Bhagavad Gita 11.28

yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ

samudram evābhimukhā dravanti

tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrāḥ

viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti

 

As rivers rush in roaring streams,

All racing toward the ocean’s gleams;

So warriors surge in blazing rows,

Into your mouths of fiery glows.

 

My dear Lord, in revealing your universal form to Arjuna, you show that death comes to all, yet it need not come in the same way for all. Though I cannot change the fact that I will die, by your mercy I can change how I live before that moment and where I go after it.

O source of all meaning, just as a river flowing toward the ocean nourishes countless plants, animals, and humans along its banks, great souls journeying toward you enrich others through their wisdom, kindness, and service. Bless me so that I strive to serve you by serving others, who are all your parts. By thus using the gifts you have given me in a mood of service, help me make my life more meaningful.

O supreme eternal shelter, you bestow meaning on those devoted to you not only in this life but in the next one too. Just as a river enters the ocean without losing its nature of liquidity, so do souls devoted to you retain their nature even after passing through death. Having lived to serve you in this world, they continue serving you beyond this world, in your eternal abode. Bless me so that I can one day join the ranks of those illustrious souls who live forever in you, with you, and for you.

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11.28 As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.