Human life is short and one does not know whether the next birth will be human. It is the clarion call of great men and realised souls as well as the entire gamut of scriptures to use this life gainfully in liberating ourselves from the clutches of birth-death cycle. Of course, it is said this is not possible in a single birth but by evolutionary process one should elevate oneself to this ultimate goal Adopting dharmic way of life, and by constant god-mindedness, this will become possible. Constant prayers, meditation on God and chanting the divine names come handy to our help. Great philosophers, poets and men of wisdom have prayed to their chosen deities to grace them with their vision in the final moments of life as many of the faculties would have failed and left them incapable of uttering or remembering the names and attributes of the Almighty. This article provides a cursory glimpse into the vast canonical literature of Hinduism on this topic

The famous king- poet Kulasekhara Azhvar in his work Mukunda-Mala wishes the royal swan of his mind to enter the cage namely, the lotus feet of Lord Krishna that day itself for he cannot be sure of remembering Him at the final moments of his life when his throat is being clogged by phlegm, wind and bile thus making breathing itself very difficult.

krishna tvadeeya pada-pankaja -panjaraantah
adyaiva me vishatu maanasa -raaja hamsah
praana-prayaana-samaye kapha-vaata-pittayh
kanthaavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutaste
(Mukunda-Mala, 9)

The great devotee and scholar Leelashuka gives a picturesque description on his desire to have the Lord's remembrence at his last moments. He prays to the Lord (that before the emissaries of the God of Death inflict on him mortal pain with their torture, making the knots of the limbs loose) to let his meditation become two-fold with the brightnes of moonlight flowing from the Lord's moon- like face.

yaavanna me nikhila-marma -dridhaabhighaata-
nissandhi-bandhana-mudetyasavopataapah
taavadvibho bhavatu taavaka-vaktrachandra
chandraatapa-dvigunitaa mama-chittadhaaraa
(Sri Krishnakarnamrutam 1-37)

In a similar vein Aadi Shankara in his famous hymn addressed to Lord Subrahmanya prays for protection by gracing him quickly with the Lord's presence mounted on the peacock and holding His spear at the time of death when the fearful emissaries of Death threaten saying in anger ' burn, cut, pierce '.

kritaantasya dooteshu chandeshu kopaa-
ddaha chhindhi bhindheeti maam tarjayatsu
mayooram samaaruhya maa bheeriti tvam
purashshaktipaanirmamaayaahi sheeghram
( Sri Subrahmanya Bhujanga Stotram, 21 )

In the Srimad Bhagavata , the Ajamila episode is popular to bring home the efficacy of chanting the God's name at the last moments of one's life. Given to unrighteous and licentious life Ajamila, at the time of his death, due to his earlier good deeds and behaviour happened to call aloud his young son Narayana, being also the Lord's name, playing at a distance. Eventhough this he did quite unwittingly, the servants of Lord Vishnu appeared and prevented the emissaries of the Lord of Death by their power from taking away the sinful Ajamila.

nishamya mriyamaanasya bruvato harikeertanam
bharturnaama mahaaraaja paarshadaah sahasaa' patan
vikarshato antarhridayaa-ddaaseepati-majaamilam
yamapreshyaan vishnudootaa vaarayaamaasu-rojasaa
( Srimadbhagavata 6-1,30/31 )

The Gajendra episode in the Bhagavata depicts the travails of the elephant king when caught by a crocodile. Unable to extricate itself even with all its might, the elephant appeals to the Lord in a desperate way to save it. Due to its good deeds in its earlier birth, the elephant could pray to the all pervading attributeless Brahman with a poignant hymn. Pleased with this, Lord Vishnu saved the elephant which took a divine form and ascended to heaven. The Lord says in this context "to those who worship me with this stotra , getting up towards the end of the night , I bestow a clear intellect at the time they leave their mortal body".

ye maam stuvantyanenaanga pratibudhya nishaatyaye
teshaam praanaatyaye chaaham dadaami vimalaam matim
( Srimadbhagavata, 8-4,25 )

In the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that one attains only that form thinking which he sheds his mortal coil at the time of death because of his constant absorption in this thought.

yam yam vaapi smaranbhavam tyajatyante kalevaram
tam tamevaiti kaunteya sadaa tadbhaavabhaavitah
(Gita 8-6)

Again the Lord says as follows in the Gita : "whosoever restraining his senses from external objects, fixing the mind in the heart, establishing the prana in the head, leaves his mortal body chanting "Om' by the power of yoga and remembering Me, the One Absolute Truth, gets an exalted state."

sarvadvaaraani samyamya mano hridi nirudhya cha
moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah praanamaasthito yogadhaaranaam
omityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran
yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim.
(Gita 8-12,13)

The great vaishnava poet and religious preceptor Swami Nigamanta Maha Desika in his 21-verse hymn on Lord Krishna adores Him and appeals to appear before him at the last moments of his life with the blue hue of the Lord reminding the matchless blue Indraneela gem ,with blue peacock feathers adorning His black hair and with the flute on His lips.

adharaahita chaaru vamshanaalaah
makutaalambi mayoora pinchhamaalaah
harineela shilaa vibhanga neelaah
pratibhaah santu mamaantima prayaane
(Gopalavimsati Stotram, 12)