Hanuman ji is known for being an exclusive devotee of Lord Shri Ram and his divine powers. He is also considered to be the ideal of strength, intelligence, knowledge, fearlessness and service and that is why there is a quatrain in Shri Hanuman Chalisa, Bal, Buddhi, Vidya Dehu Mohi Harahu Kales Vikar. Hanuman ji is considered to be ‘chiranjivi’ i.e. immortal and it is said that wherever Ram Katha or Ram ji’s kirtan takes place, Shri Hanuman ji definitely comes there. Although Hanuman ji was born in the monkey caste to Anjana Mata and Kesari, but he was born with the blessing of Pawan Dev, so he is also called ‘Pavanputra’.
Hanuman ji is worshipped as a deity who gives success in all works and gets rid of all types of enemies and obstacles. He is also called by many names like Sankatmochan, Bajrangbali and Maruti. Today in this article we will learn about the eight siddhis and nine nidhis (asht siddhi nav nidhi) of Hanuman ji.
Table of Contents
Who are 8 Immortals or Who are 8 Chiranjivi
Chiranjivi means one who lives till the end of time. In Hinduism, eight Chiranjivi (8 Chiranjivi) are considered who are still alive in this universe. Let us see who they are.
Ashwatthama – During the time of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, the teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas, was cursed with immortality by Shri Krishna because Ashwatthama had killed the sons of Pandavas and to fulfill his revenge, he tried to kill the child of Abhimanyu’s wife in the womb of Abhimanyu, who had attained martyrdom.
Bali – When King Bali dedicated himself to take the third step of Lord Vishnu’s Vamana avatar, then Lord Vishnu gave him the boon to live forever.
Vyas – Lord Ved Vyas is considered to be the author of Vedas, Puranas and Mahabharata. He was the son of Parashar Muni and he had given divine sight to Sanjay, the father of Duryodhana and the charioteer of Hastinapur’s king Dhritarashtra, so that he could see the war of Mahabharata.
Hanuman – Lord Shri Ram had given the boon of immortality to Shri Hanuman ji. Hanuman ji is the Rudra incarnation of Lord Shiva Shankar.
Vibhishan – Vibhishan was the brother of Lanka’s king Ravana. Vibhishan asked his brother many times to deliver Mata Sita safely to Ram ji, but Ravana did not listen to him and kicked him out of his court. Then Vibhishan came to the refuge of Shri Ram. He had told Ram ji that Ravana’s end would come after drying the nectar kept in his navel. After Ravana’s end, Shri Ram gave the kingdom of Lanka to Vibhishan.
Kripacharya – Kripacharya was the family guru of Kauravas and Pandavas. He was also the brother of Guru Drona’s wife Kripi.
Parshuram – Lord Parshuram is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was a Brahmin by birth but a Kshatriya by deeds. For his revenge, he had made this earth devoid of umbrellas many times and donated it to sages and saints.
Markandeya – Markandeya was a sage who became immortal by defeating Yamraj himself.
Hanuman ji has a special place among these immortals because even today he is definitely present on the call of devotees.
Read our article to know why Hanuman Jayanti should be called Hanuman Janmotsav.
What are the Asht Siddhi Nav Nidhi of Hanuman ji?
What are Asht Siddhi:
Asht Siddhis mean such supernatural powers which are obtained through sadhana and penance. Hanuman Ji had all these powers:
Anima – power to make his body extremely subtle
Mahima – power to make his size huge
Garima – ability to become extremely heavy
Laghima – ability to become extremely light
Prapti – ability to obtain the desired object or place
Prakamya – power to fulfill any wish instantly
Ishitva – power to rule everywhere
Vashitva – power to control others
What is the meaning of Nav Nidhi:
Nav Nidhis are considered to be nine types of wealth which are associated with Kubera, it is believed that if a person gets any one of these Nidhis, then there is no lack of any prosperity in his life. Let us know what these Nav Nidhis are.
Padma, Mahapadma, Shankh, Makar, Kachhapa, Mukta, Kunda, Neel, Kharva
All these Nidhis are a sign of spiritual and divine powers, beyond ordinary wealth.
Who gave Asht Siddhi Nav Nidhi to Hanuman Ji and when?
Mata Sita gave the eight siddhis and nine nidhis to Hanuman Ji. This incident is from the time of Shri Ram’s coronation. When Shri Ram gifted Hanuman Ji a priceless ornament for his devotion and service, Hanuman Ji tore it with his teeth to see if the names of Shri Ram and Sita were written on it or not. The people present there were surprised and started asking Hanuman Ji, “Oh son of Pavan, do you also have Ram in your heart?” Then Hanuman Ji tore his chest and showed everyone that Ram and Sita reside in his heart.
Then pleased with this devotion, Mother Sita blessed him with eight siddhis and nine nidhis and that is why there is a quatrain in Shri Hanuman Chalisa that “asht siddhi nav nidhi ke data as bar deen janki mata” which means that these siddhis and nidhis were given to Bajrangbali by Mother Sita.
There is also a story that when Hanuman Ji reached Lanka in search of Mother Sita and he showed Ram Ji’s ring to Sita Ji, then Mother Sita was pleased and blessed him with eight siddhis and nine nidhis.