Original text
अश्वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो हनुमांश्च विभीषणः। कृपः परशुरामश्च सप्तैते चिरंजीविनः॥ १ ॥ सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्। जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोऽपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जितः॥ २ ॥
Transliteration
Ashvatthama balirvyaso hanumamshcha vibhishanah Kripah parashuramashcha saptaite chiranjivinah ||1|| Saptaitan samsmarennityam markandeyamathashtamam Jivedvarshashatam so'pi sarvavyadhivivarjitah ||2||
What the shloka says
"Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman and Vibhishana, Kripa and Parashurama — these seven are chiranjeevi. One who remembers these seven every day, with Markandeya as the eighth, lives a hundred years, free of all disease." Chiranjeevi means "long-lived" — not strictly deathless, but living until the end of this kalpa. The shloka is widely quoted in popular sources as coming from the Padma Purana; versions of the list appear across Puranic literature.
The eight, and why each lives on
- Ashwatthama — son of Drona. After the Mahabharata war he killed the sleeping sons of the Pandavas and aimed the Brahmashira at the unborn Parikshit; Krishna cursed him to wander the earth for three thousand years with a wound that would not heal. The only immortal on the list by curse rather than blessing.
- Bali — the generous asura king who gave Vamana three steps of land. Vishnu sent him to rule Sutala and promised he would become Indra in a future age; Onam celebrates his annual visit to his people.
- Vyasa — Ved Vyasa, who divided the Vedas and composed the Mahabharata and Puranas. He lives on as the teacher of every age.
- Hanuman — granted by Rama to live as long as the Rama-katha is told. Tradition says he is present wherever the Ramayana is recited.
- Vibhishana — Ravana's righteous brother, crowned king of Lanka by Rama and blessed to rule long in dharma.
- Kripa — Kripacharya, teacher of the Kuru princes, who survived the war and taught Parikshit.
- Parashurama — Vishnu's sixth avatar, said to be still in tapas on Mahendra mountain and destined to teach Kalki. See the Parshuram Chalisa.
- Markandeya — the boy-sage destined to die at sixteen, who clung to the Shivalinga when Yama came; Shiva defeated death and made him eternally sixteen. See Markandeya Rishi.
Read together, the list is striking: a cursed warrior, a generous demon king, a sage, a devotee, a defector for dharma, a teacher and a warrior-sage. Living long, the shloka suggests, is not a reward for one kind of virtue but a role in the story of the world.
How it is recited
- As a morning remembrance, once or three times, alongside other pratah-smarana shlokas.
- On birthdays and at ayushya (long-life) prayers, and for those who are ill or elderly.
- Some families recite it at the end of Hanuman puja, since Hanuman is the best-loved of the seven.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the seven chiranjeevis?
Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya and Parashurama. Markandeya is added as the eighth.
What is the benefit of chanting the Sapta Chiranjeevi mantra?
The second line says that one who remembers the seven and Markandeya daily lives a hundred years free from disease. It is recited as a prayer for health and long life.
Is Ashwatthama really immortal?
In the Mahabharata, Krishna's curse condemns him to wander for three thousand years. Popular tradition counts him among the chiranjeevis on that basis.
Does "chiranjeevi" mean immortal?
It means "long-lived" — living until the end of the present kalpa, not forever.
When should the shloka be recited?
Every morning, and especially on birthdays or when praying for someone's recovery.
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