Is it possible to sense and predict death?

We all know that some day we will die, but usually we don’t know when. Can one, people often ask, recognise the approach of death? Can one sense it? Can death be predicted? There was S.P. Singh — the man who gave Aaj Tak, the highly rated TV news programme, its particular identity. Just a short while before he died we had a long discussion on, amongst other things, death. “You’re still young, at the peak of your career — why are you so concerned about death ?” He was upset and saddened, he attempted to rationalise, by the death of his dog, and somewhere inside him, he said, he felt death was close to him... He died less than a month later.

The narratives of those who have “returned from the dead”, that is, died and come back to life, would seem to suggest that the time of death is pre-ordained. There are so many, many instances which I’ve experienced, witnessed or heard about with leave me with no doubt that death can be sensed, can be recognised, can be predicted. But what about accidental deaths, or those said to be caused by black magic — “akaal mrityus” as they are called ? That’ll be the subject of another column, but for now let me recount what transpired when I visited Pandit Om Prakash — a respected priest and astrologer, to seek a “remedy” for somebody who was facing unending problems.

“Don’t say later I didn’t tell you. My markesh is on and I doubt if I’ll survive January. Find the time and learn what you want from me,” he said. He was in good health but died suddenly towards the end of January. Neighbours and his family say he had narrowed down his time of death, and a day before he died, he did a round of the locality, bidding goodbye to friends. That night, he told his son that he had withdrawn money from the bank and put it in the cupboard so that they wouldn’t have to rush around at the time of the cremation.

Astrologically, the Bhrigu Samhita — that amazing compilation of the horoscopes of virtually everybody —clearly states the year, month, day, hour and place of an individual’s death and who will be with the person at the time of death... all based on planetary charts. Of course, the Bhrigu Samhita doesn’t limit itself to the time of death. Amongst other fascinating details of one’s life time, it also provides information about earlier births and what a person will become in future births.

But experience has shown that predicting death through astrological calculations is not the only means or method of doing so. “Mataji”, as she was called by her followers possessed spiritual powers it is said, and was the head of a religious trust. She lived in Doiwala, close to Dehradun, and curiously, had a pet goat. As the years caught up with her, her disciples asked her time and again who her “successor” would be. “The day that goat shakes its head in a certain way, I’ll know death has arrived, and I’ll tell you who it will be before I die.”

One morning, she summoned all the ashram inmates. “The goat shook its head a short while ago. I’ll be gone before four o’clock...” and she went on to hand over keys, name her successor and other important matters. Mataji died before four o’clock. I have known and heard about others who have recognised signs of their own approaching death — quite distinct from a premonition. There are at least two people of standing who have given explicit accounts of their encounter with Yama, the Lord of Death, and many more who relate incidents which are similar.

There was Pandit Bahuguna at the Sapt Rishi Ashram in Haridwar. Long before he fell ill, while he still ran the place with an iron hand, he knew of death. “Take my “ashirvaad”, beti, while I am still hale and hearty... I will be gone before your next visit...” Then there was Hiren Gupta , an ex-United Nations official who had what turned out to be his last meal with us, and while leaving —turned while going down the stairs, looked very piercingly at me and said, “Don’t grieve for me...”. That was Christmas Eve. Christmas morning, we got the news that he had died— while singing Christmas carols with his driver’s family...

Mind you, all these are very different from cases where the person knows the end is near due to medical or age related factors. For instance, former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta said shortly before he passed away, “I am on my way out”. But he was 81, and knew he had cancer. In earlier times, old hakims and even some elderly people could just look at one and say, “This person’s end is near”. They could sense death, they knew its symptoms, the tell-tale signs... Such hakims and elderly people still exist in some far flung villages. However, unlike some astrologers, babas and others, they cannot predict death years in advance. They can do so a week or two before the event or a few hours before, often in the case of perfectly healthy people.

I was sitting one evening in distant Moldhar, a Himalayan village, chatting with one of the village elders. A middle-aged man passed by with his bullocks, and the village elder stopped in mid-sentence. He seemed lost in thought, then he said abruptly, “I must go — we have to prepare for a funeral”. Dusk was turning into night when I heard a villager had died: it turned out to be the man with the bullocks. He had been bitten by a black scorpion. Later, when I asked the village elder how he knew, he said, “It was in his walk, it was in the absent minded way he greeted me, it was in the way he herded his bullocks — death was written all over him. I cannot say what form death will take, but I can recognise death well in advance.”

There are cases too, of individuals who choose their time of death and are able to leave their body of their own will. These are not to be confused with suicides. Amongst others, there was this remarkable person we met on the way to Yamunotri. It’s a riveting story, but briefly, he was trekking from Kanyakumari to Yamunotri to “leave his body”. He just lay down on the glacial snows at Yamunotri and passed over into the other world from where he continues to provide guidance to me and others.

As the years caught up with her, her disciples asked her time and again who her “successor” would be. “The day that goat shakes its head in a certain way, I’ll know death has arrived.