Life is eternally stalked by death. (Prema Vahini, p. 28)
According to ‘panchangas we think that Bhishma died on an ‘Ekadasi’ and we call it Bhishma Ekadasi. Actually, this is not correct. The day on which Bhishma died was an Ashtami and the prevailing star was Rohini. Krishna was also born in the star of Rohini. Thus, Bhishma died on a day similar to the day on which Krishna was born. Also, that was the beginning of a very auspicious period in the year. They regarded that day to be very auspicious for a death. Bhishma was waiting for fifty-eight days in order that the sun may start its northward journey. He was thinking of the Lord on all those days and was waiting for an appropriate time to die. In this aspect, Bhishma taught the world that the time of death was more important than the time of birth. More than one being born on an auspicious day, it is coveted that one dies on an auspicious day and time as well. One dies like that, rebirth will be a good one. The inner meaning of a good birth is to enable one to have a good death. We must recognise the truth that all ‘Sadhana’ that we do, should be not for the sake of a pleasurable life but for a good and peaceful death. (SSB 1976, p. 59)
‘Death is the Dress of Life’. The body is the dress which the Divine Spirit puts on. Therefore, we should not weep when the body is worn out or falls or is injured. Death is an event, that is the very nature of the body. Men seek the cause for death but no one seeks the Divine Source of Life. Be engaged during the brief span of life in glorifying God and in doing God’s work. (SSS Vol.11, p. 14)
Do not contemplate on death; it is just an incident in life. Contemplate on God; who is the master of all life; beware of Him all through life. (Ddd, p. 85)
Never be afraid of Death. Never forget God. Never take this world as real. (Ddd, p. 86)
Death is but a passage from life to next. It is a change from old clothes to new..... What about the death of new born infants, children, youth and middle aged persons?..... Well, the clothes might not be old, but the cloth ‘out of which they were made must have been from very old stock. Though new clothes were prepared out of it, they are to be discarded soon. (Ddd, p. 87)
Death comes swooping like the falcon on chicken feeding on the ground. The man, who dies, prays to Me to receive him; the person who weeps at his departure pray to Me to keep him alive. I know both sides of the picture, the past and the present, the crime and the punishment, the achievement and the reward and so, I carry out what is just, though modified by Grace. (ARD, p. 93)
In the languages of the West, death is denoted as ‘the act of giving up life or Jiva’, whereas in the language of Bharat, it is ‘giving up the body or the Deha’. This is due to the faith of the Westerner that he is the body and the faith of the Bharatiya that he is not the body. The Bharatiyas assert and know that they have Atma as their Reality and that the Atma is enclosed in a body. The two views are widely disparate. A civilisation that is built on the shifting sand of worldly pleasure can last only for a little while. It will disappear from the surface of the earth. On the other hand, the civilisation of Bharat and of the countries that value and follow the civilisation of Bharat have survived for centuries and are vital even today. They show new and refreshing signs of more creative life. This fact has to be kept in mind by those Bharatiyas who have dedicated their lives to the imitation of other civilisations and cultures. (BS, pp. 9-10)
Death means the fading out of the ‘I’ consciousness. Re-birth happens when ‘I’ consciousness comes again. This is what is called birth and death, my boy. Ahamkara (ego) is born, Ahamkara dies, and that is all. (ML, p. 537)
Death is pictured by some as a terror-striking God, who rides a monster buffalo and pounces on you with a noose. No. The noose is of your own making. He has no rope factory to ensnare you with a loop of the rope. He does not pounce. He gives advance notice of His arrival to take you. His notice is in the form of grey hair, falling teeth, deafness and your wrinkled skin. No. He does not ride any beast either. He is only another name for Time (kaala). It is Time that steadily and stealthily creeps towards you and shears the cord of life. So, utilise the capacity for Karma with which you are endowed to liberate yourself from the clutches of Time. The Law of Karma holds out hope for you: as is the Karma so is the consequence. Do not bind yourself further by seeking the fruit of Karma. Offer the Karma at the feet of God. Let it glorify Him, let it further His splendour. Be unconcerned with the success or failure of your endeavour. Then, Death can have no noose to bind you with. Death in that case can come only as a liberator but not as a jailor. (SSS Vol. 6, p. 33)
Death however, is born together with birth. And death must come in the way it is bound to come. The Lord, however, is a witness to all happenings. In some instances, He gives prior indications and warnings. When these are heeded, the person concerned gets sanctified. When one disregards them, he forfeits his sanctity. Therefore, one should do his duty. The Lord’s heart is boundless. He is concerned about the collective well being of all. (SSS Vol.26, pp. 276-279)
Man has known about everything else, except Death. Why should a person die? Of what benefit is it to die? Why does he die? The answer is: in order that he may not die again. He is born, so that he may not get born again. Having been born, man earns and acquires land, riches, materials, grain, articles of comfort and luxury, which he feels will give him happiness and which therefore become the objects of his struggle. But, the object of realising God is forgotten (SSS Vol.3, p. 90)
You must live in the constant thought of God as well as of another fact, Death. The body is the car in which you are riding to Death. You may meet Death any moment, while riding; some tree or lorry or nullah or slush will bring it. Remember Death. Remember that time is running out every moment; then, you will not be tempted to waste time in idle talk or vain pursuits or wanton mischief or vulgar entertainment. Travel in the car carefully, slowly, with due regard to the needs of others on the road; do not greedily try to overtake others, or compete in speed, know the limitations of the vehicle and the road! And then, you will not meet with any accident. Your journey will be a happy experience for you and the rest of the people. (SSS Vol.3, pp. 105-106)
For the death of a human being there are three causes. Anger, hatred and jealousy will shorten the life span. Therefore, one should guard these three enemies. (M, p. 77)
Death stalks its prey
Everywhere, at all times,
With relentless determination.
It pursues its victims into hospitals, hill stations,
Theatres, aeroplanes, submarines.
In fact, no one can escape it or
Take refuge from its grasp.
God alone is the giver of life, the guardian of life, and the goal of life.
(SSS Vol. 15, p. 195)
The Yogavashistha says that Shri Ramachandra asked the sage Vashistha the question, ‘Divine Master! Is there a way by which death can be avoided?’ The same problem drove Gautama Buddha along the path of renunciation and forced him to give up all traces of attachment; it showered on him the eternal fame, as supreme among men. Prahlada foremost among devotees of the Lord, addressed his fellow pupils, even as a boy, ‘Friends! Have you not observed some boys of our own age fall dead and get burnt or buried!’ Thus, he drew their attention to the event of death and invited them to draw a lesson from that inevitable fact. He taught them the higher wisdom.
Those who have the inner urge to achieve the higher wisdom which confers liberation have, therefore, to reflect upon and investigate the phenomenon of death. Death should arouse no fear. It should not be regarded as inauspicious. You should not run away from the problem, imagining that death happens only to others, and that will not happen to you. Neither should you postpone reflections on death, judging that they are in-appropriate now, and profitless. For, inquiry into death is really inquiry into one’s own Reality. This truth has to be recognised.
Viveka, the special gift to man, has to be employed to unravel the reality of the visible Universe, its nature and validity. The fact of death is the prime cause, which originates the problem. ‘Who am I’. So, that fact ought not to be ignored, as unworthy of attention. You should not flee from it in fear. For, if you behave so, you land yourself on the first step towards Ajnana, stupidity, and plant in your mind the seedling of the tree of foolishnes. You prop up the pillars of Maya.
(Yama teaches Atma vidya to Nachiketa)
Every mystery latent in human existence is entwined with the inquiry into death. The glory and majesty of the Divine are fully revealed only when death is investigated. Among the three boons that Nachiketa asked for from Yama, the God of Death, the chief was, according to the Katha Upanishad, the one relating to death. ‘Does man exist after death? Some persons declare that he does, some others assert that he does not. Each argues as his fancy leads. Which of these opinions is true? Solve this problem for me’ pleaded Nachiketa, and insisted on an answer. Yama tried to avoid his pleading. He said, ‘Son! Nachiketa! This is an insoluble mystery. The sacred texts treat this subtler than the subtlest. I find it impossible to make even the gods understand this phenomenon. Nevertheless, you are craving for this boon! Why should you be troubled by this problem ? You are an innocent little boy. You deserve to live long, enjoying many a happy event., I shall grant you, as boon, enormous riches; accept them and lead a life of unexcelled happiness. Ask for any quantity material pleasure; they are yours. Come! Ask and reach the height of joy.’
But, Nachiketa replied, ‘Dharmaraja! However vast the riches, however pleasant the experiences they confer, they have to receive your impact without a murmur? Nothing in creation can escape you, can they? Everything is immersed in death. Why then should I aspire for items that give only temporary relief? Grant me the boon on which my heart is set.’
(SSVahini, pp. 100-102)
Death stalks your footsteps like a tiger in the bush. So without further waste of time, endeavour to give up sloth and anger, be tranquil amidst the storms; mix in tranquil company. Let the flagrant smoke of divine thoughts, full of love to all, rise around you; why try to scatter fragrance from scent-sticks available in the market. The flame of Jnana (experimental knowledge of Supreme Reality) can reduce to cinders the impulses inherited through many births and many experiences. In the heat of that crucible, dross is burnt and precious metal is isolated. (SSS Vol.3, p. 21)
(See – Adhere, Ananda, Asti-Bhati-Priyam, Atma, Body, By-Pass, Calamities, Commit, Conduct, Cosmic Dance, Cry, Cycle, Date, Die, Discourse, Do, Do It, Do Not, Dream State, Easwaramma, Engage, Essence, Foolishness, Good Name, Hold Fast, Human Life, Ignorance, Immortality, Imprint, Inevitable, Inquiry, Jatayu, Jiva, Journey, Karma, Kondama Raju, Learn, Life, Life-Sentence, Live, Living Death, Love, Man, Maya, Mistaken Thinking, Mystery, Nature, Parikshit, Passion, Promise, Religion, Reward, Samkhya Yoga, Sampradaya, Save, Shiva, Shraddha, Time, Topsy-Turvy, Transcendental Truth, Unity, Viveka, Vriddhashram, World, Yearning)