CHAPTER 8, TEXT 27: Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
Context: Krishna is explaining to Arjuna the very specific times when one dies - that timing will determine if one leaves this material world or must again be reborn. These are the "two paths" discussed in this verse.
Conclusion: Choosing when to die is near impossible.
Not impossible, but near impossible.
Yogis in bygone ages could control this process. Prabhupad writes in the purport to 8.23: "If the yogī is perfect he can select the time and situation for leaving this material world. But if he is not so expert his success depends on his accidentally passing away at a certain suitable time". Note the use of the phrase, "But if he is not so expert..." I would venture to say that 99.99% of the world is "not so expert" on yogic principles and how and when to choose to die. In fact, for a yogi to be expert, it still means that s/he must cooperate and petition with the presiding deities of time, such as fire, light, day and the fortnight of the moon (8.25, purport) and these deities are the ones "who make arrangements for the passage of the soul." So even in an ideal situation where a yogi is perfect, s/he is ultimately still not the one to make his/her final arrangements to leave this world.
In Islam, God possesses two names that have been giving me solace regarding the giving of life and the taking of life:
Al-Mu'min - The Giver of Life and
Al Mumit - The Taker of Life.
Even when there are "presiding deities" over the various elements of time, God is ultimately in control of all (maha-purusha). He is the one who gives life, and he also takes life. Often the giving of life is seen as good and the taking of life as bad. But when we see that God is the creator of all good (An-Nafi) then we can understand that whether one is given life or taken from life, all is as it should be. There is divine purpose behind everything.
After all, one could die in a car accident on the way home from school.
One could contract cancer in his/her 30s and die within six months.
One could live until 91 with a sharp mind and sound health and feel melancholy, wondering when life will just be over.
I know personal examples of each and every one of these scenarios - the first is my aunt, the second a dear friend, the third the grandmother of my husband. I am sure we could all consider the lives and deaths of people in our own lives - people who died too soon, people whose life seemed to be prolonged beyond comprehension.
We just
don't
know.
Wondering when our own death will come can be very frightening. And to truly realize that we have practically zero control over when that will happen is very, very frightening. Prabhupad writes in the purport to this verse that "[The devotee] should know that concern over either of these two paths is troublesome." Basically, concern over whether one's path is to leave this material world or one's path is to stay here is a recipe for useless distress. We have so little control over our fate if we're going to play the game of petitioning the deities of time and following the rules and regulations to become a "perfect" yogi.
In this regard, Prabhupad states that, "A devotee of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart by arrangement or by accident." This means that there is nothing to fear. We do not need to manipulate material energy and perform austerities to ensure our soul's fate.
If God is the Giver of Life and the Taker of Life, then doesn't it make sense to go to Him, directly? Not to prolong or shorten this material life, but to find purpose and love within the life we live in this very moment. Prabhupad writes, "The best way to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be always dovetailed in His service, and this will make one’s path to the spiritual kingdom safe, certain and direct." The word "safe" is very significant here. The goal of becoming a "perfect yogi" and trying to control the departure of leaving one's body is in fact to be safe - safe from the misery and pain of this material world. But true safety is taking shelter in the source of all safety - Lord Krishna. By practically engaging in His service with our hearts and bodies, one actually becomes the "perfect yogi." The perfect yogi is actually the devotee, and "the devotee is not disturbed by these descriptions [of the destination of the soul after death], because he knows that his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service." There is nothing to fear.
When I approach Krishna in a mood of loving service and surrender, I can trust that whenever God prolongs my life or whenever God takes my life, all is good and I am safe within His arms.
Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/27/
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