At death, whatever consciousness you've cultivated through life determines your remembrance and your eternal destination.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Pradyumna: [leads devotees in chanting] sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān vakra-tuṇḍān ūrdhva-romṇa ātmānaṁ netum āgatān dūre krīḍanakāsaktaṁ putraṁ nārāyaṇāhvayam plāvitena svareṇoccair ājuhāvākulendriyaḥ [SB 6.1.28-29] [break] [01:01] Translation: "Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus, with tears in his eyes, he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa." Prabhupāda: Sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān.
So at the time of death there are so many disturbance. We have got experience, but we have forgot because bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19]. But these things are observed by the sinful person. The Yamadūta, they come to take to the sinful, sinful person, not devotees.
Just like the whole population of the city, they are not all subjected to the prison laws. Some criminals. Similarly, these Yamadūta goes to such sinful persons. They are not all.
But it is the question of Ajāmila, he was so sinful that automatically the Yamadūtas came, and they wanted to take him. The description of the Yamadūtas is there, that twisted face and very ugly-looking, very fierceful, and with ropes in the hand. So naturally he was very afraid. And he was attached to his son, so naturally he wanted to call somebody to save him, so he called his affectionate son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. This is the opportunity.
Kṛṣṇa is so kind upon His devotee. This Ajāmila was in the beginning a devotee. Later on he fell down. But Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, is so kind that He gave him the dictation that "You keep your son's name as Nārāyaṇa," so that he'll be able to call the holy name Nārāyaṇa by calling his son.
He was very much attached to the youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. So, unconsciously he was chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, although he never meant that he's calling real Nārāyaṇa. He's asking his son, Nārāyaṇa, "My dear son, Nārāyaṇa, please come here, take your food, sit down here, play here, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." This was practice. This opportunity was given to Ajāmila that, although he fell down from his standard of devotional service, but he got the opportunity of chanting "Nārāyaṇa." Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ [SB 2.1.6].
And when we are afraid of something, so we chant, we call somebody who is very dear. This is very psychological. So when he was too much afraid of this Yamadūta, unconsciously he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. So somehow or other he remembered Nārāyaṇa. Some commentator says that when he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," then all his reaction of sinful life immediately disappeared and he remembered real Nārāyaṇa.