While Ramayan happened in Treta Yuga (the second Yuga), Mahabharat is the story of Dwapar Yuga (the third Yuga) having huge gap of time in between them (millions of years). Still to the surprise of many, there were 15 such characters in Indian history who have been a part of both Ramayan and Mahabharat.
How? Is still a question of many minds. Scroll down to know who are these people having lived for so long to feature in both these epics….
Hanuman
Hanuman belongs to Ramayan, everybody knows. However, Hanuman is mentioned in Mahabharat too, when he encounters Bhim (one of the Kauravas) during his quest for a celestial flower.
Hanuman in Mahabharat is described to be old Hanuman, but Bhim still could not lift his tail.
Parushuram
The great Parashuram appears in Lord Rama and Sita's marriage in Ramayan. In Mahabharat,,he is the Guru of the three greatest warriors of the epic namely: Bhishma, Guru Dronacharya and Karna.
Parashuram trained all of these three great warriors. Parashuram also appears in Mahabharat when he and his disciples are forced to fight each other.
Jambavanth
Jambavanth, the king of bears in Ramayan, who plays a major role, during the building of the bridge, appears in the Mahabharat, technically speaking the Bhagavatam I would say. Apparently, during Ramayan, Lord Ram, was pleased with Jambavanth's devotion and told him to ask for a boon. Jambavan being of slow understanding, wished for a duel with Lord Ram, which he granted, saying that it would be done in his next avatar. And that is the entire story of Symanthaka Mani, where Krishna goes in search of it, meets Jambavan, and they have a duel, before Jambavan finally recognizes the truth.
Mayasura
Mayasura, the father of Mandodari and Ravan's father in law, appears in the Mahabharat too, during the Khandava Dahana incident. Mayasura was the only one to survive the burning of the Khandava forest, and when Krishna finds this out, he lifts his Sudarshan Chakra to kill him. Mayasura however rushes to Arjun, who gives him refuge and tells Krishna, that he is now sworn to protect him. And so as a deal, Mayasura, himself an architect, designs the entire Maya Sabha for the Pandavas.
Maharishi Durvasa
Maharishi Durvasa, who predicted the separation of Rama and Sita was the son of Maharishi Atri and Anasuya, visited the Pandavas in exile. Durvasa gave a mantra to Kunti, the mother of eldest 3 Pandavas for getting children.
Naradha Maharshi
He comes on many occasions in both the stories. In Mahabharat he was one of the Rishis’ attending Krishna's peace talks in Hastinapur.
Vayu Dev
He was the father of both Hanuman and Bhim.
Krishna
Considering Krishna and Rama as different ‘avatars’ of Vishnu, we can count him in.
Parasara
Vasishtha’s son Sakthi, had a son called Parasara and Parasara’s son was Veda Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharat. This means Vasishtha was the great grandfather of Vyasa. Brahmarshi Vasishtha lived from the time of Satyavrata Manu, to the time of Sri Rama. Sri Rama was Vasistha’s student.
Maharishi Bharadwaja
Drona’s father was Maharishi Bharadwaja, who was the pupil of Valmiki, who wrote Ramayan.
Kuber
Kuber, who was the elder half brother of Raavan, was also in Mahabharat.
Agastya
Agastya met Rama before the war with Raavan. Mahabharata mentions that Agastya was the one who gave the weapon ‘Brahmashira’ to Drona. (Arjun and Ashwathama had obtained this weapon from Drona).
Vishwamitra
Vishwamitra was Rama's mentor. He was also the father of Shakuntala, who is the mother of Bharat after whom Mahabharat is named.
Pulastya
He was Raavan's grandfather. He is considered the Moses of Hinduism, because he is believed to have narrated the whole Vishnu Puran to Parashar.
Vibhishan
He was Raavan’s brother who helped Rama in winning the battle against his own brother. His name is also mentioned in Mahabharat.
When Yudhisthir crowned himself as the Emperor of Indraprastha and began preparations for a Rajasuya sacrifice. He despatched his brother, Sahadev to the southern kingdoms to subjugate the rulers to his authority and supremacy.
Sahadev's men reached the tip of the mainland, wherein Sahadev stopped and sent his messengers to Vibhishan's kingdom. Vibhishan gratefully accepted Yudhisthir's authority and regarded it as ‘an act of time.’ He also sent diverse kinds of jewels, gems, pearls, celestial ornaments and costly apparel to Sahadev and Yudhisthir.