Who are the 8 cheeranjeevi in Hinduism?
Do you know there are at least 8 immortal beings called as the “cheeranjeevis” living here on Earth? Here’s the tea.
1) We have Hanuman. Sri Ram gave him the status for his unmatched devotion, selfless service & commitment to him. He’s currently speculated to roam the Gandhamadana Mountain in the deep south & will be coming back to fight with Ram or Vishnu’s next avatar - Kalki.
2) Ved Vyas - His name literally means the splitter of the Vedas - he’s one of the most important names in Hindu literature as he is credited to documenting the 4 vedas, the Upanishads & the Puranas. He’s currently said to be somewhere near Ganga’s origins, refining his own work & may come out to mentor Kalki.
3) Parshuram - Another Vishnu avatar, he was responsible for wiping out evil kings & rulers during the Treta yug. He’s a skilled weapons guy so he’s meditating in Eastern Indian, waiting for Kalki to come so he can train him in combat.
4) Ashwatthama - An avatar of Shiva & Drona’s son in Mahabharata who sided with the Kauravas i.e. bad guys, he’s the only one on the list who was cursed, not blessed, by Krishna, for killing the Pandava’s kids. Krishna cursed his wounds to never heal & he’s said to roam around Narmada River waiting for Kalki to redeem & free him from his misery.
5) Vibhishana - Who sided with Ram & his dharma despite being Ravana’s brother, is said to be tasked by Ram with watching over Lanka & he regularly Lord Ram’s temple to continue his worship.
6) Kripacharya - who taught warfare to both the good & bad guys in Mahabharata, was blessed by Krishna because of his impartiality & devotion towards teaching his students. He’ll also be one of Kalki’s coaches in warfare.
7) Bali - When Vishnu took the Vaman Avatar & asked the King Bali to grant him the land he could cover 3 steps, Bali also offered his own head after Vaman stepped on Earth & Heaven. Vishnu pushed Bali down to rule over the Patala Lok & granted him freedom from death to continue his duty of guarding the realm.
The 8th Chiranjeevi, Rishi Markandeya, is debated but is said to have been blessed by Lord Shiva for his devotiion even at death.