The Place of Death

 "All I want to know is where I'm going to die so I'll never go there" 

- Charlie Munger

Is it possible to avoid death by not going to the place of death? What do you feel?

Death is inevitable.

Whoever is born, will have to die one day.

Just like our soul was facilitated to this material word and we were born, similarly it will be time for our immortal soul to continue its eternal journey. 

Our lives will end suddenly and this life's chapter will be closed.

Benjamin Franklin rightly said, "Nothing is certain except death and taxes." 

Charlie Munger's quote as shared above, raises a question- if it had been possible for a human to know the place of her/his death, would she/he have willingly ventured there?

Source: Pexels

Three Stories-

The following three tales came to my mind-

I) Garuda, Yama & The Little Bird

A touching story about Yama, the God of Death, Garuda and a little bird comes to my mind.

Once Shree Vishnu went to meet Shree Shiva at the Kailash Parvat.

Garuda, Shree Vishnu's bird, was waiting outside and admiring the beauty. Garuda saw a little bird there.

When Yama arrived there, he looked at the same bird pensively.

Garuda feared for the little bird's life and felt that Yama may carry the bird's soul on his way back.

After Yama went inside, Garuda quickly carried the bird many miles away to a forest and placed it near a brook.

Then, Garuda returned and took his place.

After Yama came out, the little bird was no longer there.

Could Yama carry its soul?

Could the little bird be saved when it was the time of its death?

II) The King & The Prince

I recollect a story that I had read when I was in school.

The story about a King, who wanted to save his son, the Prince, from death was published in the Chandamama magazine.

A wise priest had informed the King right after the birth of the latter's son that the Prince would die on his 18th birthday by a wild boar.

After listening to this, the King went to great lengths to ensure full protection to the Prince.

The Prince was made to lead a sheltered life in a high-rise palace and was never allowed to venture on the ground.

Does the foreboding forecast come true?

Was the King able to save the Prince's life?

III) Sabitri, Satyaban & Yama

Sabitri gets to learn about her husband, Satyaban's impending death. 

Being fully aware, she accompanies him to the forest on that day.

As per the prediction, he feels uneasy and dies.

Yama, the God of death, comes to take Satyaban's soul.

Sabitri persistently follows Yama in her quest.

Does she succeed in her mission? 

Can Satyaban be saved?

What Happened?

In the first two stories, the Prince and the little bird could not be saved when it was the time of their death.

However, in the third story, Sabitri succeeds in earning many boons including her husband Satyaban's life from Yama. There are some accomplished women like Sabitri, who can literally get their husbands from the jaws of death. She is revered and that particular day's tithi in the Hindu calendar is celebrated as "Sabitri Amavasya" - a day when married women observe "Sabitra Brata" fasting and praying for the long lives of their husbands.

Facing Death-

Now, coming back to Munger's quote shared in the beginning of this post-

Sabitri knew when Satyaban would be dying and she actually accompanied him there.

She knew where- in the forest.

She went there.

She knew he would face death at that place of death.

She did not lose hope and had the confidence and courage to go to the place of death and face death.

What are your views?