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From what I've read, I've concluded that Lord Hanuman is one of the seven * Chiranjeevis.* (Immortals). But I am not sure who made Lord Hanuman immortal, and why?

I've heard many rumours that Lord Rama made Lord Hanuman immortal and told Him to wait in the Himalayas with the Vanara sena (army of monkeys). But I don't know what the purpose behind it was.

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    Seetha devi blessed hanuman as "Chiranjeeva". Jul 10, 2014 at 12:11
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    He was given a boon. Where Rama says to Hanumana that he will be alive till the time people recite his name (Rama's).
    – user390
    Jul 10, 2014 at 19:52
  • Lord Yamraj gave him a boon of immortality.
    – Wikash_
    Nov 27, 2019 at 21:21

4 Answers 4

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Hanuman's immortality is a combination of multiple boons. First of all, as described in the Kishkindha Kanda of the Ramayana, when Hanuman was a child, he saw the sun and thought it was a fruit, so he flew toward it in an attempt to eat it. When Indra saw Hanuman coming, he threw his Vajra (thunderbolt) to strike him down, in the process injuring Hanuman's left cheekbone. Vayu the wind god, who was Hanuman's father, was furious at his son's injury, so he refused to circulate air in the world anymore (narrated to Hanuman by Jambavan):

Then on observing that you are mutilated, highly infuriated is that scent-wafter Air-god and that tempestuous Air-god has not physically circulated throughout the triad of worlds. When the triad of worlds is being roiled with breathlessness, all the administrative gods of universe are bewildered, and they started to supplicate the Air-god for his grace. Oh, chivalric warrior at war, while the Air-god is being supplicated, oh, dear boy, Brahma gave you a boon decreeing your "indestructibility by any missile." On scrutinising that you are unhurt even after hit by Thunderbolt, oh, ablest Hanuma, the Thousand-eyed Indra kind-heartedly gave you a choicest boon saying that your death occurs only by your own volition.

So Brahma's boon and Indra's boon are two of the causes of his immortality.

The third is described in this excerpt from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana. After Rama was told by Yama the god of death that his time on earth is over, Rama prepared to go into the Sarayu river along with his brothers Bharata and Shatrughna (as Lakshmana was already dead). Before he did so, he gave boons to various people, and in particular this was the boon he gave to Hanuman:

[Rama] said to Hanuman: "It is settled that thou shalt live forever, do thou, now observe thy promise. As long as my history shall run current in this world do thou at my command live happily." Being thus addressed by high-souled Raghava Hanuman attained to great delight and said: "As long as the sacred theme shall pass current in this world I shall live here carrying out thy commands."

Finally, you asked whether Rama told Hanuman to stay with the whole Vanara army in the Himalayas. It doesn't look like it; he just gives Jambavan, Mainda, Dvivida, and five other Vanaras (presumably including Nila and Nala) the following boon: "As long as the Kali Yuga exists do ye all live."

EDIT: Here is a fuller description of the boons Hanuman received as a child, from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana:

Lord Indra ... spoke the following words: "Because this baby’s jaw was broken by a thunderbolt hurled by my hand, this tiger among monkeys will be known by the name Hanuman. I grant him the supreme and wonderful boon that from this day onwards he will be invulnerable to my thunderbolt."

The venerable sun-god, who dispels darkness, then said: ‘I bestow upon him one percent of my effulgence. When he is able to study the scriptures, I shall give him understanding of the scriptures, by which he will become eloquent. There will be no one like him in understanding of the scriptures."

Varuna granted him the boon that for millions of years he would not die from his noose or from water.

Yama granted him health and invulnerability to his rod of chastisement.

Then Kuvera, the lord of wealth, said: "I am very pleased. I grant him the boon that my mace will not cause his death in combat and that he will not become tired in combat."

Lord Shiva said: “I grant this child the supreme boon that he will be invulnerable to death by me or my weapons."

After glancing at the child, the wise Vishvakarma, the best of technicians, granted him the following boon: "Being invulnerable to the divine weapons made by me, he will be long-lived.’

Lord Brahma said: ‘This child will be long-lived and great. He will be invulnerable to my rod of chastisement and to curses uttered by brahmanas.... This best of monkeys will be able to assume any form he chooses. He will be able to go wherever he wants as fast as he wants." [Emphasis added]

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    So you have quoted Rama blessed "Mainda, Dvivida" to live till end of Kaliyuga. But Mahabharata clearly explains that , Mainda and Dvivida killed by balarama in dwapara yuga itself
    – tekkk
    Jan 19, 2015 at 5:21
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    The furious Lord of the Yadavas then threw aside His club and plow and with His bare hands hammered a blow upon Dvivida's collarbone. The ape collapsed, vomiting blood. Here is the link vedabase.net/sb/10/67/en1
    – tekkk
    Jan 19, 2015 at 5:22
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    @sysinit First of all, that's the Srimad Bhagavatam, not the Mahabharata. Second of all, only Dvivida gets killed by Balarama, not Mainda. Now as far as how Dvivida got killed given Rama's boon, I think there's two possible explanations: 1. Rama was just preventing Dvivida's body from deteriorating naturally, so that on its own it would be able to survive until the end of the Kali Yuga 2. Rama might have rendered Dvivda invincible against all forms of deaths on earth, but not invincibility against death at the hands of Vishnu himself, so Vishnu's incarnation Balarama was able to kill him Jan 19, 2015 at 5:34
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    @sysinit By the way, you may be interested in my answer here about what happened to the Vanaras after Rama's time, which includes Dvivida: hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/2100/36 I also asked a question about Dvivida here: hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/3548/36 Jan 19, 2015 at 5:37
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    @sysinit First of all, 2.2.36.30 makes no sense. The Brahmanda Purana is divided into a bunch of Padas, each Pada consists of a bunch of chapters, and each chapter consists of a bunch of verses; see the table of contents here: exoticindiaart.com/book/details/… So I'm not sure how you can have four numbers. What Pada is this quote in? Jan 19, 2015 at 8:16
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अजर अमर गुणनिधि सूत होऊ | करहु बहुत रघुनायक छोहु

Ajar amar gunanidhi sut hohu| Karahu bahut Raghunaayak chhohoo||

RamacharitManas Sundarkand Doha 16 Line 3

Sita (Wife of Rama) made him immortal.

Doha (written in avadhi language) means:

Ajar      = Ever young (Ever green, who does not grow old)
Amar      = Immortal
Gunanidhi = Lots of good quality
Sut hohu  = Blessed you with (blessing someone)
Karahu    = To do something 
Bahut     = Lots of 
Raghunaayak = Rama, God , husband of sita
Chhohoo = To please, to make him happy 
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  • @atom217 If it says Raghunaayak, then doesn't that mean that Rama blessed him with immortality, not Sita? Jul 12, 2014 at 5:16
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    @KeshavSrinivasan No. Please read the translation . Sita is blessing Hanuman to serve Ram.
    – atom217
    Jul 12, 2014 at 12:16
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There is one thing which I also found while researching which is BRAHMACHARYA.

Shree Hanuman is BRAHMACHARI it makes him immortal. Other example is Bhisma pitamah who also got a boon as 'he will only die when he wish' he is also BRAHMACHARI, and point to include is he got this bless after he took oath for BRAHMACHARYA.

When you follow all the rules which are describled for BRAHMACHARYA then it make you strong as Physically as well as mentally.

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  • You should cite sources. Feb 19, 2015 at 16:22
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    Yes, you are right but i forgot the name of book, book is about AGHORI & TANTRA VIDHYA but i forgot the name in which related to this is written. p.s. since last many years i am also researching on way to become immortal!
    – Kiran
    Feb 20, 2015 at 6:56
  • @Kiran message me when you become immortal or get at least one siddhi!
    – Wikash_
    May 10, 2019 at 4:16
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As mentioned by Keshav - the following appears in Ramayana

"...the Thousand-eyed Indra kind-heartedly gave you a choicest boon saying that your death occurs only by your own volition." and so on and so forth.

"Varuna granted him the boon that for millions of years he would not die from his noose or from water"

So the immortality or chiranjeevathva doesn't mean freedom from death or re births. It just means that Hanuman and for that matter the remaining 6 chiranjeevis (Vibhishana, Bali, Aswatthama etc.) will live till the end of this multiple Manvantaras? i.e. for millions of years?

Also, Hanuman is supposed to become next chatur mukha brahma, and finally he will also move away, as it always happens and another Chaturmukha Brahma will come.

Also, Bali who is also a chiranjeevi is supposed to become the next Indra in the some future Manvantara as per boon granted by Lord Vishnu during Trivikrama avatara.

So, the only meaningful outcome is that Chiranjeevi doesn't mean immortality in true sense. It is not state of moksha but mere increased longivity of the subject in discussion.

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  • This one answer was an enlightenment @Krishna Sep 28, 2015 at 9:53
  • This doesn't answer the question, you should move this as a comment under the question. Feb 6, 2016 at 16:44
  • So he will die eventually? I agree that a lot of verses mere state that he will live long or has invincibility.
    – Wikash_
    May 10, 2019 at 4:15

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