Khushwant Singh
RAJA RAM Mehrotra is Professor of English at Benares Hindu University. He specialises in the use and misuse of English by Indians. In the latest issue ofEnglish Today, he has focused on obituary columns appearing in Indian newspapers. The words used are usually literal translations of the Hindi words. Thus Swargvaas becomes heavenly abode unknown to the Brits who do not treat death with the solemnity we do. They are coarse enough to make fun of it. To wit expressions like give up the ghost, peg out, bite the dust, pop off, kick the bucket, cash in one’s chips etc.
The word abode is archaic and no longer in use elsewhere in the English-speaking world. With us it has several variations: eternal abode, entered the portals of the Lord’s abode, rested on the Lord’s lotus feet. At times instead of abode, our obituaries have eternal home.
Some Victorianisms persist in obituaries sent in by Indian Christians. Amongst the most popular is "Safe in the arms of Jesus". Often blame is cast on God for taking away one’s relation:
The Hindic family of religions subscribe to the belief that with death a person merges his or her
He left us all to abide for ever with the Almighty.
He attained the lotus feet of the Almighty/Lord Mahavira.
We handed God’s gift back to him.
He passed on to the eternal glory.
She attained eternity.
He became more dear to God than to us all.
My precious gift flew away from my own lap to the Heavenly Father.
God withdrew him to light up a world elsewhere.
The greatest of the great called him.
He became one with Parmatman.
Life on earth is regarded as temporary halt in a continuous journey:
He left his earthly sojourn.
She travelled on a voyage of no return.
He made his journey to heaven.
She took departure from this world.
He left for his ultimate journey.
He left us for that journey to the unknown.
She departed from the ethereal to the celestial.
He left for an unknown destination never to return.
He completed his earthly journey.
He crossed over...He slipped into the other world.
He glided away in a silvery flash.
His river of life reached its final destination on this day.
He entered the realm of immortal bliss.
His soul migrated from the ephemeral world.
He left this mortal world with Hari Om Namo on his lips.
Everyone who falls in battle becomes a martyr with slight variations like:
He attained martyrdom.
He laid down his life.
He embraced death for the honour of his country.
He went away to God while in uniform.
Professor Mehrotra maintains: "One of the basic tenets of Indian thought is to consider the whole world as a family (vasudhaiva kutumbakam) and hence a mourner prays not for the peace of his relative alone but of the others also who are no longer alive: On this day we also bow our heads to other departed souls and pray to God to keep them in a peace."
(The Tribune)