Horrible death
It is a very profound topic. I'm writing just some thoughts based on theSrimad Bhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada's teachings. The most importantprinciple in regards to your question is that the Lord is supremely independent. Sometimes he chooses to give an obviously auspicious death to adevotee and sometimes he chooses to give a so-called tragic death. In bothcases he is protecting the devotee, according to what is best for the devotee and for those around his devotee (i.e. mainly other devotees). Forexample, the end of the Yadu dynasty is or appears to be a 'horrible' waythe Lord uses to call back His associates. According to Srila VisvanathaCakravarti Thakura, however, the Lord decided to create such a 'horrible' play in order to teach us detachment, in the service of the Lord. Regardlessof who one is, the external miserable conditions of this world will touch him in one way or another. The glory of the devotees is that they serve theLord in any condition and that they accept the plan of the Lord, even whendifficult.In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.12-16 we read (Bhismadeva speaking to MaharajaYudhisthira while lying on his bed of arrows):
Bhismadeva said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injusticesyou good souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You didnot deserve to remain alive under those tribulations, yet you were protectedby the brahmanas, God and religion.
As far as my daughter-in-law Kunti is concerned, upon the great GeneralPandu's death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore shesuffered greatly. And when you were grown up she suffered a great deal alsobecause of your actions.
In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose controleveryone in every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.
O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It isirreversible-otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of KingYudhisthira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhima, the greatfighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gandiva;and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pandavas?
O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Sri Krsna]. Even though greatphilosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.
Srila Prabhupada's purports to these verses are very relevant to yourquestion. I'm abstracting two excerpts:
In purport to verse 14:
...Yudhisthira should not be sorry for the inconceivable action of time.Everyone has to bear the actions and reactions of time as long as one iswithin the conditions of the material world. Yudhisthira should not thinkthat he had committed sins in his previous birth and is suffering theconsequence. Even the most pious has to suffer the condition of materialnature. But a pious man is faithful to the Lord, for he is guided by thebona fide brahmana and Vaisnava following the religious principles.
Purport to verse 15:
As far as the material or spiritual resources were required, there was no scarcity in the case of the Pandavas. Materially they were well equipped because two great warriors, namely Bhima and Arjuna, were there. Spiritually the King himself was the symbol of religion, and above all of them the Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, was personally concerned with their affairs as the well-wisher. And yet there were so many reverses on the side of the Pandavas. Despite the power of pious acts, the power impersonality's, the power of expert management and the power of weapons under the direct supervision of Lord Krsna, the Pandavas suffered so many practical reverses, which can only be explained as due to the influence of kala, inevitable time. Kala is identical with the Lord Himself, and therefore the influence of kala indicates the inexplicable wish of the Lord Himself. There is nothing to be lamented when a matter is beyond the control of any human being.
Purport to verse 16 is also very relevant and re-emphasizes the supremely independent and inexplicable position of the Lord and our subordinate ignorant position, which we should accept as good servants.
To end, in regards to the doubts that may arise when we see an advanced devotee passing away in an externally 'horrible' fashion, we can consider and apply verse 6 of Srila Rupa Goswami's Upadesamrita:
'Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body,or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe Ianthe Ganges without considering the condition of the water'.
By extension we could add a horrible death to the list of adversities mentioned by Srila Rupa Goswami.
The fact that an exemplary devotee passes away in an adverse way does not diminish his glory and the glory of his service. To minimize the service of a devotee, especially an outstanding glorious servant of the Holy Name like His Grace Aindra Prabhu on account of a detail in his passing away would be to commit the first offence to the Holy Name. Aindra Prabhu has shown symptoms of a most advanced Vaishnava by inspiring innumerable (I mean so many that we cannot count) people to chant. Without a doubt he has dedicated his life to spread the glories of the Holy Name in a most amazing way, in the most amazing place, Sri Vrindavan Dhama, and with a most amazing intensity.
I hope this reply is useful.
In service to the Vaishnavas,
Yadunandana Swami
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