A Graceful Transition - An Isha meditator shares about his daughter’s death

I had a daughter named Aarthipriya. She was born with a congenital myopathy . She could neither walk nor perform daily chores.

I first met Sadhguru 20 years ago. When I told him about my daughter who was four or five years of age at that time, he said that “because of good karma, she has chosen to be born to you. That life has chosen you to dissolve its karma. Take care of her with love.”

Later, when Sadhguru went to the US, he enquired about a treatment for this disorder. He called me to say that there was no known treatment and advised us to just shower her with love and to take care of her well. There was some sense of calmness within ourselves after he told us that. She was very active, sang Carnatic music and did lots of craft work. Everybody who met her liked her. She never worried about the disorder or showed her incapability. She would never create a situation where we would have to worry about her.

Each time she met Sadhguru, she would sing songs for him. And he blessed her and gave her a flower that she would preserve in her book. When he gave her a fruit, she would ask her mother to give her a little every day and savored it over two to three days. She had so much trust in Sadhguru.

Once, when she was 15, she complained about body aches, and a family friend suggested Reiki . She was given Reiki for two days, and the pain reduced a little. When we had an opportunity to meet Sadhguru and I told him about the treatment, he said, “Stop that treatment immediately. All her karma should dissolve in this body; in this lifetime. Let her not take anything with her. If she can bear the pain, stop the treatment.” The next day, I told Aarthi what Sadhguru said and when I asked if she would bear the pain, she said, “If Sadhguru had said so, then I don’t need this treatment. Please ask them not to come anymore.”

Whenever I went for Sadhguru’s sathsang, I had to tell her in detail what Sadhguru had spoken, and she would listen with so much interest. Once, Sadhguru said something like “Leave your last moment to me. I will take care that your death will happen smoothly.” When I shared this with Aarthi, I could see that this touched her deeply.

In the final year of her life, her health turned critical. For six months, she was bedridden, ate less, and needed an oxygen machine to support her breathing. One day, upon advice of the doctor, an x-ray was taken of her chest. The radiologist said that in his 25 years of experience, he had not seen anything like this – all the organs were merged one on top of the other. The doctor told me in private, “The situation is very critical. Anything can happen – there could be kidney failure, or the blood might clot, or she could go into coma.” I was helpless, and I could not share this with my wife or relatives.

But Aarthi insisted that I should tell her exactly what the doctor had said. When I told her that the doctor said the situation was critical, it seemed like she arrived at a decision. The next day morning, she called me and said, “Please pass on this message about my situation to Sadhguru.” Sadhguru replied saying, “She is in my awareness. Please ask the others to remain calm.” I told her this and that was when she relaxed. She asked Isha Yoga teacher Swaminathan to come and she spoke with him. After the conversation, he said she asked questions like “How to be in the last moment? In what mental state should I be? How to face it?” He added, “She is prepared. Prepare yourself too and everything will be fine.” When we went to see her in her room, she said, “Father, I have decided and there will be no change in this. It should happen soon.”

She kept listening to the ‘Brahmananda Swaroopa’ CD that had been sent to her from the ashram and she was looking at Sadhguru’s picture next to her. At that time, she was still on oxygen support. Four, five days later, she said, “Daddy, I have decided already. It should happen soon.” We were deeply concerned about what she said. To the doctors who came that day, she said, “Please make arrangements for my eyes to be donated. But please check if my eyes can be donated, to make sure that the disease will not spread to someone.”

One evening, a relative of ours came to visit, and when leaving, he said to Aarthi, “Today is Amavasya [new moon], so I will go to temple.” That whole night, Aarthi breathed without respirator and listened to ‘Brahmananda Swaroopa.’ She said, “I wish to be alone. I don’t want any relatives to come to see me.” In the morning around 10 a.m., I went next to her. It was as if her breath was going faster. In the next half hour, her breath changed. I sensed that this was going to be her last moment. When I touched her hand, she held it. I called my wife too, and we chanted together. In this half hour, without any struggle, she left her body peacefully. Her face was so clear at that moment. Death happened very smooth for her.

We had been afraid that her death would be painful, because that was what the doctors had said. We had been worried about the struggle that she might have to go through towards her end. But as she gave herself to Sadhguru, her death happened so effortlessly. We felt so humbled and grateful within.

The next day, we passed on the message to Sadhguru and his reply was, “She has reached the right place. Everybody can be calm.” I consider myself very fortunate for having known Sadhguru. Many times have I heard Sadhguru saying, “Give yourself to me. I shall take care of your life and death.” But now, I saw this with my own eyes through Aarthi. After this incident, my respect and gratitude for Sadhguru has increased even more.

- Krishnakumar, Isha meditator, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India

[Translated from Tamil]