At the Time of Death - The Final Examination of Life
Throughout the world, people spend decades acquiring education, accumulating wealth, and building intricate social networks, yet they remain entirely uneducated about the one event that is absolutely guaranteed to occur. Śrīla Prabhupāda sounds an urgent wake-up call to human society, explaining that material life is simply a preparation phase for a final, unavoidable examination. How we perform at the time of death determines our eternal future, making it the most critical subject matter a human being can possibly study.
Agony of the Final Moment
The transition out of the physical body is rarely peaceful for the conditioned soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda provides stark descriptions of the physiological and psychological breakdown that occurs. As the bodily elements fail and the dosas (mucus, bile, and air) become completely disarranged, the soul experiences an acute, unbearable pain that forces it to finally evacuate its material residence.
- At the time of death, the temperature of the body first of all increases to 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and then the whole body collapses and immediately becomes as cold as ice.
- Generally, at the time of death, kapha-vata-pittaih, the whole system becomes disarranged. There are coughing, there are headache, there is some pain. This is general system. Sometimes they are so intolerable that the man who is going to die, he cries.
- At the time of death there is great distress. It is so strong that one has to leave this body. Just like when the distress becomes very strong, one commits suicide. He cannot tolerate: "Finish this body."
- O elevated demigods, at the time of death, severe, unbearable pain takes away the consciousness of all living entities who have accepted material bodies.
Illusion of Material Protection
A major symptom of material ignorance is the belief that one can be saved by mundane arrangements. Śrīla Prabhupāda exposes the futility of this mindset. When the appointed hour arrives, no amount of bank balance, advanced medical science, or political power can intervene. The Supreme Lord, acting as eternal time, forcibly strips the materialistic person of all false security.
- At the time of death both patient and physician still think of prolonging life, although all the constituents of the body are practically dead and gone.
- The conditioned soul, under the illusion of maya, or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him.
- These atheist class of men, who defy the authority of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they'll meet Krsna. When? At the time of death, when Krsna will take everything, his body, his society, his country, his family, his bank balance, his house.
- When taxes are collected they are utilized for the sense gratification of the government officials. Such irresponsible politicians forget that there is a time when death will come to take away all their sense gratification.
The Mechanics of Transmigration
Death is not the end of existence; it is merely a change of dress. The exact mechanism of this change is clearly defined in Vedic science. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while the gross physical body is destroyed, the subtle body (mind, intelligence, and false ego) remains intact. This subtle body acts as a vehicle, carrying the soul to a new physical form that perfectly matches the consciousness cultivated during the previous life.
- At the time of death, the condition of your mind will transfer you with mind, intelligence, subtle body. They are seeing that this gross body's finished, but they cannot see that there is another body which is made of mind, intelligence and ego.
- At the time of death the mind sets the criteria for the spirit soul's being carried to another type of body. If a living being resists the dictation of the mind and engages the mind in the loving service of the Lord, the mind cannot degrade him.
- At the time of death, when finishing this body, mind works. So, according to that process, the mind carries the small spirit soul to another body, just like the air carries the flavor.
- One’s consciousness at the time of death determines one’s type of body in the next life (Bhagavad-Gita 8.6). This is the process of transmigration of the soul. A variety of bodies is already there; we change from one body to another in terms of our consciousness.
The Danger of Mundane Attachments
Because the mind dictates the next body, placing one's affection in temporary material things is incredibly dangerous. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that intense attachment to family members, pets, or nations can forcibly drag even an advanced practitioner back into the cycle of birth and death, often in a degraded species.
- Maharaja Bharata because of his attachment to a deer, thought of the deer at the time of death, and therefore in his next life he became a deer (yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram) - Bhagavad-Gita 8.6.
- Since King Puranjana thought of his wife at the time of death, he attained the body of a woman in his next birth.
- In material consciousness we are trying to love that which is not at all lovable. We give our love to cats and dogs, running the risk that at the time of death we may think of them and consequently take birth in a family of cats or dogs.
- According to Bhagavad-gita, at the time of death, if you are going on thinking, "Oh, Pakistan is my enemy," then you get a birth in Pakistan.
The Mystic Yoga Process
For those practiced in the mechanical control of the body and mind, the Vedic literatures prescribe a specific method for quitting the body. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that a perfected mystic yogī can deliberately arrange their departure by controlling the life air. By bringing the vital force to the space between the eyebrows and vibrating the sacred syllable oṁkāra, they can attain the spiritual realm.
- One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- At the critical time of death, one can place the vital force between the two eyebrows and decide where he wants to go.
- The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this verse (Bhagavad-Gita 8.10) because without practice of yoga one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death.
- In the Bhagavad-gita (BG 8.13) the glories of omkara are described as follows: omkara, or pranava, is a direct representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore if at the time of death one simply remembers omkara, he remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Unfailing Power of the Holy Name
Since mastering mystic yoga is virtually impossible in the modern age, the chanting of the holy names is the most secure and reliable process. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the physical trauma of death often makes it impossible to concentrate or speak clearly. Yet, the Supreme Lord is so merciful that if a person manages to chant His name—even indistinctly or unintentionally, as Ajāmila did—they are immediately saved from hellish punishment.
- Ajamila was a great sinner during his life, but at the time of death he accidentally called for his youngest son, whose name was Narayana, and the attendants of Lord Visnu came to relieve him from the bonds of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death.
- At the time of death, even one who throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord may not be able to chant the Hare Krsna mantra very distinctly. Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefits of chanting the holy name.
- When a man dies, he is generally overpowered by mucus and bile, and thus he chokes. Since it is very difficult to vibrate any sound while choking, it is simply by Krsna's grace that one can chant Hare Krsna at the time of death.
- We have to practice this, that Hare Krsna maha-mantra. If we practice, there is chance at the time of death repeating the same thing, Hare Krsna maha-mantra. So immediately you are saved, not to go to the yama-mandira.
The Supreme Perfection of Life
The ultimate goal of all Vedic injunctions is encapsulated in a single, powerful concept: ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ—remembering the Supreme Lord at the end of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that if a devotee can successfully fix their mind upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa when the body expires, they immediately surpass the material universe. This glorious perfection was practically demonstrated by exalted personalities like Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Bhīṣmadeva.
- Ante narayana-smrtih (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.6). That is the perfection of life. Ante, at the time of death, if you remember Krsna, then your life is successful. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya.
- At the time of his death, because there were seven days only, so he (Pariksit Maharaja) wanted to do something which may emancipate him. So Sukadeva Gosvami, he arrived in the meeting and he advised him to hear about Krsna.
- Sri Bhismadeva attained the perfection of quitting his body at will and was fortunate enough to have Lord Krsna, the object of his attention, personally present at the time of death. He therefore fixed his open eyes upon Him.
- During our lifetime we have to practice approaching that point of perfection, and at the time of death, when we give up this material body, that perfection has to be realized. At the time of death, one must be prepared.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the dynamics at the time of death is the most vital education a living entity can receive. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches us that because the subtle mind inevitably creates our next gross body based on our lingering attachments, we must intentionally spiritualize our consciousness right now. By taking full shelter of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, continuously chanting the holy names, and deliberately detaching ourselves from temporary worldly affections, we ensure that we pass the final examination of life and attain eternal, blissful association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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