Last Wednesday, before dawn, my colleagues uncle-in-law expired at the age of 82. With a little pride and much contentment, my colleague, being himself a pundit, with thorough professional and practical knowledge of Hindu rites, and rituals, along with knowledge of astrology, had been narrating the circumstances of his -in-laws death. He told that the old man, the previous evening had done everything according to routine. He had visited the temple in the evening, met his friends at the village square on the concrete pandal beneath the age-old peepul tree, had desired to eat his most favourite beeri bara which was served to him in the evening, had chanted bhajans, taken his dinner and gone to bed, as usual at 10.30 pm. He had the daily habit of getting up at 4.30 every morning. That day, he didnt get up until 6, which aroused suspicion in other family members regarding his well-being. When , at last, he didnt get up after repeated calls, he was examined and found dead. After giving the narration, my colleague spoke in exclamatory style, How many of us, indeed, can boast of such a painless, trouble-free death ! How many of us have the great, good fortune to die in the auspicious month of Margasira, at the brahma muhurta, and that too on a day-juncture like mangala rati budha pahanti (night of Tuesday before dawn-break of Wednesday)!
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:46:35 +0000