In an extraordinary reflection on mortality, economist and advisor to Prime Minister Modi, Bibek Debroy, who died today, left an introspective obituary just days before his passing. The column, which he called “Requiem” and sent to The Indian Expressthe article for which he frequently wrote, is a compelling testament not only to his profound understanding of life and legacy, but also to the fleeting nature of human existence.

Debroy’s words reflect an unwavering self-awareness, recognizing the inevitability of his departure. “There is an outside world. What if I’m not there? What happens?” he wrote. In these first lines, Debroy faced the prospect of his absence, questioning the meaning of a life that, in the end, would leave only traces in memory and perhaps “some condolences, perhaps even from important people.”

Debroy, who was chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), passed away today. He also headed the Expert Committee on Infrastructure Classification and Financing Framework for Amrit Kaal of the Ministry of Finance, contributing extensively to India’s economic strategies. In fact, just minutes after the news of his demise broke, Prime Minister Modi paid him a moving tribute, calling him a “prominent scholar”.

“Dr. Bibek Debroy Ji was a noted scholar, deeply involved in various areas such as economics, history, culture, politics and spirituality. His work left a profound impact on the intellectual landscape of India. Beyond political contributions, he dedicated himself to making our ancient texts accessible to younger generations,” the Prime Minister wrote, sharing a photograph with Debroy.

In addition to his distinguished career in academia and policymaking, Debroy was the second Indian, after Manmatha Nath Dutt, to translate both the Mahabharata and Ramayana in their unabridged forms into English.

Debroy’s translations of Hindu texts extended beyond the Mahabharata and included works such as Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Harivamsa, Bhagavata Purana, Markandeya Purana, Brahma Purana, Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana and Brahmanda Puranaamong others, enriching access to these texts for English-speaking readers around the world.

As Debroy described his time in the cardiac care unit (CCU) and then in a private room at AIIMS, he revealed the daily reality of his hospitalization. His wife, Suparna, whom he compared to “a modern-day Savitri-Satyavan”, was by his side.

“As time goes by, a month is fleeting,” he noted, “but being practically wiped off the face of the earth is not.” From his hospital bed, he watched his external world shrink to “a thin window” through which a monkey climbed every morning, a vivid symbol of nature’s indifference to human suffering.

Although Debroy was known in the world of economics and economic theory for his outstanding contributions to monetary theory and trade, in his later writings Debroy questioned the permanence of his achievements. “What will they mention?” he reflected, recalling his decades of work in various fields, from commercial work in the 1980s to railway reforms in 2015. “There is nothing fundamental about that work,” he reflected, with a touch of indifference. The economist was sincere about the ephemerality of fame and confessed: “It had a role in the rat race, it was read temporarily and was forgotten.”

The account of his final days also conveyed a raw and vulnerable honesty. Debroy recounted how even simple acts like asking for help or enduring routine medical procedures took away his sense of dignity. She reflected on her loneliness intensely, detailing moments of reflection on her relationships, her work, and even her body. “A stretched out piece of meat, stripped of the normal norms of shame and modesty,” he described himself.

As he contemplated his legacy, he did so with an almost existential detachment, recognizing that his two children, settled abroad, would have a limited connection with his final moments in India. “They will be less of a help and more of a hindrance,” he observed, adding that the digital traces he left behind would serve as mere “memories” rather than true traces of the essence of his life.

Debroy, a scholar steeped in Indian epics and philosophical texts, often gleaned wisdom from his readings. He referenced the myth of Yayati, whose desire to prolong his life had once seemed to him a “desire for sensual pleasures” but now saw it as “a longing for control over the physical body.” In a moving passage, he also shared the struggle to “detach himself from his body,” citing the Ashtavakra Gita: “O Janaka! Give up attachment.” Despite his intimate knowledge of the teachings, he found it difficult to achieve detachment. “It’s easy, easier,” he admitted, “but detaching yourself from your body? Impossible.”

His thoughts concluded with a surprising metaphor, a “delirious moment of happiness” in which he imagined himself “spinning around the star system” as if separate from his body. It was a fleeting glimpse of transcendence, a brief escape from the physical and mental confines in which he found himself. “The body will heal in due time,” he commented, acknowledging that the “blows the mind has taken” could stay with it. but possibly for the better.

Bibek Debroy’s farewell words are a reflection not only of his own life but of universal truths about human existence and mortality. His autoobituary stands as a unique and contemplative document, capturing the delicate balance between life’s achievements and the quiet acceptance of its impermanence.