Is It Possible to Revive a Dead Person?

Pramadwara was the daughter of Gandharva Vishwavasu and Apsara Menaka.

As soon as she was born, Menaka abandoned her near the ashrama of Rishi Sthoolakesha. Sthoolakesha brought her up like his own daughter.

Sage Shaunaka's grandfather, Ruru, wanted to marry Pramadwara. Their marriage was fixed. But unfortunately, Pramadwara got bitten by a snake and she died.

Longevity of everyone is fixed. From the horoscope, using the technique called Ayurdaya, you can find out the time of death to the second, provided the time of birth is correct. This longevity cannot be extended even by a second.

Then why do we do anushtanas such as Mrityunjaya?

We say 'Mrityormuksheeya' in the Mrityunjaya mantra — release me from mrityu. This doesn't mean 'make me a chiranjeevi'.

This prayer has two aspects:

One — don't make me take births again and again so that I don't have to die again and again. Give me moksha.

Two — timely death is one thing, but there can be untimely death also — akalamrityu. This happens because of one's own bad deeds in the present birth. Longevity as per past birth is already fixed — this is what reflects in the horoscope. But if a person is dying before that time, it is only because of his bad deeds in the present birth.

That means when you pray to the Lord that 'don't give me akalamrityu', it means — don't make me commit sins. Prevent me from committing sins.

This is the actual meaning of the Mrityunjaya mantra.

Ruru's pain was unbearable. He went to the forest and started crying loudly. It was so sad to look at him.

He said,
'Look at her, she is lying there on the ground, having pushed me and all of us into deep grief.

If I have served my gurus properly,
If I have observed tapasya properly,
If I have done charity — may she come back alive with the power of all that.

If I have observed brahmacharya, if I have observed vratas correctly until now, then may she come back alive.

If I have control over my mind, my organs — may she come back alive.

If I have absolute faith in Lord Krishna — may she come back alive.'

When he was lamenting like this, a messenger from the Devas came to him.

The messenger told Ruru,
'There is no point crying like this. Her longevity is over, that's why she died. She was supposed to live only this long. That's why she died. Nobody can do anything about it.

But — there is a way.'

'What is it?'

'She will come back alive if you give half your longevity — half your ayu — to her. Are you ready to do that?'

'Of course I will!'

Pramadwara's father Vishwavasu and the messenger — they both went to Dharmaraja, Yamaraja, and said:
'Ruru's wife Pramadwara has died. If you agree, she can still live with half of Ruru's longevity.'

Dharmaraja said, 'Ok, if you want that, let it be.'

Pramadwara got up — as if nothing had happened.

Is it so simple? No.

There are so many things involved here.

This transfer of longevity is possible only between husband and wife — because they are a single unit. Even the effects of horoscopes post-marriage — they merge together. It is as if the husband and wife together have a single horoscope. This is why a blemish in the husband's horoscope affects the wife, and a blemish in the wife's horoscope affects the husband.

These are principles you should understand.

Then — Ruru is not an ordinary human being. He is a tapaswi. See what all he said — he has done guru shushrusha, tapasya, charity, vratas, brahmacharya, he has faith in Krishna, and of course, he has learned the Vedas and Shastras.

He is no ordinary human being. That's why the Devas sent a messenger to him. He has access to Devas, Dharmaraja. There are people to make recommendations to Dharmaraja on his behalf — that is because of his virtuous living, his merit, his dharma.

Post this, the marriage took place on the day itself as decided.

How can they be husband and wife before marriage itself so that Ruru could transfer half his ayu to Pramadwara? Because they had already given word to each other — the father of Ruru and the father of Pramadwara.

Those days they used to keep their word. They would never go back on their word. That's how they had become husband and wife even before the formal marriage ceremony.

But in spite of she having come back alive, Ruru took a vow:
'I will exterminate the Nagas.'

Wherever and whenever he saw snakes, he started killing them.

Don't forget — these are not stories.
This is our real past.
Our real history.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi