The signs of approaching death

The signs of approaching death

From Shree Shiva Mahapurana, Uma Samhita:

Sanatkumar said:

  1. “Ishwar spoke: When a person fails to notice the light emanating from the sun, the moon or the fire; what he sees is only black, then know it that his life expectancy is about six months or less.
  2. When terrific uproar or noises are not heard immediately, then know that the person’s death can occur within six months.
  3. When the body suddenly becomes pale and the face turns red; death can occur within six months.The mouth, ear, eye or the tongue suddenly freeze-up; death can occur within six months.
  4. When a man’s left hand continuously keeps shaking for seven days; death can occur within one month. When the organs of the body cease functioning and start pulling, when the upper part of the mouth feels dry all the time; death can occur within one month.
  5. When the tongue thickens, and the teeth all become and remain coated with greasy substance; death can occur within six months.
  6. When a person cannot see his or her reflection in water, oil, ghee (clarified melted butter), or in the mirror; otherwise sees the reflection in the mirror in a distorted form or sees only flesh; death can occur within six months.
  7. He who sees his own shadow without the head, or he cannot see at all his own shadow; death can occur within one month.
  8. When the eyes see the sun without rays, sees only red blob; death can occur within fifteen days.
  9. When the rainbow is being seen at night, when falling stars are being seen at midday; when vultures and crows seem to surround the person; death can occur within six months.”

The Mahabharata
Santi Parva, Section CCCXVIII
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Addressing King Janaka

Yajnavalkya said:

  1. I shall now tell thee the premonitory indication, as laid down by the wise of those who have but one year to live.
  2. One, who having previously seen the fixed star called Arundhati, fails to see it, or that other star called Dhruva (the pole star), or one that sees the full moon or the flame of a burning lamp to be broken towards the south, has but one year to live.
  3. Those men, O king, who can no longer see images of themselves reflected in the eyes of others, have but one year to live.
  4. One who, being endued with lustre loses it, or being endued with wisdom loses it, indeed, one whose inward and outward nature is thus changed, has but six months more to live.
  5. He, who disregards the deities, or quarrels with the Brahmanas, or one, who, being naturally of a dark complexion becomes pale of hue, has but six months more to live.
  6. One, who sees the lunar disc to have many holes like a spider’s web, who sees the solar disc to have similar holes, has but one week more to live.
  7. One, who, when smelling fragrant scents in place of worship, perceives them to be as offensive as the scent of corpses, has but one week more to live.
  8. The depression of the nose or of the ear, the discolouring of the teeth or of the eye, the loss of all consciousness, and the loss also of all animal heat, are symptoms indicating death that very day.
  9. If, without any perceptible cause a stream of tears suddenly flows from one’s left eye, and if vapours be seen to issue from one’s head, that is a sure indication that the man will die before that day expires.

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