After death it is usual to mourn and arrange for the prayer meeting. The purpose of any prayer meeting is for the relations and friends to face the loss and get inner peace.

One way is to listen to bhajans and shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic state of mind. But as per Upanishads, karma alone will not give the peace of mind without the Gnana. Hence one should also listen to the discourse about the atman during this period.

The description of life after death is provided in the Bhagavad Gita, Prashna Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Katha Upanishad.

The best description comes in Katha Upanishad, which is an Upanishad dedicated to life after death.

The Last shloka of Katha Upanishad gives its importance and indirectly talks about the gist of this Upanishad during the prayer meeting.

मृत्युप्रोक्तान्नचिकेतोऽथ लब्ध्वा विद्यामेतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् । ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजोऽभूद्विमृत्युरन्योऽप्येवं यो विदध्यात्ममेव ॥ १८ ॥

इस प्रकार उपदेश सुनने के अनन्तर (बाद)

नचिकेत: - नचिकेता

मृत्युप्रोक्तां - यमराज द्वारा बताई

एताम् - इस

विद्याम् - विद्या को

च - और

कृत्स्नम् - सम्पूर्ण 

योगविधिम् - योग की विधि को 

लब्धवा - प्राप्त करके

विमृत्यु - मृत्यु से रहित

विरज: - सब प्रकार के विकारों से शून्य, विशुद्ध होकर

ब्रह्मप्राप्त: अभूत् - ब्रह्म को प्राप्त हो गया

अन्य: अपि य: - दूसरा भी जो कोई

(इदम्) अध्यात्मम् एवंवित् - इस अध्यात्म विद्या को इसी प्रकार जानने वाला है

(स: अपि एवम् ) एव (भवति) - वह भी ऐसा ही हो जाता है अर्थात् मृत्यु और विकारों से रहित हो कर ब्रह्म को प्राप्त हो जाता है

mṛtyuproktānnaciketotha labdhvā vidyāmetāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam | 

brahmaprāpto virajobhūdvimṛtyuranyopyevaṃ yo vidadhyātmameva || 18 || 

Nachikètas then having acquired this knowledge imparted by Yama and all the instruction about Yoga, attained Brahman, having become free from taint and death; so, does another also, who thus knows the nature of the âtman. 

Nachikêtas obtained the knowledge of the Brahman and about Yoga from Yama and attained inner happiness. He got free from vice and virtue and from desire and ignorance.

Not merely Nachikêta alone but anyone who like Nachikêtas, knows the âtman and realizes its true nature becomes like him and wins over the fear of death.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA