Hinduism: Type of death and life beyond death

In hinduism, equal importance is given to death. For types of death and life after death, a distinct vision with logics is available in this culture.

As per medical science, when individual's body is not able to perform certain basic functions than the individual is declared medically dead. In Hinduism, it's not so. When I declare something, it's purely my assumption based on my knowledge or exposure, but l can be wrong at some point of time. In Hindu calture, there are different types of death. Ancient scriptures also give the glimpses about what will happen to Jivatam based on the type of death it attains. It may attain moksha, next birth or it may wander for years for rebirth.



Types of death

Type and quality of death depends on the how the death has occurred . As per ancient scriptures of india, death is basically of two types. These are SU-MRITYU( SU means good, MRITYU means death) and AKAL-MRITYU (AKAL means untimely, MRITYU means death).

Do you know Death don't happen instantly, its a 14 days process

(1) What is SU-MRITYU

As mentionedabove, Su-Mrityu means good death. The way we strive for good life , the same way we should also strive to attain good death. Because the quality of our death will decide the quality of our next birth. Su-Mrityu can further divided into two types based on how Jivatama leaves the body.

(A) Moksha/ Mukti

As per Yogic scriptures, everyone should strive for Mukti or Moksha. The word Mukti/ Moksha means libration from the cycle of life and death. Yogis are the one who strive for self realisation to know their true self. Once they discovered their true self , Mukti becomes very easy. In this type of MRITYU the Jivatama will not take birth willingly, instead it identity itself with the universe not body.

(B) Timely death/ natural death

Timely death means one is matured enough and fulfilled all his responsibilities and now he is almost ready to leave the body. This age generally count from 60 or may be 70 and above. After reaching this number the body of individual become feeble to hold jivatma. This is a natural death. It is good for the individual as well as for the family members. 

Even though this death is good but still the individual dies in ignorance or lack of knowledge of true self. Death in ignorance doesn't mean that the death happened suddenly. Even in ignorance, the individual is aware that he is going to die very soon. Jivatma is carried by the same body since birth so it identity itself with the body. This ignorance will not lead this jivatma to attain Moksha/ Mukti. But sooner it will get new body for its next birth. May be soon after the death.

(2) What is AKAL-MRITYU

As word suggests AKAL-MRITYU means untimely death. The word un-timely has no direct relationship with time but with pending tasks which the individual wanted to complete. 

(A) Death by accident

When someone wanted to live and he has future plans, then all of sudden something strikes his body and the jivatma slips out of the body. This type of ejection of jivatama from damaged body is called untimely death. Such jivatama has strong karmic body which takes longer time to get exhausted. Karmic body is just like a seed for life. Lower the intensity of karmic body higher the chances to getting next birth soon. In Hindu culture, there are certain rituals ( like Narayana Bali) which are supposed to be performed at the occasion when such death happens.

(B) Death by suicide

 This the worst form of death one should go for. Because in this form of death the individual decide to cease his life process. Try to understand this, when he thinks of suicide, he actually thinks that by doing so he will escape from the suffering of life. But this doesn't happen actually. Here he identified himself with the body. 

After committing the suicide, a lot of confusion arises. Jivatama would be confused after seeing his body dead apart. Individual thinks he will kill himself but he is killing only one layer out of  five sheath of existence of life. Rest four remains there. In this kind of death the jivatama will take much longer time to get next birth, may be 10 years, 20 years ,100 years or much more. It depend on the karmic body of the jivatama. 

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Do you know Death don't happen instantly, its a 14 days process

Summary

This is the reason, in Hinduism, importance is given to self realisation so that individual shall be able to attain highest form of death. Ashtang Yog is that science which will help you to attain best form of death . i.e. Moksha