SECTION CCCXVIII
'Yajnavalkya said, Listen now to me, with attention, O king, as to what
the places are to which those who die have to go. If the Jiva-soul
escapes through the feet, it is said that the man goes to the region of
the Vishnu. If through the calves, it has been heard by us, that the man
repairs to the regions of the Vasus. if through the knees, he attains to
the companionship of those deities that are called Sadhyas. If through
the lower duct, the man attains to the regions of Mitra. If through the
posteriors, the man returns to the Earth, and if through the thighs to
the region of Prajapati. If through the flanks, the man attains to the
regions of the Maruts, and if through the nostrils, to the region of
Chandramas. If through arms, the man goes to the region of Indra, and if
through the chest, to that of Rudra. If through the neck, the man repairs
to the excellent region of that foremost of ascetics known by the name of
Nara. If through the mouth, the man attains to the region of the
Viswadevas and if through the ears, to the region of the deities of the
several points of the horizon. If through the nose, the man attains to
the region of the Windgod; and if through the eyes, to the region of
Agni. If through the brows, the man goes to the region of the Aswins; and
if through the forehead, to that of Pitris. If through the crown of the
head, the man attains to the region of the puissant Brahman, that
foremost of the gods. I have thus told thee, O ruler of Mithila, the
several places to which men repair according to the manner in which their
Jiva-souls escape from their bodies. I shall now tell thee the
premonitory indication, as laid down by the wise of those who have but
one year to live. One, who having previously seen the fixed star called
Arandhati, fails to see it, or that other star called Dhruva,[1660] or
one that sees the full Moon or the flame of a burning lamp to be broken
towards the south, has but one year to live. Those men, O king, who can
no longer see images of themselves reflected in the eyes of others, have
but one year to live. One, who, being endued with lustre loses it, or
being endued with wisdom loses it,--indeed, one whose inward and outward
nature is thus changed,--has but six months more to live. He, who
disregards the deities, or quarrels with the Brahmanas, or one, who,
being naturally of a dark complexion becomes pale of hue, has but six
months more to live. One, who sees the lunar disc to have many holes like
a spider's web, or one, who sees the solar disc to have similar holes has
but one week more to live. One, who, when smelling fragrant scents in
place of worship, perceives them to be as offensive as the scent of
corpses, has but one week more to live. The depression of the nose or of
the ears, the discolour of the teeth or of the eye, the loss of all
consciousness, and the loss also of all animal heat, are symptoms
indicating death that very day. If, without any perceptible cause a
stream of tears suddenly flows from one's left eye, and if vapours be
seen to issue from one's head, that is a sure indication that the man
will die before that day expires. Knowing all these premonitory symptoms,
the man of cleansed soul should day and night unite his soul with the
Supreme Soul (in Samadhi). Thus should he go on till the day-comes for
his dissolution. If, however, instead of wishing to die he desires to
live in this world, he casts off all enjoyments,--all scents and
tastes,--O king, and lives on in abstinence. He thus conquers death by
fixing his soul on the Supreme Soul. Indeed, the man, who is blessed with
knowledge of the Soul, O monarch, practises the course of life
recommended by the Sankhyas and conquers death by uniting his soul with
the 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 of
uncleansed souls.'"
