Last Saturday I received an invite for a ‘unique book discussion’ on a journey into mortality. The book is ‘Why We Die’ by Venki Ramakrishnan, winner of the Nobel Prize. Yes, indeed the book is unique as it will reveal to the reader the secret of death — Why we die.

In Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa was adamant with Yama Dharmaraja, God of Death, to know the secret of death. Having offered three boons that Nachiketa could ask, Nachiketa’s two boons were easily granted but the third boon was: Tell me the secret of death. Yama Dharmaraja was caught in a dilemma. He cajoles Nachiketa with the worldly wealth and more. But Nachiketa was adamant.

And Yama Dharmaraja reveals the secret: When all desires are mastered and karma is balanced, with no good or bad deeds left, the soul is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. It gains immortality or Moksha. So, it is the soul that becomes immortal, not the physical body. But what is soul?

After gaining this knowledge, Nachiketa was blessed by Yama Dharmaraja and sent back to complete his life.

But after he completes his life, he must die! Nachiketa could not win over death!!

Reading this, I was not convinced with the answer. Hence, I evinced interest in Venki Ramakrishnan’s book that I will read after the date of the discussion — 8th January 2025 at 6 pm at Vijnana Bhavan, Manasagangothri. Of course, he too will tell us ‘Why we die.’ Not how not to die. Become immortal!

When Edmund Hillary climbed the Mount Everest and became the first known human being to stand on the highest peak on this earth, he was asked: Why did you climb Mount Everest. He simply said: “Because it is there.”

Likewise, we can answer the question Why we die? by simply answering: “Because we are born.” However, Venki Ramakrishnan needed a book of 310 pages with Notes and Index to tell us why we die. Let me read it at leisure and get enlightened, not in a spiritual way but in a mundane way. Death invites multiple questions about heaven and hell, rebirth, Karma, nature of life  after death, astral life after death, eternal afterlife transcending death and more.

It is believed that lower life forms like animals and plants do not perceive death. It is the privilege bestowed by GOD only to man! Why? To scare him? To make him live a life constantly fearing the inevitability of death?

However, man is not ready to acknowledge the finality of death. He seems to believe or he is made to believe by religious Prophets and Holy scriptures that he is immortal! All religions, Prophets, Priests and Gurus preach to the lay man in a highly nuanced manner about God and his Power. In a rude language, one may call this as ‘brain washing.’

Be that as it may, I was curious to know how some of our Prophets and spiritual masters, including those who called themselves Godmen, breathed their last. I reached out to a couple of books on the subject and was surprised to know many of them did not die in peace or without physical pain.

There is a saying pertaining to death in Kannada which is perceived to be a good death for a man. It says: ‘Sharanara baalu maranadalli nodu’ (ಶರಣರ ಬಾಳು ಮರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡು) — A true spiritual person is known by his death. That is to say, if the death is natural and is peaceful, then he is believed to be a divine person and if an ordinary person dies a natural death peacefully, then it means he has the grace of God upon him.

Going by this reasoning I found only a few of our Prophets and Spiritual persons — Saints, Sanyasis, Gurus and Acharyas — died a natural, peaceful death without suffering painful diseases or violence. Then I was curious to know about their final hours or moments of death. Arun Shourie has written a tome of a book titled ‘Preparing for Death’ and in that he has given details about the final moments of death of some famous spiritual persons. I also read another book by John E. Mitchiner ‘Guru, the Search for Enlightenment.’

hese books left me with more doubts about death than with answers. I discovered that no matter one is a Prophet, a Spiritual person, Priest, Godman or a mad man, DEATH is unpredictable and may embrace one at any time, at any place, at any age and in any manner — accident or murder.

ow, let us listen to Venki Ramakrishnan and learn more on the secret of death which Yama Dharmaraja says is in “mastering all desires.”

Difficult, when we are born with all the ills that our flesh is heir to!

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com