8. Kripacharya - Also often called Kripa, was the chief priest at the court of Hastinapura, in the Mahabharata. He comes from the lineage of Rishi Gautam.
Gautam had a son called Sharadvan – who was supposedly born with arrows. He was great archer and attained the art of all types of warfare. He bore twins – a boy and a girl – from an Apsara called Janapadi. The twins were found by King Shantanu, of Hastinapura, who brought them to the city and called them Kripa and Kripi.
Kripa went on to become the high priest of Hastinapura, and also the early teacher of the 100 Kauravas and 5 Pandavas. Kripi married Drona, and gave birth to Ashwatthama. So Kripa was also guru and maternal uncle of Ashwatthama.
Kripacharya was an extraordinary teacher. To him, all pupils were equal. A guru like Drona favoured Arjuna and sacrificed an equally if not more promising student - he asked Ekalavya for his right thumb. Kripa, on the other hand, upheld the highest standards expected of a teacher: He was completely impartial.
He fought on the side of Duryodhana in the War, also was part of the murder of Abhimanyu and the manslaughter at night that was orchestrated by Ashwatthama. However in all these cases, his part is always that of a bystander and the one who goes with the flow. He was one of the 3 people who survived the massacre of Kauravas during the Epic War.
Very little is known about why he became a Chiranjeevi and what is his status in the later ages. I intend to find more and post about this soon.
Best
- Shreekant
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You had mentioned that you would be searching for the information of 'Kripacharya becoming a Chiranjeevi'. So have you found the answer ? If yes then please mail me the same.
Thanks,
Rajeev Mishra
i think u meant "Ashwathama"? isnt it?
Kripacharya stands as an example in following the aspects of truth, laws, ethics and standards that get transferred as it is from time to time as rules. These laws that are followed by people like Kripacharya transcend from one locality to other locality and from one generation to another generation. The ideals of these seven immortal people are universal, permanent and irreversible. Kripacharya is blessed as immortal not just to maintain his physical deathlessness but to give life to all his sacred principles he followed. Kripacharya is prioritized over Dronacharya in reaching the position of immortality as he has not left his principles even at the time of diversity and stress.