Is the length of a man's life predetermined?

Question

Has the length of a man's life already been determined in advance, even before a person is born?

To answer this question, please be sure to furnish quotations from the scriptures and explain how you see your quotes give the answer to this question.

Yes it is pre-determined, and not only your length of life, but everything that happens. Don't identify your 'personhood' - who 'you' are - with your body. Your jiva is inhabiting your body presently. In future universes when this world and it events are repeated, another jiva will inhabit your present body to experience the experiences of your present body. — Swami Vishwananda, Jul 16 '15 at 14:54
It depends. It is predetermined if you want it to be. 'Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached' by Sri Swami Vivekananda. There is nothing in this universe that can stop you, if you set out towards your goal. Nothing is predetermined. You are the Controller and You are the Master. Do not be a slave to your senses. Be the master and be afraid of nothing. All the best — Sai, Jul 16 '15 at 15:24
@SwamiVishwananda: But doesn't that create the typical philosophical free will problems? — AdityaS, Jul 17 '15 at 18:53
Are you just gonna believe some quotations and live your entire life depending on it? — sin, Oct 24 '15 at 19:41
@sin Yes, when the quotations are from a divine source, living your life based on them is an excellent idea. — Keshav Srinivasan, Oct 24 '15 at 20:16
@SwamiVishwananda My present body will be created again? The face and everything will be same? If in future universes, there is 1 more person than right now, then whose body will he occupy? — Pinakin, Dec 05 '15 at 11:23
@ChinmaySarupria Yes, your present body will be exactly the same. Your jiva will have gone on to its destiny according to your karma. A new jiva, whose karma matches the experiences of your body, will be experiencing what is presently your body's life. There cannot/will not be one more person than right now in that future universe, everything - everything - is the same. — Swami Vishwananda, Dec 05 '15 at 15:24
@SwamiVishwananda Okay that sounds interesting. There will be infinite Swami Vivekanandas in future so the jiva who inhabits that body will also attain Moksha because the experiences will be same? In that case, there is no need for anything spiritual because every person who goes in the bodies of those who have attained liberation will be liberated and the jivas who go in the body of the 99.9% people, currently who have not achieved liberation, will not be liberated. — Pinakin, Dec 06 '15 at 05:32
@SwamiVishwananda Also, if one person in his present life has cancer or any other disease then in future another jiva will also suffer the same because as you said he will be experiencing what is presently body's life. — Pinakin, Dec 06 '15 at 05:35
@ChinmaySarupria Yes. Vivkeananda even makes reference to this, that there will thousands of Vivekanandas, actually innumerable, in the future. And yes, everyone will get liberated, Its just a matter of time, whether it is one lifetime or thousands of lifetimes. But as Sankara say, human birth is rare, don't waste it. And yes, a future jiva who takes birth in your body in a future universe will go through the same experiences of pleasures and pains. — Swami Vishwananda, Dec 19 '15 at 13:59
@SwamiVishwananda - Is it mentioned in shastras that everytime the world is repeated with another type of jeevas. Or is it some buddhist imagination. Because from what I know Vedanta tenants clearly state that there are infinite jeevas and with infinite births without origin. The world is entirely destroyed at the end of Mahakalpa(Mahapralaya) after death of Current Bramha.The destroyer is Rudra, and Adishesha. Then The next Bramha is born out of Nabhikamal of Shri hari Vishnu and creates Srishti with new jeevas as Indra,Manu, SaptaRishis etc, but nowhere it states that humans are repeated. — Yogi, Apr 16 '16 at 05:28
@yogi There are no new jivas. There is an infinite number of jivas that have existed forever. If the start of every new cycle there were new jivas - what happened to the old jivas? Did they disappear? Those jivas that are not liberated at the end of a cycle are brought back into the cycle of birth and death in the new cycle. And humans are repeated as stated in the Brahma Sutras. — Swami Vishwananda, Apr 22 '16 at 07:51
@SwamiVishwananda I cannot find any quote in Bramhasutras stating that there are infinite jeevatmans. — Yogi, Apr 22 '16 at 08:49
@KeshavSrinivasan Excellent idea indeed!!! but there are other divine sources from other divine religions,who think their religion is divine, which might not be so divine in other religions.. — sin, Apr 22 '17 at 15:34

score 14 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:51

Yes, it is predetermined. Right when a person is a foetus in the womb, his span of life is already determined based on his past karma. Here's what chapter 32 of the Uttara Kanda of the Garuda Purana says:

O Tarksya, thus, man is born in the mortal world as a result of his own actions. The five characteristics, viz. the span of life, action, wealth, learning and death are created in men even as they are in the womb. The life is born as they are in the womb. The life is born as a result of action; it is dissolved as a result of action. Happiness or misery, fear or welfare are the results of actions. The foetus lies in the womb with the feet up and the face downwards. The foetus lies in the womb with the feet up and the face downwards. The life takes its birth with its association brought about by its own actions.

This excerpt from the Bhumi Kanda of the Padma Purana says the same thing:

Of the fetus in the womb these five are seen: (span of) life, acts, wealth, learning and death. As the doer does (i.e. fashions different images from) a lump of clay, similarly acts that are performed grasp the doer. A being reached the state of a god or a human being or a beast or a bird or a lower animal or an immobile thing due to his acts only. He always enjoys in accordance with what is done by himself. He, having acquired the bed (in the form) of the womb enjoys pleasure or pain ordained by himself (and due to acts) in the former body (i.e. existence).

You can read the rest of the Padma Purana here.

By the way, it might seem strange that even a person's actions would be fixed from the time they're just a foetus, but it doesn't mean that people don't act and make choices. Rather, as the Brahma Sutras discuss, people genuinely act, but it is still the case that Brahman causes them to act; see my answer here.

@@Keshav -Brahman causes the jiva to act, but as per the karmas of the Jiva. This is very important, otherwise, brahman would be consifered as cruel and partial. So, it is as per the karmas of the Jiva, brahman makes him ti act. — , Jul 16 '15 at 19:02
@KeshavSrinivasan, i think its not always that person's age is only decided at the time he/she is in womb. If you have read the birth story of Sage Markandeya, then his parents were not having child earlier and after they did penance, God while giving them boon asked them whether they wanted a foolish child with longer age or an intelligent child but with less age. They opted for the second option. So, it was decided at that time only. Their child was Sage Markandeya. But even that's not final. When Yamraj came to take away his life, Lord Shiva saved him and blessed him to be immortal. — Aby, Jul 18 '15 at 15:55
i have read that pranayama by teducing the no of breaths lenthens life.dont temember where.also, people may die before completion of ayu in accidents and so they get pretayoni. Tantra says that mantra siddhas can make death people alive.it is there in tantrasaar.And Ishwara is kartumakartumanyathakartum samarthah meaning that He or She can do whatever He or She wishes. — , Jan 24 '19 at 11:57

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 16 '16 at 03:16

Well, the answer needs a proper understanding of the concept of Karma. Hindu philosophy divides Karma into - Prarabdha, Sanchita and Agami.

Sanchita Karma is the store house of all past Karmas. It is our Causal body/Karana sharira.

Prarabdha Karma refers to those Karmas which has started to give results. A person gets a birth, takes on a body based on this Prarabdha Karma. Hence, even at the time of birth, the fruits of actions which a person is supposed to face is already decided including the lifeline of a person. But, this is not static. This does not mean there is no role for free Will.

The fruits of Prarabdha Karmas manifest as various situations that a person faces, as various people that a person meets through rina, and as various mental impressions that govern one's decisions. But, inspite of all this, a person has a "Free-Will".

The exertion of free will is called "Agami Karma" and it may give fruit in this life itself or may be stored as Sanchita to give fruits in future lives.

Therefore, though, a general lifeline of a person is decided right at birth, by free will, a person can elongate or shorten it. Example, Markandeya had very short life, but his devotion to Shiva, which was exertion of free will, resulted in Shiva granting him immortality.

Similarly, a person who performs too much adharma and cause sorrow to others, may also have his life shortened.

Hope this helps.

But this free will is known to Vishnu and Shiva in advance right? — The Destroyer, Dec 13 '15 at 15:13
I agree with your answer completely. It is the combination of free will and fate that determines the future(past+present=future, though not mathematically). — vidyarthi, Dec 25 '16 at 16:49
Nitin all the three acharya or any vedantain for that matter doesnt accept freewill for jiva, if you say so than you belong to some other religion.. — Prasanna R, Jun 04 '19 at 14:28

Is the length of a man's life predetermined?

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