No living being including man likes to die. Particularly no man longs to grow old and die though both are ultimate truth. We are definitely afraid of these two conditions, despite fully realizing that there is no escape. Modern technologies, medical or otherwise have definitely helped the man to delay old age and death. All these things have suddenly stirred up my feelings when in the morning I read that Sardar Khushwant Singh ( born on Feb 2, 1915) has completed 99 years and entered into the century year. Despite suffering from old age disabilities and remaining wheel-chair bound, he maintains th jovial mental traits of his personality and hence even today, in the circle of his friends and well wishers, he is known as ‘naughty sardar’ and ‘witty sardar’.
Despite a multi-faceted chequered literary track record, now he does not want to live any more. He explains that since nothing is left to be done, why should not he say goodby to this world. In 2010 he is on record to have expressed this wish. He not only wrote his obituary, but also penned a small poem to be used on his epitaph. He is a rare breed of intellectual and so cannot be challenged. His fans simply wish him to be a centurion at least.
This raises a question, how long one should live? The Hindu scriptures prescribe, ‘pashyedshardam shatam’(let us see 100 winters). The modern man knows that every living being’s life span is in its geans and with certain exceptions this side or that side, for a man it is 100 years. Biology goes still further telling that the geans also contain indications of ailments which will cause individual’s death.In the Chhandyogyopnishada I came across a word ‘tadbhooyah’ which means that every living entity generates similar beings. Had our seers of yore researched and procured the gean- based knowledge?
Coming back to the longevity, how long we intend to live? Both scientifically and mythologically, as discussed above, the last span is known like a writing on the wall. What to do? To live as a dependent on others is a curse. To keep liabilities unresolved brings stress. One is said to have lived wisely who wisely sorted out the above two commitments. Only then he will not be afraid of death.
Yes of course ! you very wisely succeeded to show the ways to a long life. The span blessed to anybody could never be sufficient to fulfill his/her desire ... and the secret is ones independency and control over the limitless desire, specially in correspondence with the blinking and blurring line of age.
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