DEATH-MRUTYU,- मृत्युः,

SUBHASHITHANI:204
अनित्यानि शरीराणि विभवो नैव शाश्वतः।

नित्यं सन्निहितो मृत्युः कर्त्तव्यो धर्मसंग्रहः ।।Mahabharata

This body does not last for ever. Wealth is temporary. Death is approaching you every day. Hence get involved in following Dharma as if there is no tomorrow. Do not put off noble duties to tomorrow

अन्धः स एव श्रुतवर्जितो यः
    शठः स एवार्थिनिरर्थको यः |
मृतः स एवास्ति यशो न यस्य
    धर्मे न धीर्यस्य स एव शोच्यः ||

He who gives up education is blind. He is a cheater who does not give alms to a beggar. He is dead who has not done enough good deeds in his life to give him fame. He is pitiable who does not spare a thought about Dharma (moral code of life).

अजरामरवत् प्राज्ञो विद्यामर्थं च साधयेत् |
गृहीत इव केशेषु मृत्युना धर्ममाचरेत् ||

Virtuous men go about collecting knowledge and wealth as if they will live for ever. When it comes to following Dharma, they never procrastinate. They perform their duties as if death is holding them by their hair.

மின்னின் நிலையில--மன்னுயி ராக்கைகள்

என்னு மிடத்து இறை--உன்னுமின் நீரே.-Thiruvai mozhi-2911

Fleetier than lightning, is the life of the body. Ponder a while on this matter yourself.

यक्ष उवाच ।

 किंस्वित्प्रवसतो मित्रं किंस्विन्मित्रं गृहे सतः ।

 आतुरस्य च किं मित्रं किंस्विन्मित्रं मरिष्यतः ॥ ६३॥

Yaksha said:

Who is the friend of one away from home (travelling)? 

Who is the friend at home?

Who is the friend when one is sick?

Who is the friend when one is dying?

 युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।

 सार्थः प्रवसतो मित्रं भार्या मित्रं गृहे सतः ।

आतुरस्य भिषङ्मित्रं दानं मित्रं मरिष्यतः ॥ ६४॥

Yudhisthira said:

Companion(co-traveller) is the friend of a traveller. 

Wife is the friend of a person at home. 

Physician is the friend when one is sick.

Charity (Dana) is the friend of the dying. 

अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छंति यममन्दिरम्। 
 शेषा विभूतिमिच्छंति किमाश्चर्य मत: परम्।। Yaksha prasna
ahany ahani bhutaani gacchantiha yamamandiram I
 sheshaa vibhuti icchanti kim ashchaaryam matah param II
“Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world.”

विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभ्य सह ।

अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वाऽमृतमश्नुते ॥

vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yastadvedobhya saha ।I Isopanisad

avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā’mṛtamaśnute ॥ 

One who knows both, the material science as well as the spiritual science, transgresses fear of death by the former, i.e. by proper bodily and mental efforts, and attains salvation by the latter, i.e. by the purity of mind and soul.

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ,  तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय,  मॄत्योर्मा अमॄतं गमय ॥

Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya | Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya | Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya | 
 O Lord! Lead me from the untruth to truth, Darkness to Light and Death to immortality.

यथा काष्ठं च काष्ठं च समेयातां महार्णवे। 
समेत्य च व्यपेयातां कालमासाद्य कञ्चन।।2.105.26।।
एवं भार्याश्चपुत्राश्च ज्ञातयश्च धनानि च। 
समेत्य व्यवधावन्ति ध्रुवो ह्येषां विनाभवः।।2.105.27।।Ramayana
In a mighty ocean, two pieces of logs meet one another, float together and in due course get separated. In the same way wives, sons, relatives and riches remain together for some time and thereafter get separated. Their separation is certain.

मरणान्तानि वैराणि निर्वृत्तं नः प्रयोजनम् |
क्रियतामस्य संस्कारो ममाप्येष यथा तव || Ramayana
"Hostilities end with death. Our purpose has been accomplished. Let his funeral rites be performed. He is even as good mine, as yours.

मृतं  शरीरमुत्सृज्य  काष्टलोष्ट  समं  क्षितौ  |
विमुखा  बान्धवा  यान्ति  धर्मस्तमनुगच्छति  ||   मनुस्मृति      

Mrutam Vshareeramutsrujya kaashta-loshta-samam kshitau. I

imukhaa baandhava  yaanti dharmastamanugacchati. II

After the death of a person, his  family members dispose his dead body like a heap of wood and a lump of earth, and after turning away from him  continue with their activities.    Only his the fame and 'punya' earned by him by observing religious austerity practiced by him during his lifetime accompanies him.

मरणं प्रकृतिः शरीरिणां विकृतिर्जीवितमुच्यते बुधैः ।
क्षणमप्यवतिष्ठते श्वसन् यदि जन्तुर्ननु लाभावानसौ ॥ Raghu vamsam

maraNam prakRutiH sharIriNAm vikRutiH jIvitam uchyate budhaiH ।
kShaNam api avatiShThate shvasan yadi jantuH nanu lAbhAvAn asau ॥

Death is the natural steady state of nature. Life is an aberration. Wise men realize this. Even if one is alive for just a second, he must consider himself in profit.

"देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति || BG2.13||dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati
Just as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.

SRI KRISHNAYA HUBHYAM NAMAH
PS: This page is dedicated to my aunt Smt.Rukmaja Varadan , who passed away on 31.1.2020