May my vital breath dissolve into the immortal air, and this body end in ashes. Oṃ. O mind, remember what was done. O mind, remember what was done.

This verse is traditionally recited at the moment of death or in funeral rites. It is a conscious preparation for the final transition.

Vāyuḥ anilam amṛtam — may the vāyu (vital breath, individual prāṇa) unite with anila (cosmic wind) which is amṛta (immortal). The individual prāṇa returns to universal prāṇa. What seemed “mine” is revealed as part of the whole.

Atha idaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram — and may this body end in ashes (bhasma). The physical body returns to the elements. No sentimentality: it is the natural order.

Oṃ krato smara kṛtaṃ smara — Oṃ, O kratu (mind, will, purpose), remember what was done. The repetition emphasizes urgency. Kṛtam can mean both “what you have done” and “what you have known.”

What must the mind remember at the moment of death? The teachings. The truth. The so’ham of the previous verse. Tradition says that the last thought determines the next birth; therefore, remembering truth is crucial.

This verse transforms death from a feared event into a spiritual practice: the conscious culmination of yoga.