SB 11.15.24 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पार्ष्ण्यापीड्य गुदं प्राणं हृदुर:कण्ठमूर्धसु । आरोप्य ब्रह्मरन्ध्रेण ब्रह्म नीत्वोत्सृजेत्तनुम् ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

pārṣṇyāpīḍya gudaṁ prāṇaṁ hṛd-uraḥ-kaṇṭha-mūrdhasu āropya brahma-randhreṇa brahma nītvotsṛjet tanum

Synonyms

pārṣṇyā — with the heel of the foot ; āpīḍya — blocking ; gudam — the anus ; prāṇam — the vital air carrying the living entity ; hṛt — from the heart ; uraḥ — to the chest ; kaṇṭha — to the neck ; mūrdhasu — and to the head ; āropya — placing ; brahma — randhreṇa — by the spiritual seat at the top of the head ; brahma — to the spiritual world or impersonal Brahman (or any other destination one has selected) ; nītvā — leading (the soul) ; utsṛjet — one should give up ; tanum — the material body .

Translation

The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Through the brahma-randhra, the yogī attains Brahman and gives up his material body. Blocking the anus with the heel, one brings the ātmā (prāṇa) and attaining either impersonal Brahman or the Lord by the brahma-randhra at the top of the head, one gives up the body. This is the siddhi called svacchanda-mṛtu, dying at one’s will.

Purport

This mystic opulence of svacchandu-mṛtyu, or dying at will, was wonderfully exhibited by Bhīṣmadeva at the end of the Battle of Kurukṣetra. According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the term brahma, as used in this verse, is an example of upalakṣaṇa, or the use of a general term to indicate various concepts. Brahma here indicates the particular destination selected by the yogī, namely the spiritual sky, the impersonal brahmajyoti or any other destination that has attracted the yogī’s mind.