Day 30 of 30

Itna To Karna Swami & Yajna

ઇતના તો કરના સ્વામી અને યજ્ઞ

A humble prayer and the sacred fire — the closing offering of Adhik Maas

June 15, 2026

Listen in Gujarati

ગુજરાતીમાં સાંભળો
0:00--:--

Do This Much, O Lord

In Bhajans (devotional hymns), we often hear a plea for the moment of death:

"Itna to karna Swami, jab pran tan se nikle..." "Do this much, O Lord — when the life-breath leaves this body..."

Grant me the bank of the Ganga, grant me the nearness of the beloved Sanvariya (Krishna).

The Bhagvad Gita teaches that if one remembers Bhagwan at the moment of death, the soul largely finds its resting place in Him. But Bhagwan's name will come to mind at the moment of death only if one has remembered it throughout life — not mechanically, but with full awareness.

A life spent entirely in indulgence and pleasure, and then at the very end, a son named "Narayan" is called and the dying Ajamil attains Mukti (liberation) simply because the divine name was uttered? That story does not sit well. The principle of Karma — or of divine grace — cannot be so weak and devoid of logic.

Two Meanings of "Will"

The preparation for death is not accomplished merely by making a "Will" — a legal testament distributing one's possessions. The real preparation happens during life itself; by transforming one's inner "will" — one's desires, one's Vasanas (deep-rooted tendencies).

The Jnana Shakti (power of knowledge), Kriya Shakti (power of action), and Ichha Shakti (power of will) that a human being has been given — the way these are used during life will determine the nature of death. As you have lived, so shall you die. That is certain.

Wishes for the Final Hour

And yet, there is a list I once read in a book — "Wishes for the Final Hour" — that I wish to share here. This list may seem to be about what we want at the moment of death, but in truth, it teaches us how to live.

"Grant me this, O Prabhu, in my final hour:"

  1. When death arrives, let me be ready to accept it.
  2. Let no bonds of Maya remain. Let there be no clinging to worldly wealth, possessions, or relationships.
  3. In the final moment, O Prabhu, let there be remembrance of You, recitation of Your qualities, and refuge in You alone.
  4. Let there be an honest reckoning of my mistakes. Let tears of repentance — tears that wash away sin — flow from my eyes.
  5. Let me place a garland of Vandana (reverence) at Your feet.
  6. Let me become aware of my enslavement to the senses.
  7. As my protector, O Prabhu, come Yourself.
  8. Save me from the craving for food and taste.
  9. Let me be spared from cruelty and become gentle.
  10. If my sinful conduct has displeased You, let me see that sadness on Your face.
  11. Let me realize how much time I wasted meddling in the affairs of others.
  12. In the next world, grant me the grace of Jnana (knowledge).
  13. Free me, O Prabhu, from jealousy, greed, anger, perversions, faults, and vices.
  14. Let me experience the constant shower of Your Prem (love).
  15. In my life, let there be no rule of Vasana (desire) — let only Vasudeva's rule prevail.
  16. Rather than asking what to wish for at the moment of death, grant me the blessing of improving my life while I am still living.
  17. Let me understand the meaning of true Dharma Shikshan (spiritual education) — namely:
  • Svadhyaya — the study of Shastras and sacred texts
  • Samyam — the observance of disciplines and restraints
  • Svabhava (one's true nature) — the experience of oneness with all beings

All these wishes for the "final hour" depend entirely on how we use the "present hour." Let that truth not be forgotten.

A Reflection for Today

There is a quiet industry today around "end-of-life planning" — legal wills, estate documents, digital legacy services — all of it necessary and none of it sufficient. The teaching here cuts gently but unmistakably through that modern preoccupation: the preparation for death is not accomplished by organizing what you leave behind, but by transforming the Vasanas — the deep-rooted desires — you carry within you right now. Every wish on that list for the "final hour" is, in truth, an instruction for this hour: release jealousy now, practice gentleness now, sit with Bhagwan now.

We celebrate grand gestures of generosity — the naming of buildings, the public pledges, the philanthropy that arrives with cameras in tow — and yet the half-golden mongoose walked away from Yudhishthira's magnificent Ashvamedha Yajna unchanged. It was a starving family's quiet, total surrender of their last meal, given without audience or expectation, that had turned its fur to gold. The Yajna the tradition asks of us is not a performance of devotion but the honest burning away of Aham — the ego that insists on being seen, being credited, being remembered for what it gave. As this Adhik Maas draws to its close, the teaching gathers all thirty days into a single flame: what matters is not the size of the offering but the completeness of the surrender. What remains in you that you have been unwilling to place into the fire?

Today’s Mantra for Japa

Om Purushottamaya Namah

Recite 108 times

For Family Discussion

  • 1What is your 'itna to karna' — the one thing you most need from Bhagwan right now?
  • 2What have you offered into the fire of this month? What are you taking away?
  • 3What is one practice from this month you want to carry forward beyond Adhik Maas?

Something to Sit With This Evening

“Every act of love is a Yajna. Every sacrifice made for another is an offering into the sacred fire of life itself.”

Share on WhatsApp

From Adhik Mas Nu Nitya Chintan by Hitendra Gandhi & Jyotsna Shah. About the authors