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Re: Thirumaalai-15/ Mahathma Gandhi

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Visu9 • June 15, 2002 


Shri rAmAnujasya sharanam prapadhyE

vaNakkam dAshyai Sow Sumithra Varadarajan AvarkaLE.

Reading about saying the nAmAs of bhagavAn, I remember a stanza in the GItA, 
where krushNa Himself says that one is reborn or freed as the case may be to 
be able to consummate his or her thought at the time of death. That is, if 
one dies, say, uttering the name of gOvindA at the time of death, then 
samsAra stops for this person. If the person, on the other hand, dies talking 
about wealth or worried about debt he/she  is leaving behind, he is born to 
be with that wealth and  to complete the task of taking care of those 
matters. The last wish has to have a chance to be fulfilled. 

Even though Gandhiji was famous for boasting that he would live up to 125 
years, he changed his refrain as partition became a reality. He openly began 
to say that he would not live long any more.

Just the day before he died, that Thursday, Gandhi said, "If tomorrow when 
someone shoots at me, if I do not die with the name of God in my  mouth, then 
know that I am a hypocrite". And Gandhiji died  with the name of Shri rAma 
calmly and instantly. 

Gandhiji, who drew his inspiration and guidance from the GitA, is an example 
of that stanza. I will look up and give you the reference later.

Your commentary illustrates the point in an old setting given by the AzvAr of 
tiruvarangam.

vandhanam.

naha svIkurvaka asmAt krupAm: Cause us, wherefore, be endowed with Grace.


Viswanathan



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