TEXT

väyur anilam amåtam

athedaà bhasmäntaà çaréram
oà krato smara kåtaà smara
krato smara kåtaà smara
SYNONYMS
väyuù—air of life; anilam—total reservoir of air; amåtam—indestructible; atha—now; idam—
this; bhasmäntam—after being turned to ashes; çaréram—body; oà—O Lord; krato—O
enjoyer of all sacrifices; smara—please remember; kåtam—all that has been done by me;
smara—please remember; krato—O supreme beneficiary; smara—please remember; kåtam—
all that I have done for You; smara—please remember.
TRANSLATION
Let this temporary body be burnt to ashes, and let the air of life be merged with the totality of
air. Now, O my Lord, please remember all my sacrifices, and because You are the ultimate
beneficiary, please remember all that I have done for You.
PURPORT

The temporary material body is certainly a foreign dress. The Bhagavad-gétä (2.20) clearly says
that after the destruction of the material body the living entity is not annihilated, nor does he
lose his identity. The identity of the living entity is never impersonal or formless; on the
contrary, it is the material dress that is formless and that takes a shape according to the form
of the indestructible person. No living entity is originally formless, as is wrongly thought by
those with a poor fund of knowledge. This mantra verifies the fact that the living entity exists
after the annihilation of the material body.

In the material world, material nature displays wonderful workmanship by creating varieties
of bodies for the living beings according to their propensities for sense gratification. The living
entity who wants to taste stool is given a material body that is quite suitable for eating stool—
that of a hog. Similarly, one who wants to eat the flesh and blood of other animals may be given
a tiger's body equipped with suitable teeth and claws. But the human being is not meant for
eating flesh, nor does he have any desire to taste stool, even in the most aboriginal state. Human
teeth are so made that they can chew and cut fruit and vegetables, although there are two canine
teeth so that primitive humans can eat flesh if they so desire.
But in any case, the material bodies of all animals and men are foreign to the living entity. They
change according to the living entity's desire for sense gratification. In the cycle of evolution,
the living entity changes bodies one after another. When the world was full of water, the living
entity took an aquatic form. Then he passed to vegetable life, from vegetable life to worm life,
from worm life to bird life, from bird life to animal life, and from animal life to the human
form. The highest developed form is this human form when it is possessed of a full sense of
spiritual knowledge. The highest development of one's spiritual sense is described in this
mantra: One should give up the material body, which will be turned to ashes, and allow the air
of life to merge into the eternal reservoir of air. The living being's activities are performed
within the body through the movements of different kinds of air, known in summary as präëa-
väyu. The yogés generally study how to control the airs of the body. The soul is supposed to
rise from one circle of air to another until it rises to the brahma-randhra, the highest circle.
From that point the perfect yogé can transfer himself to any planet he likes. The process is to
give up one material body and then enter into another. But the highest perfection of such
changes occurs only when the living entity is able to give up the material body altogether, as
suggested in this mantra, and enter into the spiritual atmosphere, where he can develop a
completely different type of body—a spiritual body, which never has to meet death or change.
Here in the material world, material nature forces the living entity to change his body due to
his different desires for sense gratification. These desires are represented in the various species
of life, from germs to the most perfected material bodies, those of Brahmä and the demigods.
All of these living entities have bodies composed of matter in different shapes. The intelligent
man sees oneness not in the variety of the bodies but in the spiritual identity. The spiritual
spark, which is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is the same whether he is in the body of
a hog or the body of a demigod. The living entity takes on different bodies according to his
pious and vicious activities. The human body is highly developed and has full consciousness.
According to the Bhagavad-gétä (7.19), the most perfect man surrenders unto the Lord after
many, many lifetimes of culturing knowledge. The culture of knowledge reaches perfection
only when the knower comes to the point of surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, Väsudeva.
Otherwise, even after attaining knowledge of one's spiritual identity, if one does not come to
the point of knowing that the living entities are eternal parts and parcels of the whole and can
never become the whole, one has to fall down again into the material atmosphere. Indeed, one
must fall down even if he has become one with the brahma-jyoti.
As we have learned from previous mantras, the brahma-jyoti emanating from the
transcendental body of the Lord is full of spiritual sparks that are individual entities with the
full sense of existence. Sometimes these living entities want to enjoy their senses, and therefore
they are placed in the material world to become false lords under the dictation of the senses.
The desire for lordship is the material disease of the living being, for under the spell of sense
enjoyment he transmigrates through the various bodies manifested in the material world.
Becoming one with the brahma-jyoti does not represent mature knowledge. Only by
surrendering unto the Lord completely and developing one's sense of spiritual service does one
reach the highest perfectional stage.

In this mantra the living entity prays to enter the spiritual kingdom of God after relinquishing
his material body and material air. The devotee prays to the Lord to remember his activities
and the sacrifices he has performed before his material body is turned into ashes. He makes
this prayer at the time of death, with full consciousness of his past deeds and of the ultimate
goal. One who is completely under the rule of material nature remembers the heinous activities
he performed during the existence of his material body, and consequently he gets another
material body after death. The Bhagavad-gétä (8.6) confirms this truth:
yaà yaà väpi smaran bhävaà
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taà tam evaiti kaunteya
sadä tad-bhäva-bhävitaù
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunté, that state he
will attain without fail." Thus the mind carries the living entity's propensities into the next life.
Unlike the simple animals, who have no developed mind, the dying human being can remember the
activities of his life like dreams at night; therefore his mind remains surcharged with material
desires, and consequently he cannot enter into the spiritual kingdom with a spiritual body. The
devotees, however, develop a sense of love for Godhead by practicing devotional service to the
Lord. Even if at the time of death a devotee does not remember his service to the Lord, the Lord
does not forget him. This prayer is given to remind the Lord of the devotee's sacrifices, but
even if there is no such reminder, the Lord does not forget the service rendered by His pure
devotee.

The Lord clearly describes His intimate relationship with His devotees in the Bhagavad-gétä
(9.30–34): "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional
service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination. He
quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunté, declare it boldly that My
devotee never perishes. O son of Påthä, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower
birth—women, vaiçyas [merchants] as well as çüdras [workers]—can attain the supreme
destination. How much more this is so of the righteous brähmaëas, the devotees and the saintly
kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service
unto Me. Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to
Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me."
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura explains these verses in this way: "One should regard a devotee of
Kåñëa to be on the right path of the saints, even though such a devotee may seem to be su-
duräcära, 'a person of loose character.' One should try to understand the real purport of the
word su-duräcära. A conditioned soul has to act for double functions—namely for the
maintenance of the body and again for self-realization. Social status, mental development,
cleanliness, austerity, nourishment and the struggle for existence are all for the maintenance
of the body. The self-realization part of one's activities is executed in one's occupation as a
devotee of the Lord, and one performs actions in that connection also. One must perform these
two different functions along parallel lines, because a conditioned soul cannot give up the
maintenance of his body. The proportion of activities for maintenance of the body decreases,
however, in proportion to the increase in devotional service. As long as the proportion of
devotional service does not come to the right point, there is a chance for an occasional
exhibition of worldliness. But it should be noted that such worldliness cannot continue for
long because, by the grace of the Lord, such imperfections will come to an end very shortly.
Therefore the path of devotional service is the only right path. If one is on the right path, even
an occasional occurrence of worldliness does not hamper one in the advancement of self-
realization."

The facilities of devotional service are denied to the impersonalists because they are attached
to the brahma-jyoti feature of the Lord. As suggested in the previous mantras, they cannot
penetrate the brahma-jyoti because they do not believe in the Personality of Godhead. Their
business is mostly word jugglery and mental speculation. Consequently the impersonalists
pursue a fruitless labor, as confirmed in the Twelfth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä (12.5).
All the facilities suggested in this mantra can be easily obtained by constant contact with the
personal feature of the Absolute Truth. Devotional service to the Lord consists essentially of
nine transcendental activities: (1) hearing about the Lord, (2) glorifying the Lord, (3)
remembering the Lord, (4) serving the lotus feet of the Lord, (5) worshiping the Lord, (6)
offering prayers to the Lord, (7) serving the Lord, (8) enjoying friendly association with the
Lord, and (9) surrendering everything unto the Lord. These nine principles of devotional
service—taken all together or one by one—help a devotee remain constantly in touch with
God. In this way, at the end of life it is easy for the devotee to remember the Lord. By adopting
only one of these nine principles, the following renowned devotees of the Lord were able to
achieve the highest perfection: (1) By hearing of the Lord, Mahäräja Parékñit, the hero of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam, attained the desired result. (2) Just by glorifying the Lord, Çukadeva
Gosvämé, the speaker of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, attained his perfection. (3) By praying to the
Lord, Akrüra attained the desired result. (4) By remembering the Lord, Prahläda Mahäräja
attained the desired result. (5) By worshiping the Lord, Påthu Mahäräja attained perfection. (6)
By serving the lotus feet of the Lord, the goddess of fortune, Lakñmé, attained perfection. (7)
By rendering personal service to the Lord, Hanumän attained the desired result. (8) Through
his friendship with the Lord, Arjuna attained the desired result. (9) By surrendering everything
he had to the Lord, Mahäräja Bali attained the desired result.

Actually, the explanation of this mantra and of practically all the mantras of the Vedic hymns
is summarized in the Vedänta-sütra and properly explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çrémad-
Bhägavatam is the mature fruit of the Vedic tree of wisdom. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam this
particular mantra is explained in the questions and answers between Mahäräja Parékñit and
Çukadeva Gosvämé at the very beginning of their meeting. Hearing and chanting of the science
of God is the basic principle of devotional life. The complete Bhägavatam was heard by
Mahäräja Parékñit and chanted by Çukadeva Gosvämé. Mahäräja Parékñit inquired from
Çukadeva because Çukadeva was a greater spiritual master than any great yogé or
transcendentalist of his time.
Mahäräja Parékñit's main question was: "What is the duty of every man, specifically at the time
of death?" Çukadeva Gosvämé answered:
tasmäd bhärata sarvätmä
bhagavän éçvaro hariù
çrotavyaù kértitavyaç ca
smartavyaç cecchatäbhayam
"Everyone who desires to be free from all anxieties should always hear about, glorify and
remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme director of everything, the
extinguisher of all difficulties, and the Supersoul of all living entities." (SB 2.1.5)

So-called human society is generally engaged at night in sleeping and having sex and during
the daytime in earning as much money as possible or else in shopping for family maintenance.
People have very little time to talk about the Personality of Godhead or to inquire about Him.
They have dismissed God's existence in so many ways, primarily by declaring Him to be
impersonal, that is, without sense perception. But in the Vedic literature—whether the
Upaniñads, Vedänta-sütra, Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad-Bhägavatam—it is declared that the Lord
is a sentient being and is supreme over all other living entities. His glorious activities are
identical with Himself. One should therefore not indulge in hearing and speaking of the rubbish
activities of worldly politicians and so-called big men in society but should mold his life in
such a way that he can engage in godly activities without wasting a second. Çré Éçopaniñad
directs us toward such godly activities.
Unless one is accustomed to devotional practice, what will he remember at the time of death,
when the body is dislocated, and how can he pray to the almighty Lord to remember his
sacrifices? Sacrifice means denying the interest of the senses. One has to learn this art by
employing the senses in the service of the Lord during one's lifetime. One can utilize the results
of such practice at the time of death.