On the Wings of Death

Birth and death Birth and death are the two unavoidable painful events in everyone’s life.

- SWAMI SHUDDHABODHANANDA SARASWATI

Though the birth of a child may be rejoiced by the relatives, it is certainly painful to the newly arriving entity. It is clear from the invariable crying of a newly born child. Everyone enters this world with a confirmed irrevocable return ticket to depart from here. It is irrevocable because it cannot be cancelled unlike other confirmed return tickets. Only the solace is that the return date is not disclosed by Parameshvara. Otherwise the person will be jeevanmrita, dead even while living! Such a departure of the individual entity jiva leaving behind the present physical body is called death. At that time the subtle body of the individual accompanied by a few other necessary factors departs and travels to the next body and enters it. Such an entry is the new birth of that jiva. The Brihadaranyakopanishad, Jyotirbrahmana, and Saareerakabrahmana1 describe in detail this transmigration. The Chhandogyopanishad2 also describes it. This is to inculcate vairagya in the mind of a mumuksu by highlighting the unavoidable pain involved in the birth and death.

While on the verge of death