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Prepare for Death Spiritually: 9 Powerful Steps
Published On: April 2, 2026
, Updated on : April 3, 2026
Prepare for death spiritually is not something to think about later in life—it is something we must understand and begin practicing from now. Upon seeing this topic, we all might be surprised, and the first question that probably comes to our mind is, “Is it the right time to prepare for death now?”
There is also a story related to this question:
Once, a youngster came to a Swamiji and said, “Swamiji, I am a twelfth-grade student.” In reply, Swamiji asked, “Ok, what will you do?” The student said, “Like everyone, I will also get into a good college, do a master’s degree, find a job, marry, teach my children, and so on.” He went on for a little while until the youngster got irritated. He said, “At last I will DIE!”
Astonished by this, Swamiji replied, “Oh! To die, you did all this in your entire life?!”
This proves that the purpose of our life entirely differs from what we have conceived. We think that earning more money, getting married, having children, and many other worldly goals are the only purposes of life, but that is not the only purpose of this life. The ultimate purpose of life is to devote ourselves to the devotion of God and reach the divine abode of God, AKSHARDHAM.
Before diving into this topic, there is a question for you:
What if…
You’re about to die in just one hour—
What would you do NOW?
This question actually prompts you to think about your priorities. What matters most in your life? For some, it is their parents; for others, it is their jobs. It all differs from person to person. It is okay from a social perspective, but from a spiritual perspective, it is different. From a spiritually oriented view, we should suspend all activities and start the devotion to God—that’s it!
If we fail to do this, we will face certain consequences. We will discuss this through some stories.
There is a beautiful story in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Once, King Parikshit went hunting deep into the forest. After a long chase, he became extremely thirsty and reached the hermitage of a sage to ask for water. The sage, however, was absorbed in deep meditation and did not respond. Misunderstanding this silence as an insult, the king placed a dead serpent around the sage’s neck and left.
Later, the sage’s son returned and was shocked by what he saw. Overcome by anger, he used his spiritual power to curse the king, declaring that the one who had insulted his father would die within seven days by the bite of the serpent Takshak Nag.
When the sage learned of his son’s action, he immediately regretted it and sent him to warn the king.
On hearing the curse, King Parikshit renounced his kingdom, wealth, and comforts. With only seven days left, he devoted himself entirely to seeking liberation and found the great sage Sukdevji as his guru.
For seven continuous days, Śukadevji narrated the Bhagavat Katha to the king. At the final moment, as Takshak Nāg bit him, King Parikshit remained absorbed in the Lord and attained moksha.
This sacred teaching is summed up in a powerful scriptural principle:
अंते या मति: सा गति:
“One’s final remembrance determines one’s destination after death.”
The story of King Parikshit teaches us that if we want to prepare for death spiritually, we must train our mind throughout life to remain connected to God.
You might run into one more question,
Many people think that they have control over their thoughts and intellect at the moment of death. But that is wrong! Actually, the time of death will be so intense that you might lose your intellect!
For the solution to this problem, Bhagwan Swaminarayan interchanged the words from the shloka:
या मति: सा अंते गति:
“Present memory determines the destination after death.”
This means that if throughout our life we are God-oriented, then we will have those darshans of God at the end of our life, and we will finally reach Akshardham.
Our life is like the preparation for an exam, and the last moment of life is the real exam. If we have prepared well with memories of God and saints, then we will pass with flying colours, else we will fail…
There is another case where a person might perform devotion his whole life, but at last he won’t remember God itself!
During his life, he realised that all worldly pleasures are temporary and perishable. So he left worldly life and decided to become a sanyasi. Later in his sanyasi life, he met a baby deer. He became attached to it, and at the end of his life, he remembered the deer instead of God and got trapped in the cycle of birth and death again. After several births, he finally became Nishkulanand Swamiji and reached the divine abode, Akshardham.
After death, many people have the question of whether the person has reached Akshardham or not…
Some people claim that the person who died lived in a very devout family, so he has reached God. Others say that the person went on a pilgrimage, so he has attained Akshardham.
Though all these factors are important, they are not sufficient alone.
There are certain signs of a dead body which indicate whether one has reached God.
After death, if the body is flexible, then it indicates that the soul has reached God. Normally, after death, the body becomes tight and swollen. The Yamduttas pull out the soul forcefully, causing great pain.
There are many examples of souls that have reached Akshardham.
One of the most popular ones in the Swaminarayan Sampraday is:
Even after 3 days, the body of Shastriji Maharaj was loose! Surprisingly, there was no decomposition of the body as well.
These practices are essential if you truly want to prepare for death spiritually and attain the ultimate goal of life.
We can do this by capturing darshans. At the time of Brahmostsav, there were a lot of abhisheks with fruit juices and fragrant waters of different aromas. If we capture those darshans and remember them while doing devotion to God, we can surely remember that darshan of God at the end of our life and reach God!
After having darshan in our minds, due to worldly distractions, we can easily forget good things. We can store these photos and memories in a Google Photos album or on any other online platform, allowing us to review them regularly and prevent them from being forgotten. Even the smallest memories, like applying tika, can give you the key to Akshardham.
When we are hurt while doing our chores, we have reactions like “Ouch!” or “Oww!” But if we change these small habits and chant SWAMINARAYAN, we can practice it. At the time of death, when we face pain or discomfort, we will naturally chant Swaminarayan, and by that pious mantra, we can reach God. This does not mean only pain; it applies to all daily activities like eating and even bathing.
In this, we can decide on 2 or 3 saints. We have to choose those saints whom we are more attached to than our family.
There is an example of our gurukul student, Pratham Katheria.
He was so attached to saints that when he went to Akshardham, the saints took responsibility for him. They offered him Ganga water and the prasadi garland of Ghanshyam Maharaj.
Similarly, we must develop the same level of attachment towards saints.
This is also an important tip for preparing for death. It is very simple to follow—every day we should listen to satsang of swamijis on YouTube. The words of saints are so powerful that they start to uproot worldly desires from our mind and help us realise God.
The katha of our Mahant Swamiji is so powerful that just by listening, we can feel the inclination towards God.
Sometimes when we are out of our comfort zone, we do not perform devotion to God. But we should always have pooja as a daily routine in our lives. This does not mean we perform devotion the whole day—only twice a day, morning and evening.
We do not know when we will die, so if we practice daily, we can directly reach God, because devotion is one of the direct means to reach Him.
We should not spend our lives only earning for ourselves and our family; we should also use our earnings in the seva of God & Saints. This is also a way to make saints happy. If we succeed in making a true saint happy, we can attain Akshardham.
To implement this in our lives, we must remember that everything in this world is temporary and nothing will go with us after death. This includes money, relationships, beauty, and knowledge.
The only thing that will stay with you is your karma—both good and bad deeds.
Everyone must have a Guru in their life. For example, our Mahant Swamiji. If he is your Guru, then you should have the courage to pray and please him so that he can come with Maharaj and take you to Akshardham.
Because of him, you received the knowledge of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Akshardham. Without a true Guru, the path to Akshardham is difficult to understand.
Death is certain, but its time is unknown. Life is not meant only for worldly achievements, but for constant devotion to God. What we remember at the last moment decides our final destination, and that remembrance is shaped by how we live every day. Wealth, relationships, and status remain behind; only karma and devotion go with us.
Therefore, if we truly want to prepare for death spiritually, we must start now—by staying attached to God, true saints, and our Guru—so that, by their grace, we attain Akshardham.
It is important to prepare for death spiritually because the final moment of life determines our ultimate destination. A spiritually prepared mind remains focused on God, leading to peace and liberation.
According to spiritual teachings, the thoughts and memories at the final moment shape the soul’s next journey. This is why lifelong habits and mindset play a crucial role.
We can remember God at the last moment by practicing devotion daily. Regular chanting, prayer, and satsang help train the mind to stay connected with God even in difficult situations.
The best ways to prepare for death spiritually include daily devotion, chanting God’s name, staying connected with saints, practicing detachment, and performing selfless service.
Yes, karma plays a major role in determining what happens after death. Both good and bad actions influence the soul’s journey and future experiences.
Yes, anyone can prepare for death spiritually by living a disciplined life focused on devotion, good actions, and detachment from temporary worldly attachments.
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