A heartfelt homage to Group Captain Shri Bimal Jain — soldier, patriot, and selfless soul — who passed away at the age of ninety-one, and whose final resolve embodied the Bhagavad Gita’s ideal of sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ: devotion to the welfare of all beings.
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥
— Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, 12.4
Having fully restrained the senses and remaining even-minded towards all, those who are devoted to the welfare of all beings — sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ — attain Me alone.
Today I remember Shri Bimal Jain, former Group Captain of the Indian Air Force — a dedicated, patriotic, and altruistic man who recently passed away at the age of ninety-one at Khel Gaon, Delhi.
A life of service
After taking early retirement from the Air Force, he set out on an independent enterprise of his own. When I founded the Bharat Shodh organisation in 1998, I gathered around me honest, dutiful, and patriotic individuals from across the country, and Shri Jain was among them. He later joined its executive committee, became an active associate, and generously provided the organisation with an office in central Delhi.
Ours was a warm association that lasted many years. After my transfer from Delhi and my deepening involvement in spiritual work, our personal contact grew less frequent. Yet he continued to receive my spiritual messages on WhatsApp, reading them with genuine interest, discussing them with me by telephone, and expressing his gratitude.
In his later years he would sometimes call late at night. When I returned his calls, I could hear no voice, for he had by then lost the power of speech. His wife told me that whenever he longed to speak with someone dear to him, he would still dial the number and try — though words would no longer come. It is a memory that moves me even now.
A final act of selflessness
After learning of his passing, I visited his family in Delhi, and there I came to know of his final decision. Shri Jain had resolved to donate his entire body to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He wished that every usable organ and tissue should serve others — including his skin, for the treatment of those suffering from severe burns.
In keeping with his wishes, his mortal remains were handed over to the Department of Anatomy at AIIMS within roughly two to four hours of his passing. His eyes, which had retained their full sight, were removed at once and will restore vision to two people. His other organs and tissues will likewise serve others, and his body will aid the education and training of medical students. According to his family, his remains will be cremated after about six months.
A farewell with honour
The Indian Air Force bade its former officer a respectful farewell. Although a gun salute could not be arranged on the AIIMS campus, his mortal remains were draped in the national flag as a mark of honour.
I was deeply moved by this account. To serve one’s nation and society throughout one’s life is a great achievement; to dedicate one’s very body to others after death is an extraordinary expression of altruism. The Gita’s teaching — sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ, devotion to the welfare of all beings — found living form in Shri Bimal Jain’s final resolve. His life, and his last decision, are an inspiration to us all.
On behalf of the Bhagavad Dharma family and the Gita Global Family, I offer my heartfelt homage and countless salutations to this noble, dutiful, and selfless soul.
Om Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ.
— Brahma Bodhi
Peethadhish of Bhagavad Dharma, Vrindavan