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Garuda and Yamaraja.
“Our friends, relatives and so-called wives and children are not only fallible, but also bewildered by the outward glamor of material existence. As such, they cannot save us. Still we think that we are safe within the orbit of family, society or country.” One who properly prepares for the time of death is really intelligent, while one who thinks he can remain at home forever and enjoy the association of his wife and children is a fool. In illusion a man thinks, “My bank balance, my nice house, and my family will protect me.” But these cannot protect anyone. In this regard we came across following thought provoking story.

High in the reaches of Mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva. One evening Lord Vishnu, came to see Lord Shiva. He left behind at the entrance Garuda, who served as His vehicle. Garuda sat alone, marveling at the natural splendor of the place. Suddenly his eyes fell on a beautiful creature, a little bird seated on the arch crowning the entrance to Lord Shiva’s place. Garuda wondered aloud, “How marvelous is this creation! One who has created these lofty mountains has also made this tiny bird – and both seem equally wonderful.” Just then Yamaraj came passing by with the intention of meeting Lord Shiva. As he crossed the arch, his eyes went over to the bird and he raised his brows in a quizzical expression. Then he took his eyes off the bird and disappeared inside. Even a slight glance of Yamaraj is said to be the harbinger of death. So Garuda told himself, “Yamaraj looking intently at the bird can mean only one thing – the bird’s time is up. Perhaps on his way back he will carry away the bird’s soul with him.” Garuda’s heart was filled with pity for the helpless creature. That it was oblivious of its own impending doom further agonized Garuda and he resolved to save the bird from the clutches of death. He swooped it up in his mighty talons, rushed to a forest thousands of miles away and left the bird on a rock beside a brook. Then he returned to Kailash and regained his position at the entrance gate. Soon after, Yamaraj emerged from inside, and nodded to Garuda in recognition. Garuda greeted him and said, “While going in, you saw a bird and for a moment you became pensive, why?” Yamaraj replied, “Well, when my eyes fell on the little bird, I saw that it was to die in a few minutes, swallowed by a python, far away from here in a forest near a brook. I wondered how this tiny creature would traverse the thousand of miles separating it from its destiny in such a short time. But there are no such serpents here, high on Kailash, and I was briefly puzzled. Then I forgot. Surely it must have happened somehow.” Saying this, Yamaraj smiled and went away. This story nicely explains us however we hard we try to escape from death, “Death is inevitable”. Death in the form of time, kala, will seize us just like the serpent seizes its prey. Srila Sukadeva Goswami is advising us that understanding the temporary nature of material existence, we must utilize our time for the self-realisation. When we fail to do this we will remain bewildered in this material existence, life after life. When we use our time for Krishna, death is also blissful as after death we will again go back to Krishna.

Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=18988