THE LAST ‘MANTRA’, (PRAYER)

I asked Rajamma, “What was the last ‘Manthra’, (prayer), you chant on the death-bed? “Krishna, Krishna” or “Rama Rama,” which you chant daily in the evenings after kindling the light at the ‘Tulasithara’, a special pot placed in front of the house where Holy Basil is planted.” She quoted the Guru, mentioning a ‘Manthra’ from the ‘Gita’ which says: -

“When ‘Sree Krishnan’ came to visit ‘Bhishmar’ on the ‘Sarasayya,’, the bed of arrows, he asked ‘Sree’ Krishnan’, “My time has come, (he has chosen the time of eclipse), what is the ‘Manthra’ he should chant at the last moment, ‘Bhagavan’, Thou know it better.” ‘Sree Krishnan’ was so pleased and advised that the apt ‘Mantra’ is “Govinda, Govinda.” We were baffled by the wisdom of the Guru.

Jacob and I went to ‘Ammachi’, narrated the discussions we had about re-birth. We asked for her opinion. She patiently listened to us and promised to tell us more about it later as she was not an authority on that subject. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com