In the Mundaka Upanishad, death is seen as part of the never-ending cycle of karma; an interplay of birth, pleasure, possession, grief and loss. Here, death is one perishable aspect of material reality. It is not an end but a perceived momentary pause before another cycle takes over. The realisation of brahman – the truth, immutable and imperishable – leads to the transcending of the life–death cycle. This awakening is not necessarily something that happens after a physical death; it can happen during life too. As the Mundaka Upanishad states, “One who knows this, my friend, hidden within the cave, cuts the knot of ignorance in this world.”

The Upanishadic world is not really interested in the how or why of dying because these reasons fall within the causative trap. All that lives will die. Yet, not all deaths are equal. Indeed, death could be commissioned, ordered, using the vocabulary of justice. We cannot let this pass as just a product of karma.

The phrase “awarded the death sentence” is used with great regularity. It’s an expression that has always made me uncomfortable. The word “award” is derived from French, meaning “to decide after due observation”, and used both as noun and verb....

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