Are individuals who pass away at a young age considered devils?

One of my former coworkers from Jabalpur shared a news link on Facebook a few days ago. It was about a young man who drowned in Bargi dam and died. The caption on that post caught my eye even though I hadn't yet opened the news.

The caption was, "अकाल मृत्यु वो मरे जो काम करे चांडाल का, काल भी उसका क्या करे जो भक्त हो महाकाल का।" (The one who works for the devil will die prematurely. For a follower of Lord Shiva, nothing can be ruined by time.)

I don't know whether to agree or disagree with the sentences in the caption. But that was the inappropriate place to bring up those lines. I asked him about how he would feel if his loved one had drowned and someone else shared the news with the same caption. He admitted his mistake, apologized, and deleted his Facebook post.

I don't know why I felt low after this incident. I discussed this with one of my friends, she suggested that perhaps I was experiencing the grief of the deceased's family because I am an empath. Normally, when I feel low, I pray and meditate. 

I decided to pray for the individual who posted the news with a disgusting caption so that he won't repeat this again. 

I also planned to offer prayers for the deceased person's family and friends. However, as they say, plans don't always turn out as expected. 

I saw another friend's WhatsApp status in the evening. His younger brother passed away. I was devastated because the news on Facebook, which I chose to ignore, was about him. My heart broke into million pieces. I was overwhelmed.

I cried a lot during the following few days and prayed a lot. I asked God to heal me and heal everybody around me.

I prayed to God to answer some of my questions. As usual, the gracious God replied through one of my healer friends.

Here are some excerpts from our conversation:

Why do people pass away so soon?

What is the definition of too soon? Is it one day? one year, a decade, or a century? Everyone in the universe is born with a purpose, and when that purpose is accomplished, that person will leave his/her physical body. Don't forget, that the soul is ageless and immortal.

Are individuals who pass away at a young age considered devils?

Lord Krishna's nephew Abhimanyu was 16 years old when he was brutally murdered in Kurukshetra. The youngest Indian freedom fighter Baji Rout was killed at the age of 12. Do you think they were devils? Of course not. 

Why people say 'अकाल मृत्यु वो मरे जो काम करे चांडाल का'?

The way you and the individual, who shared this on Facebook have incorrectly interpreted this. It doesn't imply that someone who passes away untimely is a devil or works for one. But it's the opposite in this case. A wicked, unethical individual who engages in bad deeds won't live as long as he was meant to.

I haven't met that guy, who drowned. Why did his death feel like a personal loss to me when I had never even seen his picture before?

We are all connected to everyone and everything in the universe. But not everyone's suffering is felt by us. You might have had a connection with him in a previous life. Perhaps you had a great bond with him, which is why even without reading that news, you began to feel low.

Or you have a connection with his loved ones from your past or present life. They must be devastated, and you are experiencing the pain they are going through.

What am I supposed to do now? 

Chin up and praise the Lord.  At this moment, all you can do is pray. Prayers won't bring back what is lost. Prayers will heal you and your surroundings. 

The departed soul has already begun his next journey; your suffering will make it more painful for him to travel. The souls that have left the physical body are helped by prayer. That's why I would suggest you spend more time praying.

While grieving, we often say God you are so cruel? Is that fine?

When awful things happen in our lives, the majority of us start to doubt God. Our trust frequently crumbled. The fact that God took anything away doesn't mean that he hates us. He loves you, and he loves the soul, who left the physical body. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in our lives is partially predetermined by our previous Karma's and partially dependent on our actions. 

Accept the situation, and have faith in God. Acceptance will calm your soul. And relying on your faith might help you get through times when nothing seems to go your way.

But the faith journey rarely unfolds in a straight line. 

Yes, the faith journey rarely follows a linear path. The fact that a grieving person struggles with faith doesn’t mean they’ll be struggling forever. Struggling with faith is normal; it's actually part of growing. 

A seed of faith buried deep in the ground has a shell of protection around it to shield it from the elements. When a sapling sheds the protection of the seed to poke its head above the ground, it is vulnerable to wind, rain, snow, and animals. But its roots keep it tethered to the ground. And the tugs of the wind and the rain actually help to strengthen the sapling into a tree that can withstand torrential storms without a shell. Your faith is the same. 

If someone has started asking the hard questions related to faith, that individual has already started to poke out of his/her protective shell. 

-K Himaanshu Shuklaa..