From an article on https://www.britannica.com/science/human-body/Basic-form-and-development, we learn of the "Effects of Aging"
"As the human body ages, it undergoes various changes, which are experienced at different times and at varying rates among individuals.
- The skin is one of the most accurate registers of aging. It becomes thin and dry and loses elasticity. Patches of darker pigmentation appear, commonly called liver spots, though they have no relation to that organ.
- Hair grays and thins.
- Wounds take longer to heal; some reparations take five times as long at 60 as at 10 years of age.
- Sensory fibres in spinal nerves become fewer; the ganglion cells become pigmented and some of them die. In the auditory apparatus, some nerve cells and fibres are lost, and the ability to hear high notes diminishes. In the eye, the lens loses its elasticity.
- Organs such as the liver and kidneys lose mass with age and decline in efficiency. The brain is somewhat smaller after the age of 40 and shrinks markedly after age 75, especially in the frontal and occipital lobes. This shrinkage is not, however, correlated with declines in mental capacity. Intellectual declines in the elderly are the consequence of underlying disease conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease or cerebrovascular disease.
- The bones become lighter and more brittle because of a loss of calcium. This loss in bone mass is greater in women than men after the fifth decade.
- In joints the cartilage covering the ends of bone becomes thinner and sometimes disappears in spots, so bone meets bone directly and the old joints creak. Compression of the spinal column can lead to a loss of height.
- Muscular strength decreases but with marked individual variability.
- The arteries become fibrous and sclerosed. Because of decreasing elasticity, they tend to become rigid tubes. Fatty spots, which appear in their lining even in youth, are always present in old age.
In vitro experiments indicate that the body’s cells are programmed to undergo a finite number of divisions, after which time they lose their reproductive capacity. Thus, the potential longevity of the human body—about 100 years—seems to be encoded within the very cells of the body.
Do we only want to turn to God when we have reached this state? When I once told Tavayogi that I would love to see him attain the state of Jothi, he honestly told me that it was not possible in this life. The reason is that he had exceeded the age of 60. He said that it had to be attained before 60. Agathiyar said the same in explaining to me the consequences of activating the chakras late in age. I am 63 this year. Agathiyar in a song to Lord Narayana reminds us to take hold of God's hand early in life rather than postpone it for a later date or another day.
நாராயணா ஸ்ரீமத் நாராயணா
பத்ரி நாராயணா ஹரி நாராயணா
நாராயணா ஸத்ய நாராயணா
சூர்ய நாராயணா லக்ஷ்மி நாராயணா
நொந்துடலும் கிழமாகித் தளர்ந்தபின்
நோயில் நடுங்கிடும் போது – ஜீவ
நாடிகள் நைந்திடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
கசிந்துன்னைக் கூவுகின்றேன் அருள் செய்திடுவாய் ஹரி நாராயணா
நீடு கபம் கோழை ஈழை நெருக்கி – என்
நெஞ்சை அடைத்திடும் போது
நாவும் குழறியபோது – மனம் உன்னை
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – நான்
அன்றுனைக் கூவிட இன்றழைத்தேன் எனை
ஆண்டருள்வாய் ஹரி நாராயணா
ஐம்பொறியும் கரணங்களும் வாயுவும்
ஆடி அடங்கிடும் போது – எந்தன்
ஆவி பிரிந்திடும்போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
நம்பி உனைத் தொழுதே அழைத்தேன்
ஜகன் நாயகனே ஹரி நாராயணா
உற்றவர் பெற்றவர் மற்றவர் சுற்றமும்
ஒவென்று நின்றழும்போது – உயிர்
ஓசைகள் ஓய்ந்திடும்போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – இன்று
பற்றி உனைப் பணிந்தே அழைத்தேன் – ஆபத்
பாந்தவனே ஹரி நாராயணா
என்பொருள் என்மனை என்றதெல்லாம் இனி
இல்லை என்றாகிடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – நீ
அன்று வரும் பொருட்டின்றழைத்தேன் அருள்
அச்சுதனே ஹரி நாராயணா
வந்தமெதூர் வளைத்து பிரித்தெனை
வாவென்றிழுத்திடும் போது – மனம்
எண்ணிடுமோ தெரியாது – அந்த
அந்தியம் நீ வர இன்றழைத்தேன்
ஸச்சிதானந்தனே ஹரி நாராயணா
Agathiyar places himself in our shoes and sees himself face old age and death.
- At that hour when death approaches me I am not sure if I will remember you, hence I am remembering you now Narayana, please take heed of my calling,
- When kapam or phlegm arises and my tongue quivers, I am not sure if I will remember you, hence I am calling you now so that you would appear then to save me, Lord Narayana,
- When vayu or the vital air comes to a halt, and all senses seize to function, and my soul begins to leave, I am not sure if I would be thinking of you, hence I call out to you now so that you come to my aid then,
- When all that I thought was mine suddenly is of no significance and importance at the time of death, I am not sure if I will remember you my Lord, but nevertheless, I pray that you would come then Lord Narayana, hence I am calling you out now,
- When Yama's servants appear to bind and take me away, I cannot promise that I would think of you, hence I call you now my Lord,
- When my next of kin surround my death bed and wail and cry out, I don't know if your thought will arise in me, hence I cry out for you my Lord this very moment, so that you would appear to save me during my final moments! and so the song goes on.
At that moment of inability, immobility, and gone senile, or with acute illness, he says he might not be able to utter the name of Lord Narayana, hence he reminds us to take the opportunity to sing the praise of the Lord and acquire merits or tokens or gold coins that can be exchanged for an extension in life later in life, right now at this very moment while we are hale and healthy, quite akin to saving for a raining day.
CS Murugesan in his book, "Siddhargalin Saagaakalai", Azhagu Pathipagam, 1998, gives us a small inkling and hint into this miraculous possibility. The Siddhas have the ability to breathe into the Dhananjaya nerve the essential and life-saving Prana, something that Agathiyar often says that he has given his breath to revive and save his devotees. The Siddhas blow the lifegiving air into the Dhananjaya and revive the death.
மரணம் ஏற்பட்டும் மூன்று நாள் வரை தங்கியிருக்கும் தனஞ்செயன் வாயுவில் பிராண வாயுவை உண்டாக்கும் அந்தரியாமி என்ற கூறுபாடு இருப்பதால் (உயிருள் உயிராய் இருந்து இயங்கும் இறைவன்) ஆற்றல் வல்ல சித்தர்கள் அதன் வாயிலாக பிராண வாயுவை அதிகரிக்கச் செய்து திரும்ப உயிர் பெற்றெலுதலும் சாத்தியமான காரியம்.
Could this be the resurrection that we know about in saints and holy men? Could this be what Ramalinga Adigal said that the dead shall arise?
As we have Upagurus, so do we have Upavayus in our body. The chief vital air or Dasavayus are prana, apana, samana, udana, and vyana, while naga, kurma, krkara, devatta and dhananjaya are Upavayus. Dhananjaya being one of it, is said to be the last lingering Vayu or Air that keeps the body warm after all others have evacuated or vacated the body that was once our home.
God is trying to open our eyes each moment to the true reality and get his message across to us but we fail to see it. We attend funerals just like attending another function. Here is where we are shown the impermanence of life. If we can come back from attending motivation courses renewed and alive and change our ways, why is it that the cord does not strike for us to change our ways and take hold of the hands of God after attending funerals?
Pattinathar laments at this sad situation upon seeing those gathered at funerals crying our the loss of their dear ones forgetting that their day shall come too.
Srinatha Raghavan posted the following enlightening conversation on Fb some time back,
In Banares, I happened to meet a young Aghori or a Tantrik, on the ghats of Manikarnika. As I was just staring into the pyre of death, He came and sat beside me and struck a seamless conversation.
He: Death is as temporary as Life?
Me: Yes.
He: Do you know why Death (Yama) & Time (Kala) are so feared?
Me: No.
He: Because they are least understood?
Me: True.
Me: How to understand Death?
He: By experiencing it, even when alive.
Me: And how do we do that?
He: Under the guidance of a Guru, you can experience Death.
Me: What is Death?
He: There is nothing called Death?
Me: What?
He: Death as we know it, is just physical cessation of the Body and it's functions.
Me: Yes.
He: But what made the Body once tick, the spark of life, lives on and just like a drop of Water that has turned into Vapour, it goes back to become one with the whole.
Me: Interesting.
He: What is more interesting is what happens after that?
Me: What would that be?
He: It's the way the whole game once again, when the droplet separates itself from the whole to become an individual again.
Me: That's true.
He: Thus the play of life and death continues, till the drop has finally lived it's share of desires to assume a form and lives happily as a part of the formless whole.
Then giving me some Bhasma and a Rudraksha, as a parting gift, He said, "May this Bhasma ever remind you of the impermanence of life and death and the Rudraksha of the latent Divinity that lay hidden within you, which is nothing less than Shivahood?"
Here too we miss the lesson in adorning the sacred ash or vibhuti daily. If the reason we are asked to adorn our forehead and body is to remind us that death shall visit us someday, sadly we adorn it just like any other attire or accessory or an outward symbol of our devotion or bhakti.
Death is another doorway to another journey says Agathiyar. One who faces death boldly is indeed a Siddha he says. மரணம் ஒன்றும் அல்ல. மற்றொரு பயணத்தின் கதவு. மரணபயம் வேண்டாம். எவன் ஒருவன் மரணத்தை அன்போடு வரவேற்கின்றானோ அவன் சித்தன் ஆகின்றான்.
From www.lionsroar.com we read that "In Buddhism generally, death isn’t death - it’s a staging area for further life." Time too doesn't stand still. "As soon as it occurs, it immediately falls into the past." "All conditioned things have the nature of vanishing,” the Buddha said. All conditioned things pass away. Nothing remains as it was. The body changes and weakens as it ages. In response to this, and to a lifetime’s experience, the mind changes as well. The way one thinks of, views, and feels about life and the world is different. Even the same thoughts one had in youth or midlife take on a different flavor when held in older age." (Source: www.lionsroar.com)
The message of the world’s great Upanishadic Siddhas, retold by Swami Satprakashananda in his book "Meditation - Its Process, Practice, and Culmination, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, echoes the words of Agathiyar who told me not to be afraid of death.
“Death is not your final end. Do not give way to despair. You are not destined to be subject to this play of dualities forever. There is the Supreme Being, The very perfection of existence, Which you can reach in this mortal life and where you can find life beyond death and complete fulfillment of your ideal. Therein is the culmination of your knowledge, Therein is the consummation of your love, Therein is complete rest, and therein dwells unruffled peace. There shines the light that never fails, In addition, there abides joy unbounded. How can man reach that? Through this very life, By regulating this mortal life he can reach the immortal.”