BG 8.5–6 – Thinking of Krishna at the Time of Death—Q&A

Giriraj Swami: So, in continuation of the theme of Life’s Final Exam, thinking of Krishna at the time of death and going back home, back to Godhead, I will read two verses and purports from Srimad Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and then we will open the floor to questions. The basic format this evening will be questions and answers. You can ask the questions and we will give the answers and if you don’t have any questions, we will ask the questions and you will give the answers.

So, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Eight, “Attaining the Supreme,”

TEXT 5

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

COMMENT

Hare Krishna. So yes, we are reading from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Eight, “Attaining the Supreme,” Text Five. This verse is spoken by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

Whoever at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

In this verse the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stressed. Anyone who quits his body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Kṛṣṇa conscious is also the purest of the pure. The word smaran (“remembering”) is important. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service. Therefore one should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of life. If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of remembering Kṛṣṇa is essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the mahā-mantra – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror api sahiṣṇunā). There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so that at the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

And the next verse:

TEXT 6

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

TRANSLATION

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The process of changing one’s nature at the critical moment of death is here explained. A person who at the end of his life quits his body thinking of Kṛṣṇa attains the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord, but it is not true that a person who thinks of something other than Kṛṣṇa attains the same transcendental state. This is a point we should note very carefully. How can one die in the proper state of mind? Mahārāja Bharata, although a great personality, thought of a deer at the end of his life, and so in his next life he was transferred into the body of a deer. Although as a deer he remembered his past activities, he had to accept that animal body. Of course, one’s thoughts during the course of one’s life accumulate to influence one’s thoughts at the moment of death, so this life creates one’s next life. If in one’s present life one lives in the mode of goodness and always thinks of Kṛṣṇa, it is possible for one to remember Kṛṣṇa at the end of one’s life. That will help one be transferred to the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa. If one is transcendentally absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one’s state of being at the end of one’s life.  

COMMENT

So, to perhaps, inspire some thoughts on this subject before you ask your questions, I will tell a story that involved one of our godbrothers, one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples named Vaikuntha dasa, a very nice devotee. Vaikuntha dasa was driving his car across the railroad tracks and somehow the car stalled. So, he was trying to get the car going and he saw the train was coming but still, he was hoping he could get the car started so he could cross the tracks. So, while he was engaged in trying to get the car to go, he saw that the train was bearing down on him and it was just about to hit. So, he thought, Okay, this is it, this is the end. And he started to chant:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And just then the train hit and when the train hit, his last thought was what will happen to my wife and then he became unconscious. Fortunately, he lived to tell the story. But it is very tricky to think of Krishna at the time of death. If you are more attached to Krishna than to anything else then it will be easy. And as Srila Prabhupada gave the example of Bharata Maharaja—somehow, he became attached to a deer and by chance he thought of the deer. So, Srila Prabhupada has emphasized by quoting the entire Hare Krishna maha-mantra three times in those two purports, that is our best preparation but of course it should be attentive chanting without offense and with love and devotion as far as possible. Hare Krishna.

Now questions, you can raise your hands. Okay. One, two, three.

Devotee: When we practice Krishna consciousness with love and you get purified and develop some taste for holy name and service, but let us say at the end of the life, he has not developed pure love, but still he remembers. Will he be able to go to Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan?

Giriraj Swami: If we think of Krishna at the time of death, then we will go to Krishna and the rule is. . . Rule means that the system or the procedure is that one first takes birth on the planet where Krishna is having His pastimes in the material world and then after one life, on the planet where Krishna is having His pastimes. After getting the association of Krishna’s eternal associates and being engaged in service under their direction, one will go to Goloka Vrindavan in the spiritual sky and serve Krishna there. Of course, if we have pure love for Krishna then naturally, we will think of Him at the time of death. But even if we do not have pure love of Krishna but we do think of him at the time of death, we can go to His planet and develop our love further. According to the science of devotion, one can develop at most, prema. There are different stages, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ, bhāva , prema within this body, but this body cannot hold more than prema. But in Vrindavan, yes with simple prema you can go to Vaikuntha. But in Vrindavan there are higher developments. . . sneha, mana, anuraga, bhāva and mahā-bhāva and those develop after one leaves this body and takes birth on Krishna’s planet.

So, it is a very intricate science but fortunately, we are followers of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, generally His followers go to Krishna in Vrindavan and given the scenario you described that is probably where he will end up.

Devotee: Thank you. Hare Krishna, Maharaja. I have a question. [Inaudible 00:15:42]

Unknown: Yes, it counts. There are different cases. Actually, it is even in this chapter that the process of leaving this world, in the 27th verse, of course there are two paths, one passing at a certain astrological time and when the sun is in the north and another time the sun is in the south and then according to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of leaving this world.

“Even though the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered.” 

Unknown: We know these two paths and so the purport in which Krishna says is or the point Krishna says is therefore always be fixed in devotion. Whatever you are doing, whatever you are eating, whatever you are giving away, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsikuruṣva whatever we do, we do that as an act of love for Krishna. So, if you are driving your car down the road, it is an act of love for Krishna, which is possible. Maharaja and I, we go into japa heaven in the car. He just asked me not to go too deep into samadhi when I am behind the wheel, which I usually comply with. Every once in a while, he has to grab the wheel. But anyway, back to the seriousness of the program.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Krishna is here advising Arjuna that he should not be disturbed by the different paths the soul can take when leaving the material world. A devotee of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart either by arrangement or by accident. The devotee should be firmly established in Krishna consciousness and chant Hare Krishna. He should know that concern over either of these two paths is troublesome. The best way is to be absorbed in Krishna consciousness and to be always dovetailed in His service, this will make one’s path to the spiritual kingdom safe, certain, and direct.

Unknown: So, these are Prabhupada’s words. I do not think there is any question, even by an accident or by arrangement. Of course, the arrangement is already built in, Isn’t it? I think it is according to the number of breaths or something like that. Therefore, be careful. Let us always be prepared. Any other questions? Right here. I can hear you.

Devotee: My questions is: how does one’s prior karma affect one’s thought during the course of one’s Krishna conscious life?

Unknown: How does one’s previous karma affect one’s consciousness?

Devotee: During the course of their Krishna consciousness.

Unknown: During the course of their Krishna consciousness.

Devotee: In the life of a devotee karma has an impact. I have a subsequent question too.

Unknown: Okay, sequential question. Okay. [Inaudible 00:20:12] last time I went like that I don’t look at him when I go like this [Inaudible 00:20:16]. So, how does the karma fit in? Karma, we know to be activity, to do, to act and our karma, janma karma ca me divyam, in these verses it is very important that in the purport it said - of course, one’s activities in this lifetime were formerly one’s thoughts at the time of death. That was part of the purport that the Swami, Giriraj Maharaja read. So, the question here is how does our past karma affect our devotional service?

According to my understanding, one who is seriously wanting to engage in devotional service, there is no material impediment that will stop it. If we become conscious of Krishna we can cross over all obstacles of life, mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi, that “If you become conscious of Me, you will overcome all obstacles by My grace, but if you do not hear Me, that without hearing properly then you will be lost.” So, our past karma we have to do it.

Is somebody playing the drum or am I just imagining that? Okay. So, there is a nice verse in the Bhāgavatam that says by constant recitation of the scripture that all that which is, what is it, inauspicious within the heart, is reduced practically to nil, practically to nil. So, when I read that, there is a point where it was either a lecture Prabhupada was saying, or somewhere else, he says the reason it is practically to nil, not completely nil, is that we have this material body which is developed according to our previous karma and we are going to have to undergo that duration of life no matter what. We can’t, I mean, don’t jump off a building and chant Hare Krishna because on the way down you will probably think of whatever.

So, that is not our point. Our point is that whatever we have done, it does not matter because it cannot be blocked. Then another point that comes to my mind is that one time in Mayapur some of the devotees went to Prabhupada- “Oh! Prabhupada before we were devotee, we were so sinful.” He said that was revealed. “Now you are engaging in Krishna conscious, we don’t worry about that.” So, the import that I hear in this question is therefore, there may be an excuse for me not to be fully engaged in devotional service because of my past karma and that is not true, according to my understanding. Sometimes we want to have an excuse - well I was born in a very dark environment, not a proper word, I am born less intelligent, I am born this way, I am born that way, therefore I cannot. When I ran the school for boys, I never let them say I cannot. I always say, “Just say you can. Maybe you will not but at least you will try.” If you say you can’t, you give yourself an excuse not to do it. And so, yes, our previous karma is there but if we absorb ourselves in Krishna consciousness, we can overcome the results of that previous activity. Would you like to add anything?

Giriraj Swami: The definition of pure devotional service given by Srila Rupa Gosvami is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, pure devotional service is not covered by karma or jñāna or anything else and by chanting, by circumambulating Tulsi, by hearing Bhāgavatam, yes, our sinful reactions are reduced. In fact, to really engage in devotional service one must have engaged in pious activities and be free from sinful activities: yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. So, yes, it goes away.

Devotee: So, as a living entity one cannot stay, what they call kind of, immune to karma. They have to go through karma but the effect of karma will be reduced by doing pure devotional service is my understanding.

Giriraj Swami: Well, when you surrender Krishna, Krishna takes charge. So, in principle you don’t really. . . I mean, you have your karma in the sense you have this body but in terms of sinful reactions that are due to you for your past activities, Krishna takes charge. Srila Prabhupada says that Krishna disposes of the sinful reactions due to a devotee for the devotee’s best interest. So, in a way it is there but Krishna has taken charge and He will release these reactions at a time and under the circumstances that are beneficial for the devotee.

And I wanted to say something about the question about dying in an accident although it is not about dying in an accident. But there is a similarity and that was that when we were in Gorakhpur with Srila Prabhupada, Tamal Krishna Goswami asked him, “I am so busy engaged in your service what happens if suddenly the time of death comes and I am not able to think of Krishna?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Don’t worry, Lord Chaitanya will forcibly enter your mind.”

Devotee: Hare Krishna, guru Maharaja. Thank you so much for the class. My question is if a person is fortunate and remembers Krishna at the time of death and thinks of Krishna. . .

Giriraj Swami: If he is Krishna conscious those considerations do not count. That was the whole idea that a devotee who is Krishna conscious does not have to worry about those details. He is protected in every situation. Yes, sir.

Unknown: You can say, we can hear. Just say. Just say.

Devotee: [Inaudible 00:29:14]

Giriraj Swami: Well, Bhīṣma, such an exalted soul, that he could control when he left his body. That is not an ordinary thing. My answer would be that he was setting an example for us, that if someone is in a position to, he can actually decide when he leaves according to those auspicious factors. But what you said is true, there was no need for him.

Devotee: [Inaudible 00:30:39]

Giriraj Swami: So, what is your point?

Devotee: [Inaudible 00:30:54]

Giriraj Swami: Maybe I didn’t express myself properly but what I meant to say was that he was in a position in which he could do that. Ordinary people are not in that position. So, he was Krishna conscious. Whether he left according to the auspicious time or not, he was Krishna conscious in any case. So, given that he had that ability, why not leave at the auspicious time in Krishna consciousness?

Devotee: I have thirteen questions from the children.

Giriraj Swami: They should.

Devotee: What is the difference between the mind and intelligence, how do I control them as to me the intelligence is part of the mind?

Giriraj Swami: There are a number of examples that will help us understand this. One example is given that the senses are like horses and the reins. . . Where is your mind right now? So, the driving instrument is like the mind and the driver is like the intelligence and the passenger who is directing the driver is like the soul. So, when things are in proper order, the intelligence controls the mind. You could say, the impulses of the senses come into the mind. Just like anything. We might see a nice sweet and our mind might, so that is coming through the senses, and our mind might tell us – “Oh! just grab it and run.” But our intelligence will say - “No, it is not the proper thing to do or I will get caught.”

So, the intelligence should control the mind. Another example that Srila Prabhupada gave is that the mind is like a library and the intelligence is like the person who is looking through all the books and then he is choosing the one he wants. So, all the different sense impressions are coming in the mind but the intelligence is determining what to do. And there is a difference. There is a definite difference. The mind has an impulse but the intelligence says – “No, you can’t do that. You should do this.”

Is that okay? Any other live questions?

Devotee: Thank you so much, Maharaja. If you may, I would like to comment on Bhīṣma’s pastime. Bhīṣma was waiting for Krishna, in other words Bhīṣma was waiting to see Krishna and Bhīṣma did not leave the body. Bhisma left the body after seeing Krishna. He did not wait up till Uttaryana time came to pass. All that he needed to do was just see Krishna and that happened at Uttrayana time. So, two points are: Bhīṣma Pitamah was waiting to see Krishna and it happened to be [Inaudible 00:36:40]. Second point is, he left the body after seeing Krishna, while seeing Krishna. [Inaudible 00:36:55], not that he left the body after a very long time during the six months of Uttaryana. What all he needed to do is have the vision of Sri Krishna and then after having the vision, then he left the body.

Giriraj Swami: Very good.