moment of his conception, Markandeya was destined to die when he reached 16 years of age. His father, Mrikanda, took the boon of a child with an illustrious but short life over one with a lackluster existence but long life. The youth grew to be an ardent Shiva devotee well into his teen years. When the time came for his departure, Markandeya sat in deep penance, propitiating Lord Shiva.

When his minions could not reap Markandeya’s soul, Yama himself came to the scene, armed with his all-powerful noose. By a twist of fate, the noose caught the Shivalingam instead of Markandeya’s neck, invoking the pure wrath of the Destroyer. Shiva vanquished the Lord of Death himself to the edge of existence, earning him the name “Kaalaantaka“. Rewarding Markandeya’s devotion, he gained the boon of eternal life to continue his path extolling the glory of Shiva. Genuine dedication will always carry a reward!

There are many legendary warriors in the Hindu pantheon, and then there is Parashurama. Hell hath no fury like his scorn, for he has decimated entire armies on his own. His weapon of choice, the ax, is the foundation stone for the state of Kerala! Driven by revenge at first, this avatar of Vishnu moved on to a loftier pursuit: that of eradicating all corrupt and sinful forces in the world, be it kings or emperors. He has mentored formidable warriors like Karna and lies in wait for Kalki to arrive so that he may serve as his tutor in the martial arts. When that fateful day arrives, he will rise and fulfill his duty of upholding justice yet again.

There’s an exception to every rule, and in this set, Ashwathama is the odd one out. Like his uncle Kripa, he survived the war and received immortality from Krishna. Unlike his uncle, however, Ashwathama obtained eternal life as a curse. Seeking to make good on his promise to his fallen friend Duryodhana, he launched a night offensive on the Pandava camp, murdering everyone (Upapandavas included) in their sleep except the five Pandavas, Satyaki, Draupadi and Krishna, who were not in the camp at the time. This dishonorable act resulted in a pyrrhic victory for the Pandava camp; they may have won, but at what cost?

To bring Ashwathama to justice, the Pandavas launched a search party, locating him at Vyasa’s ashram. In a last-ditch effort of self-preservation, Ashwathama launched an astra at Abhimanyu’s pregnant wife Uttara’s womb, wanting to cut the Pandava lineage short. Krishna intervened, nullifying the astra’s destructive power and condemning Ashwathama to an eternity of a wretched existence for his deeds. Some say that he roams the lands to this day, in great pain and seeking salvation from his curse.

The Gravity of Eternal Life

There’s a reason I put Ashwathama’s name last, even though this list is not a ranking of any sort. His case is the one that begs the question; is eternal life indeed a blessing? The ultimate goal of life is to discover and realize one’s true purpose, and being immortal is no crutch to guarantee that you will find it. Life’s brevity is what gives our actions and memories meaning, but that’s a different argument. The lesson that sticks with me is, it matters not how long you live, but how well you use the time you have on this world.

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