Chapter 318

‘Yajnavalkya said, Listen now to me, with attention, O king, as to whatthe places are to which those who die have to go. If the Jiva-soulescapes through the feet, it is said that the man goes to the region ofthe Vishnu. If through the calves, it has been heard by us, that the manrepairs to the regions of the Vasus. if through the knees, he attains tothe companionship of those deities that are called Sadhyas. If throughthe lower duct, the man attains to the regions of Mitra. If through theposteriors, the man returns to the Earth, and if through the thighs tothe region of Prajapati. If through the flanks, the man attains to theregions of the Maruts, and if through the nostrils, to the region ofChandramas. If through arms, the man goes to the region of Indra, and ifthrough the chest, to that of Rudra. If through the neck, the man repairsto the excellent region of that foremost of ascetics known by the name ofNara. If through the mouth, the man attains to the region of theViswadevas and if through the ears, to the region of the deities of theseveral points of the horizon. If through the nose, the man attains tothe region of the Windgod; and if through the eyes, to the region ofAgni. If through the brows, the man goes to the region of the Aswins; andif through the forehead, to that of Pitris. If through the crown of thehead, the man attains to the region of the puissant Brahman, thatforemost of the gods. I have thus told thee, O ruler of Mithila, theseveral places to which men repair according to the manner in which theirJiva-souls escape from their bodies. I shall now tell thee thepremonitory indication, as laid down by the wise of those who have butone year to live. One, who having previously seen the fixed star calledArandhati, fails to see it, or that other star called Dhruva,[1660] orone that sees the full Moon or the flame of a burning lamp to be brokentowards the south, has but one year to live. Those men, O king, who canno longer see images of themselves reflected in the eyes of others, havebut one year to live. One, who, being endued with lustre loses it, orbeing endued with wisdom loses it,–indeed, one whose inward and outwardnature is thus changed,–has but six months more to live. He, whodisregards the deities, or quarrels with the Brahmanas, or one, who,being naturally of a dark complexion becomes pale of hue, has but sixmonths more to live. One, who sees the lunar disc to have many holes likea spider’s web, or one, who sees the solar disc to have similar holes hasbut one week more to live. One, who, when smelling fragrant scents inplace of worship, perceives them to be as offensive as the scent ofcorpses, has but one week more to live. The depression of the nose or ofthe ears, the discolour of the teeth or of the eye, the loss of allconsciousness, and the loss also of all animal heat, are symptomsindicating death that very day. If, without any perceptible cause astream of tears suddenly flows from one’s left eye, and if vapours beseen to issue from one’s head, that is a sure indication that the manwill die before that day expires. Knowing all these premonitory symptoms,the man of cleansed soul should day and night unite his soul with theSupreme Soul (in Samadhi). Thus should he go on till the day-comes forhis dissolution. If, however, instead of wishing to die he desires tolive in this world, he casts off all enjoyments,–all scents andtastes,–O king, and lives on in abstinence. He thus conquers death byfixing his soul on the Supreme Soul. Indeed, the man, who is blessed withknowledge of the Soul, O monarch, practises the course of liferecommended by the Sankhyas and conquers death by uniting his soul withthe Supreme Soul. At last, he attains to what is entirely indestructible,which is without birth, which is auspicious, and immutable, and eternal,and stable, and which is incapable of being attained to by men ofuncleansed souls.'”