Anayasena Maranam

About this stotra

A life without hardships, an end that is peaceful and a journey that is filled with devotion to you dear Lord. That is what is wished in this prayer, which says – O Lord Shiva, grant me, out of compassion these 3 wishes:
1) A painless, peaceful trouble-free death
2) A life without shortage for my basic needs (as long as I am alive, please let me have the dignity to be able to live a life where I do not have to go beg for resources from others. Let there be enough when I truly need it in my life).
3) A life filled with total, unwavering devotion towards you and when my soul leaves this body, I must only remember you.
The 3rd request is key. When my soul leaves this body, I must only remember you. Because if you don't remember the Lord at the moment of death, it means you are remembering something else. And whatsoever, whosoever we remember at the moment of death has a direct impact on where we end up in the next birth. Lord Krishna states this clearly in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8: Verse 6:
yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram
taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ
Whosoever, at the end, leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only he goes, O son of Kunti, because of his constant thought of that being.
For most people, as the body is about to die, there is usually pain, sometimes extreme. There is fear, worry. There is loss of memory, loss of consciousness. Or there is a deep concern for loved ones, property, business etc, etc. We can now see how difficult it is to remember God at that time. Especially at the final moment, at that last breath. Therefore one has to start thinking of the Lord or repeating his Name, as early as possible in life so that it becomes a deep-rooted habit. Now, one might think, I will start thinking of the Lord once I am older and closer to death. It doesn't work that way. The mind forms deep channels of whatever habitual thoughts repeat themselves. Therefore Iswhara Smaranam - remembering the Lord has to be done continuously. That's why Hindus name their children after God, so that each time they call them, knowingly or unknowingly they are calling the Lord's name. As we make it a habit to take frequent breaks during the day to remember His form or remember His name, or remember His attributes, it slowly gets ingrained in us. Even in our sleep when we start to see the Lord in our dreams, that is a good sign. After all, death is nothing but an extended sleep between births. Thus, the only way to remember the Lord at the exact moment of death, is to practice doing it continuously now. Hence we pray for a life filled with devotion. This prayer is a great way to remember the Lord.
Another version
Also referred to as Drona Sthuthi, ascribing it to the prayer of the great Sri Dronacharya to Lord Krishna. Other references ascribe this prayer as Sri Vidhura's to Lord Krishna.
Anayasena maranam |
Vina dainyena jivanam ||
Dehi me krpaya krsna |
Tvayi bhaktimacancalam ||