Chiranjivi- Hindu GroupCollective"The Seven Immortals"
Also known as: Chiranjeevi and चिरंजीवी
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Description
Seven figures walk through all the ages of the world, each granted immortality for a different deed. Their names, recited in a morning shloka, endure as a reminder that some stories have no ending, awaiting the close of the Kali Yuga.
Mythology & Lore
The Seven Who Endure
The Chiranjivi ("long-lived ones") are seven beings in Hindu tradition believed to remain alive through all four yugas of the cosmic cycle. They are enumerated in a widely recited shloka: Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya, and Parashurama. Each received immortality under different circumstances, and each carries a distinct role in the ongoing cosmic drama.
Ashwatthama, son of Drona, was cursed by Krishna after the Kurukshetra war to wander the earth in suffering for his crime of killing sleeping warriors and unleashing the Brahmastra against the unborn (Mahabharata, Sauptika Parva 10.16). His immortality is a punishment, not a blessing. Bali (Mahabali), the generous Asura king, was pushed into the netherworld by Vishnu's Vamana avatar but was granted immortality and lordship over Sutala, returning each year in the festival celebrated as Onam (Bhagavata Purana 8.19-22). Vyasa, the sage who composed the Mahabharata and arranged the Vedas, endures as the eternal compiler of sacred knowledge. Hanuman, the devoted servant of Rama, was granted undying life so he might hear Rama's name chanted in every age (Ramayana, Uttara Kanda). Vibhishana, Ravana's righteous brother who defected to Rama, was blessed with immortality and appointed king of Lanka to maintain dharma (Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda 112). Kripacharya, the teacher of the Kuru princes, survived the great war and endures into the next age. Parashurama, the axe-wielding avatar of Vishnu, withdrew to Mahendra Mountain after his campaigns and awaits a role as martial instructor in future ages (Mahabharata, Vana Parva 117).
The Shloka and Its Practice
The Chiranjivi shloka, recited as part of morning devotional practice, runs: "Ashwatthama Balirvyaso Hanumanashcha Vibhishanah / Kripah Parashuramascha Saptaite Chiranjivinah." Devotees believe that reciting these seven names each morning confers long life and freedom from fear of death. The verse does not appear in any single canonical text but belongs to the body of traditional devotional verses (stotras) transmitted through oral and manuscript tradition. Its popularity testifies to the enduring fascination with figures who transcend the boundaries of historical time, standing as witnesses to the entire cycle of cosmic ages.