How Will I Die?

“The God of Death, Yama is also called Kaala, which means time. Time is the true God of Death. Time knows no mercy; you have to leave when the time is over.” (Bhagwan Baba)

A son was born to a renowned astrologer who was also a Minister in the King’s palace. When he made his son’s horoscope, the astrologer realized that the child was destined to die on a particular day at the age of six years by snake bite. This made him very sad, but he did not breathe a word of this to anyone, not even to his wife. The ill-fated day came and the astrologer sent a message to the king that he would not attend court that day.

He told his wife to lie down on the bed on one side, whereas he himself lay on the other side. He put their son in the middle of the bed. He thought, a snake cannot climb on to a bed. If the child stays between us and does not get down, and if I can save him from snakebite at the time predestined for his death, then the child will live a long life.

At the inopportune moment, a snake fell down from the ceiling, right in the middle of the bed and bit the child. The child died instantly. The snake slithered off.

The astrologer was miserable but he followed the snake, he wanted to know more about destiny; this time, his own destiny! The snake entered a river. The man saw that the snake raised its hood over one side of a boat. Four men on the boat saw it and toppled over the other side of the boat due to fright. They drowned in the river and died. Meanwhile the snake climbed into the boat and bit the other two men on it. They too died.

The snake moved on to land now. It moved into a street. Suddenly it took the shape of a beautiful woman. The woman befriended a rich merchant. She then treacherously stabbed the merchant to death and took his money away.

The woman moved on, the bewildered astrologer followed its trail of death. The woman turned around and asked the astrologer, “Why are you following me?” He said, “I want to know who you are. I want to know why you keep on changing form. I want to know how I will die.” The woman said, “I am death. I change form so that how-so-ever a person is destined to die, I don that form.

Your son was destined to die by snake bite. The four men on the boat were destined to die due to drowning caused by fear of a snake. The other two were destined to die by snake bite and the merchant was destined to die because of his obsession for beautiful women.” The man said, “Tell me how I will die.” The woman said decisively, “That, I will not tell you.” “Then I shall keep on following you,” said the man obstinately.

The man watched the woman change forms, from one to another. Eventually the woman said, “All right, you have followed me long enough. I will tell you. A crocodile will eat you while you are in water and you will die.” The man went back to the King’s palace and assumed his duties.

Years later a son was born to the queen. The astrologer, after studying the horoscope of the new born prince, told the king that a prayer was to be performed for him or the child would die. The king told the astrologer to arrange for it. The astrologer said, “My Lord, the prayer has to be performed by someone, who stands in water and holds the baby boy in his arms and then offers water to the Sun God. I do not want to stand in water for I am destined to be killed by a crocodile. So I will find another priest to perform the prayer.” The King said, “I don’t have faith in any one else. I cannot afford to lose my son. I will get a lake made with a fully cemented floor. Purified water shall be filled in it. What to talk of crocodiles even a tiny fish will not be there in it.”

So the astrologer agreed. An artificial lake was made and the astrologer stood in the water holding the prince in his arms and offered water to the Sun God. Just then the prince spoke, “Do you recognize me?” The astrologer said, “No.” The prince said, “You eluded me for a long time. Eventually I had to take birth in the King’s palace, to bring you to this situation. I am your crocodile!” The prince changed into a crocodile and devoured the astrologer! No one can run away from death. It lies only in God’s hands.