Namaskar Mahatmas!
The last two slokas of the Ishopanishad refer to the death of a sage who has lived a life of righteousness and devotion. This devotee has given his mind and understanding to the Lord alone. These slokas along with the meaning if it is read to a person on the death bed, it is believed that his last thoughts rest on the Lord.
SLOKA 17:
VAAYUR ANILAM AMRTAM ATHEDAM BHASMAANTAM SHAREERAM
OM KRATO SMARA KRTAM SMARA KRATO SMAR KRTAM SMARA (17)
Atha – now; vaayuh – the breath; amrtam – the eternal; anilam – the all-pervading air; idam – this; shareeram – body; bhasmaantam – reduced to ashes; om – om; krato – O mind; krtam – deeds; smara – remember.
NOW LET MY BREATH BE MERGED IN ALL PERVADING IMMORTAL PRAANA, AND THE BODY BE REDUCED TO ASHES. OM. MIND! REMEMBER, PAST DEEDS REMEMBER! MIND! REMEMBER, PAST DEEDS REMEMBER!
We are in sloka 17 of the Upanishad. In the last sloka, the devotee merges his small ego with the Supreme reality and became one with that like that of a rain drop falling into the ocean. He understands that he alone is there everywhere. Now let us listen to his further prayers to the Lord at his death bed.
“Lord! Let me remain in that Supreme Reality which is behind the Sun, behind this Universe. I have lived my life now. Now death has come. The body’s purpose is over. Let this body be dissolved into its components through the touch of the fire. The Praana when it leaves alone, this body can be burnt. So let this praana leave all its limitations and merge with the all-pervading air outside. Let this pot be broken so that the inner space merges with the outer. Whatever limits me, separates me from the Reality, let all be removed now. Let this body go back to its cause”.
It is through Praana and breath that a relationship is established between mind and body. When the breath ceases functioning, the link breaks, and the separation is called death. But one still exists as Self. One who is established in constant meditation, understands the beauty and truth about death.
“My Lord! I am helpless. I do not have the capacity to hold this truth. Mind! Constantly think of all good actions you have done. Remember that alone! Remember! Remember!”
“Remember o Mind!” – this reminds us of the 8th chapter of Gita. The Lord tells in that chapter: “ He or she who at the time of death, meditating on Me alone, goes forth, leaving the body, attains My Being, there is no doubt about this. Whatever object a person thinks of at the time of death, having been absorbed in its thought all through, he attains to that object alone”
Having understood this truth, the devotee is asking the mind to fill itself with the memories of all the good deeds of his life, so that he may reach the Lord, the Supreme and not to come back into this world which is ‘dhukaalayam (misery filled) and ashaashvatham (impermanent). Whatever we have studied in scriptures should come to memory at the time of death.
How to remember the Lord, the true nature of oneself at the time of death when we do not know the exact time of death; when we don’t practice it every moment of our life?
A wise person will not depend upon a chance remembrance of the Lord. He will remember Him in life always and this sage out of constant practice now commands his mind to be filled with the thoughts of Supreme Reality. The sage who has realized that ‘I am not the body; I am in the body’ has no fear in facing the death. Our Rig Veda declares that death and immortality are the shadow of Self.
Guruji in his recent talks stressed on the importance of ‘anu santhathaami’ – constant remembrance. Like oil poured from one vessel to another is a continuous stream – the mind should flow towards the Self without any break in between as a continuous stream. If that is practiced while living, that flow becomes natural even at the time of death.
An elephant, when it is given bath, as soon as it comes out of it, sprinkles dust on its own body. That is the nature of the elephant. Similarly, when we take the name of God, we become clean, and immediately after that, we are into world. But if we bathe the elephant, put him in the stable, then he won’t get dusty and unclean again. At the time of death that is what happens. We are not any more embodied thereafter to commit sin (thinking I am this body); this body is not there to commit any sin; we are just clean and pure at that moment when we reject this body and we achieve the highest.
Ramakrishna explains beautifully: “Self has no death. We are spark of that divine Reality. Because of this understanding, from the Vedic times we have the practice of burning the body as soon as the person is dead. That dead body has nothing more to do. The body has done its work. It is no more useful. We discard it and just break it down to the elements through the touch of the fire”
Agni alone has the powers to burn everything to ashes; Agni alone has the capacity to burn and destroy the negativities in us. Whatever is put in the fire gets purified. Every time when we offer the ghee in Yajnam, we offer our negativities. Let that purifier, that Agni burn this body to ashes. Let the mind be soaked in the thought of the Supreme which takes one across the ocean of samsara.
If there is even the minutest gap, something else will penetrate into the mind and spoil the tapas one has done. In Bhagavatham we have the story of Jadabharatha. Even though he was a great tapasvi, the last thoughts of him rested on the deer which was with him, and he missed the purpose of the tapas. Attachments are so strong that it drags the minds of even people with great vairaghyam.
The devotee cries here, “Please don’t allow that my Lord. Remember mind all good deeds; remember! The time has arrived when all that has to be remembered by me should be remembered; therefore you remember all that has been thought of so long in the life. Remember! Have only the thought of the Lord; You are Me, You are Me. Remember!”
Swami Rama writes about an incident happened in Kanpur. There is a family of doctors whose mother was a great devotee of the Lord. Six months before her death she decided to live in a room by herself, remembering the Lord’s name and meditating. After six months she fell sick and became bedridden. The time of her parting seemed imminent. Her older son was very much attached to the mother and wanted to remain by her side. The mother refused and said to her son that his attachment will not help her in any way and expressed her great joy in being a free soul. She had a peaceful death and swami Rama writes that even now that room vibrates with the sound of her mantra.
The mantra is a powerful support and guide which leads the dying person peacefully through that unknown period of darkness. Constantly being aware of the Lord with complete faith is one of the surest methods to reach Him. The yogis cast off their body like a shirt which is no longer useful and which has served the purpose without any fear or misery.
The last sloka of the Upanishad continues with the prayer of the devotee to Agni devataa. We will conclude this Upanishad in the next week. Hari Om!
