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[5]
**Kayotsarga:** The fifth essential Kayotsarga. This is a technical term from the Nirgrantha tradition. While the word is formed by combining "kay" (body) and "utsarga" (release), its meaning is not the release of the body, but the release of attachment to the body. The root of attachment to all worldly things is the body. A seeker whose mind is free from attachment to the body cannot be attached to other seemingly different objects. The seeker on the path of liberation prays to the Lord:
"May I have the power to separate myself, my soul, from the body, like a sword from its sheath, by your grace, O Jinendra!" - Acharya Amitagati
Through such prayers, the seeker one day reaches the state described in the Agamas:
"A seeker does not consider their body as 'mine'." - Dasha Vaikalika
Thus, to attain a state beyond the body while still residing in it is a significant practice. Kayotsarga is performed with this desirable goal in mind and is considered essential. It is also a form of atonement that destroys past sins and purifies the practice:
"I perform Kayotsarga to elevate my restraint, to atone, to purify, to free myself from impurities, and to completely destroy sinful actions."