Death Knows No Time, Nor Respects Rank

Parsi Times presents the concluding part of this series.

Thou hast built the earthly house of clay for man’s soul. When at death man is taken to his rest, the body that was of earth, returns to earth and the soul soars to the heavenly heights. To immortality will he go, when he departs this life, when his robe of clay is rent in twain.

Man knows not the duration of his life. But he does know that of mortal make is he in life. The grave does ever stand yawning in front of him. Without warning does the dark hour of his death sound. Helplessly do the living look their last on the dying, the singing of the funeral dirge begins and the grave closes upon him. Ahura Mazda alone knows not death.

Ruthless and remorseless is death. Cruel death suddenly snatches away the dearest, who was the life of its doting mother, soul of her soul, the light of her eyes, whom she had rocked in arms to sleep. Her heart bleeds and breaks for it. Willingly would she have given her heart’s blood and died, that her child might live. With its death, die all her joy and happiness in life. Unbearable is the emptiness caused, when her beloved child has left her, never to come back again. In spite of others around her, she feels lonely to walk the dreary path to death. She makes her heart the urn for the ashes of her beloved dead. Her only consolation is that her beloved child now lives in the beyond, leaving her behind and one day when she will herself die, she will be reunited with her dear departed one.

Death walks in darkness and carries away young and old, high and low, good and evil wayfarers that it meets on the way. When the wicked lie on their sick-beds, their sinking eyes look coming death in the face. The visions rise before them of the hideous approach of death. When death ends their lives, their souls live for three nights in the vicinity of their bodies. The grim memory of their wicked lives haunts them. The horrible fate that is impending for them frightens them. They see the gate of heaven slammed in their faces and hell opening to receive them. Many such ungodly persons live and die and the world weeps not, for they burdened the world and were as though better not born.

Freed from the frailty of flesh, the chosen of the Lord peacefully pass away to their final rest. Their bodies turn to dust. Like the eagle beating the air with wings, their souls soar the highest heights of heaven with their wings of righteousness and goodness. Vohuman, the premier Archangel, welcomes them to the abode of eternal light and weal. Their names live in this world from age to age and their pious memories stay with us.

I will live my life doing Thy will. I will die my death doing my duty to Thee and Thine. When I am relieved of the burden of my body and lightly does my soul step out free to fly heavenward and the gates of the Tower of Silence are closed between me and my loved ones, let me be at peace with myself and with the world and with Thee, Ahura Mazda!