Swachandha Maranam - Is it possible?

                    There were many instances where many 'Gurus' , 'Yogis' , 'Swamijis' and 'Sadhus' predicted their time of death.This process of deciding the time and date of death is known as 'Swachandha Maranam'.

Few Instances:

                    There are many examples in our Indian History where people have predicted their date and time of death. Here are a few known ones:

• Bhishma Pithamaha : The Great Grand father of Kouravas & Pandavas - He lived for more than 150-200 years.
• Various Heads of Mutts (Peeta adhipathi) till the 14th Century
• Babas (Like Sai Baba; Even Satya Sai Baba predicted his day of death but could not achieve it)
• Swamy Vivekananda - Died while meditating, by the rupture of blood vessels in brain. He always thought, he should not live beyond 40 years.

So, can we decide our life span?

Answer to this question is -'YES'. We can decide the date and time of death.
 If we have a strong will, we have chances to live for as many years as we decide.

Prerequisites:

One who has fulfilled the following can decide the time of death:

• Who has entirely left all desires, worldly pleasures
• Who has gone through the life contented with just the bare necessities of life
• Who followed a perfect diet throughout his life - by eating only 'sathwik' aahara
• Who has left all the relations in this world (Sanyasi)
• Who always lead a noble life by balancing Dharma, Artha and Kama

The process:

Once all the above stated conditions are satisfied, one can decide when to leave the body.

After the particular date is decided, the heads / yogis (Swamy) who have already decided to attain Ichcha Mruthyu do the following:

• Observe a 54 days fast (not necessarily a fast, it would be something like a notice period) , 54th day being the date of death.
• During the initial 2-3 weeks of the fast period, the swamy would leave certain things one by one. 
• He would leave the 'master - student relationship' which he has with his followers, he would choose his successor etc.
• Slowly, he would stop eating and would consume only liquid food as a part of systematically weakening process
• During the last 2 weeks, Swamy would stop consuming liquids and would stop drinking water. 
• He would spend his time only in meditation, preaching

The Last Breath:

Last two days are very crucial in this process.

• By this time, he would be just a 'body' which did not consume anything for the last 3-4 weeks and which is 'just' breathing. Here, 'Air' is the only thing which he is taking in and out.
• Once he reaches the last 'ghadiya' he would slowly stop breathing. 

                 At this point of time, arrangements would have already been done by his disciples. His followers would have got some instructions to construct a Samadhi around him. He would be chanting some manthras or doing meditation and when he stops chanting, his disciples would cover his samadhi.

                 Earlier, till 12th Century, Swamijis used to instruct their disciples to break a coconut on their skull (Just one coconut). This ensures kapala moksha. But later on, the Maharajs and Emperors (Mughal) have put ban on this process. So, the process of breaking a coconut on skull was stopped. These days, even the process of going into maha samadhi is forbidden.

What is Kapala Moksha?

                    'Kapala' means Head. 'Moksha' means liberation of soul. Kapala Moksha is believed to happen when the life energy leaves the body through the small crack in the 'Bramha Ranthra' in the crown of the skull.                  

                     Scientifically, the 'Prana' (Soul) of a common man, after the death, leaves through one of the nine holes (Nava Randhra / dwara). But, there is one more gate at the top of the head - the 'brahma randhra', also known as 'dasama dwara' or the tenth gate. Only those people who get kapala moksha escape through the 10th gate.

                      Every human being has this spot in the brain known as  'Brahma Ranthra'. This spot is soft when we are born (Touch the skull of small kids, we can feel it). Till the time we reach the age of 5, it will be very soft. Later, it becomes hard. In Yoga and Meditation, the Sahasrara chakra is the most important one which is located at this spot.

What happens on breaking a coconut on the skull?

                     After adhering to 54 days of systematic fast, with no thoughts, relations etc the swamy's skull would be equivalent to that of a 2 year old kid. It would be very soft. So, at this point of time, where the yogi has already separated himself from his body, when a disciple breaks a coconut on swamy's skull, the Brahma Ranthra bursts open and Prana comes out. This is known as Kapala Moksha.

                    People who have attained this type of Salvation are considered to enjoy Jeevan Mukthi and are equal to God as per shastras. It is the highest method of salvation by which the soul can leave the body.

Exceptions:

                    If a yogi who meets all the per-requisites decides his day of 'moksha', his planning would succeed cent percent until and unless

• There is any natural calamity in due course of his life and he dies due to that
• There is any murder / unnatural way of death
• Death by other animals (eg. Malaria- mosquito)  or any other ailments

                   Since he leads a noble and disciplined life, he is not supposed to face the last two exceptions. But, if it is a natural calamity, no one can stop it.