A devotee went to take bath in the Ganges along with his devotee friends. While swimming he went deep inside the river and started drowning. He frantically shouted for help. His friends and other fellow swimmers immediately rushed to rescue him. The devotee was struggling in the water for life. With lots of effort he was finally saved and was brought to the bank. By this time he was totally unconscious, lots of water had also gone into his body. He was laid upside down and water was forced out of his body. After sometime he regained consciousness.
His devotee friends who were surrounding him and were praying for him became very happy to see him fine. Many embraced him and all inquired about his health. Everyone was curious to know one thing but seeing the occasion they hesitated and decided to ask it later. When things finally stabilised, situation became normal then his friends asked him a very important question. They asked, “When he was struggling for his life and was about to die then was he able to remember Krishna at that critical moment?” Everyone with bated breath waited for his answer. The devotee’s answer is not just shocking but it is an eye opener for all of us.
He solemnly said that while he was drowning and was about to lose his consciousness he started seeing the images of all the activities in which he had indulged in throughout his life one after the other. Many things which he had even forgotten appeared before him. And finally the flashback stopped at a particular image and that was the image of a lady advertising a soap product. And then he became unconscious. He was not able to see or remember Krishna at that critical time. So shocking!
Whatever activities we do in life get stored in the mind in the form of an image. Many of the events of our life we may forget but still all the information remain intact in the mind. This is why we are asked to practice devotional life with utmost sincerity so that our mind gets over flooded with the thoughts and pictures of Krishna. Our heart gets attached to him and we can constantly and continuously think and mediate on him. Then only there is any possibility that we will be able to remember him while leaving this world and will return back to the spiritual world. Krishna says in Gita (8.5) that those who remember him at the time of death come to him without fail. So let us start storing Krishna in our heart and mind by becoming serious in our devotional life. And simultaneously stop storing non Krishna conscious images by not indulging in anti devotional deeds.
Bhagavad Gita 8.5: And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
