Bhawna Atmaram
As per the Hindu Trinity, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Lord Shiva plays a fundamental role in the destruction of evil and ignorance, thereby assisting in maintaining the preservation of the balance of the universe.
According to the Skanda Purana, Lord Shiva is depicted with a garland of skulls (mundamala), symbolising his dominion over death. He is also portrayed as sitting in the cremation ground (smashana), smeared with ashes (bhasma), signifying detachment from worldly pleasures and the mastery over the life-death cycle. He is often represented as a Shiva Lingam, a phallic symbol which showcases his generative power. Lord Shiva therefore encapsulates the ultimate liberation from the mortal sphere to allow the inner consciousness to attain the dimension of immortality. During the Maha Shivratri pilgrimage, which is a transformative and introspective process, each step that we take brings us closer to that state of material detachment, as we meditate inwardly and silently, letting go of our human shackles.
The Irony of Human Life
One of the greatest ironies of our mortal existence is that we begin to die the second we are born. Upon birth, we are made to take in big gulps of air, desperately pumping oxygen into our tiny lungs till we start breathing on our own and begin our timid path into this life. Then, gradually, the growing up process is kickstarted as we start to gain weight and height; our brain takes in the vast realm of knowledge out there as we navigate our way through childhood, adulthood and if we are lucky enough, senior years with grace and serenity. During this process, marked inevitably with hardships and constant struggles, which might be physical, emotional or psychological, our origins from the womb clearly have us set firmly on the pathway of a bumpy ride. As quickly as we are all energetic young adults, the descent is not far away. Our skin becomes wrinkled, our hair turns grey and we start wilting away, in the image of other living beings around us.
Hinduism is based on the premise of the cycle of reincarnation, which is a penance in itself. One needs to take birth again and again, paying one’s karmic debts until one is eventually liberated from the clasps of this world. The link between the womb and penance is deeply entrenched. The baby therefore will either thrive or not; each being has his fate etched differently. From birth to death. From the womb, we shall head towards the tomb. That is the law of Nature.
What happens after death?
Once we die, physically, the changes start to manifest themselves. Our vital functions stop. Our heart no longer beats. Our breath stops. Our brain stops functioning. Over the next hours, muscles start stiffening, resulting in rigor mortis. Eventually, the body takes several weeks to decay, turn to bone and dust while those who are cremated are turned into ashes.
We might be tempted to ask ourselves: What is the point of life if we are born to die eventually? Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is life all about? Our journeys are very different; some leave the earth’s abode earlier; others later. But the destination is the same. There is no escaping it.
Albert Einstein has said: “Reality is merely an illusion; albeit a very persistent one.”
Are we therefore trapped in a sphere of Maya (illusion)? Is there really a past, present or future? Which is our way? Where are we heading?
Many schools of Hinduism claim that the world is an illusion. The material world is merely temporary. A person’s self-centredness can distract him from the higher spiritual truth above. As per the Bhagavata Purana, ‘one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of I and mine.’
Those who are immersed in the illusion of the physical world find it harder to leave the earthly abode. Maya refers to the illusions that blur the pathway of the spiritual truth of the cycle of life and death. This in turn prevents the person from attaining Moksha, trapping them in the cycle of samsara; which is the constant cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through reincarnation.
The Concept of the Soul
Clearly, with concepts such as the afterlife, resurrection, hell, purgatory or paradise, it is more than obvious that the inner consciousness also known as the soul does not die. Death cannot vanquish the power of the soul.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra from the Rig Vedas sheds some light:
Triayambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushti
Vardhanam
Urva rukamiva
bandhanaan
Mrytor muksiya
Mamru taat
What does this mantra mean?
We worship Lord Shiva, the three-eyed one, the one who is the master of all senses and qualities and the one who is the sustainer of all growth. May he release us from the bondage of death, just like a ripened cucumber is released from its stalk, and may he (not deprive us immortality) grant us immortality.
Our soul is released upon death. Just like a ripened cucumber is released from the stalk, our soul is liberated. The creeper continues to thrive nonetheless despite the cucumber being snapped away.
Therefore, while some might fear the concept of Death, for others it is a process. The body is a vehicle to transport the soul to a temporary destination. We are the microcosm as an individual and our aim is to fuse with the macrocosm: the soul fuses with the higher level of consciousness out there. The Atma has to fuse with the Param Atma.
I, as Bhawna, am an illusion here. It is the Atma within me which exists. The soul is infinite and goes on its journey of reincarnation, transmigration. Bhawna will not be here one day but my soul, will be travelling through some infinite pathways.
With the disintegration of the body begins a transformation. Our bodies become laden with billions of micro-organisms, which signify new beginnings.
The concept of the duality of life and death can be found in the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna attempts to convince Arjuna to take up his weapons and fight:
“The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain.
As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.
It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.”
On this thread, Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, thought of a line from the Bhagavat Gita as he witnessed the detonation of the nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945. “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of Worlds.” This line has been spoken by Krishna, who has been pushing Arjuna to do what is right and fight against his fellow relatives, friends and teachers. One’s duty or dharma comes first and foremost and Krishna represents the beginning and the end, life and death.
Ironically, Oppenheimer as Death, had a hand in bringing an end to World War II through Death, which later on heralded new beginnings for Humankind.
Conclusion
The Rudra Gayatri Mantra, which is a mantra dedicated to the Rudra form of Shiva, traces the pathway to self-enlightenment:
Om Tat Purushaya Vidmahe
Mahadevaya Dhimahi
Tanno Rudra Prachodayat
This means:
“Om, give me intellect and wisdom and illuminate my heart with eternal light. Oh, Great One, give me the light for self- realisation and an illuminating lamp of wisdom and knowledge in this heart and mind.”
The teachings of Lord Shiva are clear: Death should not be feared. It should be embraced. Let us learn to be humble, accept that we are temporary travellers on this earthly abode and that we have to leave once our time is up. Death is the greatest of all teachers. It is not the end. Most importantly, in order to attain Moksha, we have to lead a fruitful existence by focusing on our spiritual growth and bringing light to those who need it.