The Concept of CiranjIvI

[ramchander deekonda]

vidvadbhyo namaH,

We want to know what exactly it means by the term ciranjIvi in the context of Hanuman, Bali, Vyasa, Asvatthama, Parasurama, Vibhishana and Krpa. Does it mean very very long life or never-ending life.  Scholar may please enlighten us.

Regards,

Ramchander Deekonda

[Hnbhat B.R.]

We want to know what exactly it means by the term ciranjIvi in the context of Hanuman, Bali, Vyasa, Asvatthama, Parasurama, Vibhishana and Krpa. Does it mean very very long life or never-ending life.  Scholar may please enlighten us.

Both are two different things. When it is qualifying Hanuman, etc. Puranic personages, it is left to the belief, that they never ended their life normally due to their extra power acquainted. 

The different shades of meaning:

चिरजीवी and चिरञ्जीवी both are used as synonyms of both विष्णु and काक. विष्णु is called never perishable:

"अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षी" so never ending or never born. But born in different अवतार-s but no end of अवतार-s. Depends on the usage. But cirajIvi means literally living long. 

[L=12619] [p= 2-452] ciraṁ, vya, (ci bāhulakāt rak .) dīrghakālaḥ . 

with its synonyms

tatparyyāyaḥ . cirāya 2 cirarātrāya 3

cirasya 4 . ityamaraḥ .. cireṇa 5 cirāt 6

cire 7 . iti bharataḥ .. cirataḥ 8 . iti

śabdaratnāvalī .. (yathā, manuḥ . 4 . 60 .

“naikaḥ prapadyetādhvānaṁ na ciraṁ parvvate vaset ..)

[L=12632] [p= 2-453] ciram, vya, (ci ramuk .) cirārtham . dīrgha-

kālārtham . tatparyyāyaḥ . cirāya 2 cira-

rātrāya 3 cirasya 4 cirāt 5 cireṇa 6 .

iti hemacandraḥ . 3 . 168 .. (yathā, raghau . 3 . 62 .

“tathāpi śastravyavahāraniṣṭhure

vipakṣabhāve ciramasya tasthuṣaḥ ..”)

cirajīvī

[L=12624] cirajīvī, [n] puṁ, (ciraṁ jīvatīti . jīva 

ṇiniḥ .) viṣṇuḥ . kākaḥ . iti medinī ..

jīvakavṛkṣaḥ . śālmalivṛkṣaḥ . iti rāja-

nirghaṇṭaḥ .. mārkaṇḍeyaḥ . aśvatthāmā . valiḥ .

vyāsaḥ . hanūmān . vibhīṣaṇaḥ . kṛpaḥ . paraśu-

rāmaḥ . iti tithyāditattvam .. bahukālajīvini

tri . iti jaṭādharaḥ .. (yathā, rāmāyaṇe . 2 .

1 . 36 .

“atha rājño babhūvaivaṁ vṛddhasya cirajīvinaḥ ..”)

 cirañjīvī

[L=12625] cirañjīvī, [n] puṁ, (ciraṁ jīvatīti . jīva + ṇiniḥ .) viṣṇuḥ . kākaḥ . iti hema-

candraḥ . 4 . 388 .. jīvakavṛkṣaḥ . śālmali-

vṛkṣaḥ . iti rājanirghaṇṭaḥ .. cirajīvini tri  

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 11:06 AM, ramchander deekonda <ramchande...@gmail.com> wrote:

vidvadbhyo namaH,

We want to know what exactly it means by the term ciranjIvi in the context of Hanuman, Bali, Vyasa, Asvatthama, Parasurama, Vibhishana and Krpa. Does it mean very very long life or never-ending life.  Scholar may please enlighten us.

The idea of 'never-ending life' is contradictory to the prakRti niyama.  jIva, which means prANa-dhAraNatva requires body too.  Whatever is created has to end at some or the other time.  By resorting to various siddhi-s one could prolong the destruction of the body but not eternally.  

 In the kaThopaniShat, there is this instance of Yama offering Nachiketa  ...'chirajIvikA .' and for that nachiketa replies that such a long life is only relative and will last only till Yama is at the cosmic post.  This means, till that kalpa ends.  

Mantra 1.1.24:

एतत्तुल्यं यदि मन्यसे वरं

वृणीष्व वित्तं चिरजीविकां च ।

महाभूमौ नचिकेतः त्वं एधि 

कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि ॥

Mantra 1.1. 27 -
न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यः
लप्स्यामहे वित्तम् अद्राक्ष्म चेत् त्वा ।
जीविष्यामो यावत् ईशिष्यसि त्वं
वरस्तु मे वरणीयः स एव ॥

In another context, while discussing 'eternal post', Shankaracharya, in the bhAShya (reference not immediately available) cites this verse of the purANa:

[viShNupurANam]

AbhUtasamplavaM sthAnaM amRtatvam vibhAvyate 

This means: Till such time the pancha bhuta-s continue to exist without undergoing praLaya, dissolution, such a post or position could remain and not thereafter.   

Maybe other puraNa-s have definition/meaning of the concept of chiranjIvi.  

regards

subrahmanian.v

  

निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः।। (भ.गी.)
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bvparishat+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to bvpar...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bvparishat.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Mahakant Joshi]

नमस्कार !
हमारी भारतीय परंपरा में ऐसा कहा गया है कि -
'अश्वत्थामाबलिर्व्यासो हनुमानश्चविभीषणः|
कृपः परशुरामश्च सप्तैते चिरजीविन:|| अर्थात ये सात लोग 'चिरजीवी' थे|'चिरजीवी' का सामान्यतया '' बड़े लंबे अरसे तक जीनेवाला' ऐसा अर्थघटन परंपरा से चलता आया है पर यह अर्थघटन आजके काल में  समुचित नहीं लगता|इसलिए 'अपने कार्य से जो लंबे अरसे तक लोगो की स्मृति में रहे' उसे 'चिरजीवी' मानना/समजना/पहचानना चाहिए|अतएव ये सात लोग अन्यो की तुलना में 'अधिक लंबे अरसे तक जीनेवाले 'थे (और आजके काल में भी वे विद्यमान है )ऐसा मानना/समजना  समुचित नहीं है|

--

[Venkata Sriram]

Namaste,

ashwatthAma balirvyAsO hanumAmshcha vibhISaNaH /
krupaH parashurAmascha saptaitE chiranjeevinaH //
EvaM yadvachanaM shiSya prOchyatE sarvadA budhaiH /
tadagrE sarvadA satyaM jnEyaM kaliyugE(a)pi cha //
yESu mantrabalaM bhUmyAM vartatE(a)tra narESu hi /
ashwatthAmAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAscha puruSA budhaiH //
nyAyOpArjitadravyENa rAjyaM kurvanti dharmataH /
balyamshabhUtAstE jnEyA mAnavA jagatItalE //
yE yE vIrAstvatra bhUmyAM vAyuputrAmsharUpiNaH /
tE tE jnEyA narAstasya chiranjeevitva sUchakAH //
yE yE shAntA rAmabhaktAH santyatra mAnavA bhuvi /
vibhISaNAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAscha sakalairjanaiH //
yE dhairyavatO yOddhAraH santyatra mAnavA bhuvi /
krupAchAryAmsha bhUtAstE jnEyAH sarvE budhaiH sadA //
yE vIrAH krOdhayuktAstE(a)tra sarvE(a)vanItalE /
jAmadagnyamshabhUtAshcha sadA jnEyA narOttamaiH //
chiranjeevIti vyAsaH kaH kathaM jnEyO janairbhuvi /
tasya swarUpaM vakSyAmi sAvadhAna manAH shruNu /
yE gIrvANyA kavitvAni kariSyantyavanItalE /
vyAsAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAH paNDitA mAnavAstviha //

The above rahasya has been mentioned in Ananda Ramayana while expounding the
sapta-chiranjeeva rahasya and their presence in kali yuga.

It is a known fact that there are 7 chiranjeevis viz.

1. ashwatthAma
2. bali
3. vyAsa
4. hanumAn
5. vibhishana
6. krupAchArya
7. parashurAma

All the above 7 are chiranjeevis in kali yuga.  But the secret expounded in Ananda Ramayana is that even though they are immortals in Kali Yuga they never show their celestial and divine form in Kali Yuga which is filled with anAchAris, duSTAs etc. 

Their presence is felt in the present kali yuga in the form of their vibhUtis which is given below:

1. the presence of "ashwatthAma" is present among highly accomplished "mantravAdins" (the mastery of mantra / tantra shAstra is the vibhUti of ashwatthAma)

2. the presence of "bali" is present among those kings who are ruling their kingdom with righteousness.

3. Those rAma-bhaktAs who are ever-intent in singing the names of Lord Ramachandra and who are always immersed in the parayana of Srimad Ramayana and are uplifting the common folk with initiations of rAma mantra are having the vibhUti of "hanumAn".

4. Among the rAma-bhaktAs, those who have attained the bhakti of "shAnta-rasa", are having the vibhUtis of "vibhISaNa".

5. Those courageous soldiers who have courage to fight the enemy and protect the bhArata dEsa, in them, the vibhUti of "kripAchArya" is found.

6. Those courageous dharmAchAryAs in whom both krOdha & vIrya aspects are there, in them is found the vibhUti of "parashurAma".

Then the most important question was asked as "how to identify vyAsa in kali yuga"?

The answer given was:

Those samskrita mahApaNDitAs having mastered the vEdAs, shAstrAs, dEva-bhASa and abide in sadAchAra, dharmAnuSTAna and worship shrIrAmachandra and kriSNa, are VERILY THE FORMS OF VYASA (tE jnEyA vyAsa-mUrtayaH).

So, in this way, the sapta-chiranjeeva-vibhUtIs are spread across in kali yuga and make their presence felt among sadAchAris and dEva-bhaktAs.

regs,

sriram

[Mahakant Joshi]

Namskar!

 Shriramji you gave us very interesting information from 'Ananda  Ramayana' .very very thanks to you.

[Nityanand Misra]

On Monday, April 21, 2014 9:13:00 PM UTC+8, Venkata Sriram wrote:

Namaste,

ashwatthAma balirvyAsO hanumAmshcha vibhISaNaH /
krupaH parashurAmascha saptaitE chiranjeevinaH //
EvaM yadvachanaM shiSya prOchyatE sarvadA budhaiH /
tadagrE sarvadA satyaM jnEyaM kaliyugE(a)pi cha //
yESu mantrabalaM bhUmyAM vartatE(a)tra narESu hi /
ashwatthAmAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAscha puruSA budhaiH //
nyAyOpArjitadravyENa rAjyaM kurvanti dharmataH /
balyamshabhUtAstE jnEyA mAnavA jagatItalE //
yE yE vIrAstvatra bhUmyAM vAyuputrAmsharUpiNaH /
tE tE jnEyA narAstasya chiranjeevitva sUchakAH //
yE yE shAntA rAmabhaktAH santyatra mAnavA bhuvi /
vibhISaNAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAscha sakalairjanaiH //
yE dhairyavatO yOddhAraH santyatra mAnavA bhuvi /
krupAchAryAmsha bhUtAstE jnEyAH sarvE budhaiH sadA //
yE vIrAH krOdhayuktAstE(a)tra sarvE(a)vanItalE /
jAmadagnyamshabhUtAshcha sadA jnEyA narOttamaiH //
chiranjeevIti vyAsaH kaH kathaM jnEyO janairbhuvi /
tasya swarUpaM vakSyAmi sAvadhAna manAH shruNu /
yE gIrvANyA kavitvAni kariSyantyavanItalE /
vyAsAmshabhUtAstE jnEyAH paNDitA mAnavAstviha //

Agree with Mahakant Joshi Ji, very useful. I had been tracing this source of the अश्वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो verse for a long time (many years!).

Sriram Ji is requested to share the complete reference (verse number, chapter number, etc).

[Venkata Sriram]

Namaste,

Those slokas are from 7th sarga of manohara kanda. The ananda Ramayana i was referring to is chaukhamba publication and commented by Sri.ramtej pandey. Slokas start from 117 th no.
Regs,Sriram