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Death

Verses
22
Groups
5
Chapters
8

For a person who is born in this world, death is inevitable. Death doesn’t mean the end of person (soul), but the end of a person’s tenure within one material body.

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The soul receives a particular material body in certain species according to one’s previous desires and deeds (karma). Such an embodied

Verses grouped by topic

What is Death? 12
  1. Who are we? – We are not this body but eternal individual spirit souls (2.12 na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ...)
  2. What is death? – It is simply change of bodies (2.13 dehino 'smin yathā dehe...)
  3. Change of body is like change of dress (2.22 vāsaṁsi jīrṇāni yathā...)
  4. Soul is immutable and never dies – Only the body undergoes six changes namely, birth, growth, existence, reproduction, dwindling and death (2.20 P)
  5. Death is inevitable
  6. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change (2.13 dehino 'smin yathā dehe...)
  7. One who takes birth is sure to die (2.27 jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur...)
  8. Death pervades everywhere in the universe, from the highest planet to the lowest planet (8.16 ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ...)
  9. Kṛṣṇa is death personified –
  10. I am all-devouring death (10.34 mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham...)
  11. I am Yama, the lord of death. (10.29 yamaḥ saṁyamatām aham)
  12. I am immortality, and I am also death personified (9.19 amṛtaṁ caiva mṛtyuś ca)
Different Times of Departure and Destinations 4
  1. Yogic process
  2. Path of light – One attains the Supreme and does not come back to this world (8.24 agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ...)
  3. Path of darkness – One reaches the moon planet but again comes back (8.25 dhūmo rātris tathā kṛṣṇaḥ...)
  4. Devotional process: Since a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is completely dependent on the Lord, he is beyond the considerations of auspicious and inauspicious times. Lord Kṛṣṇa personally takes charge of him (8.27 naite sṛtī pārtha jānan..., 12.7 ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi...)
Death in different modes 4
  1. Death in mode of goodness: One goes to the higher planets (14.14)
  2. Death in mode of passion: One attains earthly planets (14.15)
  3. Death in mode of ignorance: One attains birth in lower species or hellish planets (14.15)
  4. Summary (14.18 ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā...)
Consciousness at the time of death 3
  1. Consciousness while dying determines the future birth (8.6 yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ...)
  2. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa takes one to Kṛṣṇa (8.5 anta-kāle ca mām eva...)
  3. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa in full devotion is possible only by proper training (8.10 prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena...)
How to transcend death / Death for a devotee 4
  1. Buddhi-yoga – Buddhi-yoga provides complete freedom from fruitive bondage and cycle of birth and death (2.51 karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi...)
  2. Equanimity – By attaining equanimity of mind one can conquer birth and death (5.19 ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo...)
  3. Kṛṣṇa’s personal care – Kṛṣṇa personally delivers those engaged in pure devotional service (12.7 ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi...)
  4. Submissive hearing – By the process of sincere hearing from the bona fide authorities, one can transcend birth and death (13.26 anye tv evam ajānantaḥ...)

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