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SB 4.23.13
evam sa vira-pravarah
samyojyatmanam atmani
brahma-bhuto drdham kale
tatyaja svam kalevaram
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
In due course of time, when Prthu Maharaja was to give up his body, he fixed his mind firmly upon the lotus feet of Krsna, and thus, completely situated on the brahma-bhuta platform, he gave up the material body.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
According to a Bengali proverb, whatever spiritual progress one makes in life will be tested at the time of death. In Bhagavad-gita (8.6) it is also confirmed: yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram/ tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah. Those who are practicing Krsna consciousness know that their examination will be held at the time of death. If one can remember Krsna at death, he is immediately transferred to Goloka Vrndavana, or Krsnaloka, and thus his life becomes successful. Prthu Maharaja, by the grace of Krsna, could understand that the end of his life was near, and thus he became very jubilant and proceeded to completely give up his body on the brahma-bhuta stage by practicing the yogic process. It is thoroughly described in the following verses how one can voluntarily give up this body and return home, back to Godhead. The yogic process practiced by Prthu Maharaja at the time of death accelerates the giving up of this body while one is in sound health physically and mentally. Every devotee desires to give up the body while it is sound physically and mentally. This desire was also expressed by King Kulasekhara in his Mukunda-mala-stotra:
krsna tvadiya-padapankaja-pañjarantam
adyaiva me visatu manasa-raja-hamsah
prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te
King Kulasekhara wanted to give up his body while in a healthy state, and he thus prayed to Krsna to let him die immediately while he was in good health and while his mind was sound. When a man dies, he is generally overpowered by mucus and bile, and thus he chokes. Since it is very difficult to vibrate any sound while choking, it is simply by Krsna’s grace that one can chant Hare Krsna at the time of death. However, by situating oneself in the muktasana position, a yogi can immediately give up his body and go to whatever planet he desires. A perfect yogi can give up his body whenever he desires through the practice of yoga.