Untimely Death [Akal Mrityu] is death before one has finished the cycle of one’s life. It is generally believed that the average lifespan of a human being is 100 years, comprising of four stages, the last of which is Sannyasa and Moksha. But most human beings hardly enter even the third stage of Vanaprastha. They remain stuck with grihasthya and the family ties till the last breath. On the other hand, there are men who at a very young age have a deep spiritual turn and are renunciates. Therefore, the general understanding is that akal mrityu is when one dies before completing what are normally called as the necessary life experiences.
Accidents are a different matter. They are not the normal way of departure at any age. Accidents are like illnesses except for the suddenness. They take place because of some moment of unconsciousness, a lapse of attention due to number of reasons. Accident refers to the cause of death. Akal mrityu refers to the time of death, an untimely departure due to any cause, including illness, accidents.
Affectionately,
Alok da
