________________
SALLEKHANĀ: A WAY OF FACING DEATH ARTISTICALLY
Dr. Rahul Kumar Singh
Introduction
Although every human being conscious of the fact that death is the ultimate end of every life, yet his conscious refers to accept it as the total and final annihilation of his existence and he hopes to live even after the cessation of his life in some form or other. According to a widely prevalent belief in the Indian thought, the nature of death also determines the fate of the soul after death. One who casts away his bodily frame in the state of yogic deep meditation attains salvation. Dying in the holy place also leads to liberation. Jaina tradition teaches not only the art of living but also the art of dying. When a layman, or an ascetic, is faced with death under certain circumstances, the vow of sallekhanā is prescribed.
It is a vow to be adopted for seeking liberation of the soul from the body as a religious duty. The basic concept underlying the vow is that man, who is master of his own destiny, should face death to prevent influx of new karmas. In my view, the observance of this vow is a conscious and well planed penance for self realization. It is preparedness to be fearless in the face of impending death. It is death through samadhi: In this context Ratnakaraṇḍa Śrāvakācāra clearly says that as the mental attitude prevailing at the last movement of life considerably affects the future destiny of the soul, there can be no doubting the fact that those who give up the body according to the method of sallekhanā attain to the very best conditions of life in the hereafter.'
Meaning and definition of Sallekhanā
Sallekhanā, Samādhimaraṇa, Ārādhanā, Paṇḍitamaraṇa etc. are synonymous which indicate that one should renounce the worldly attachment and strive to achieve liberation from all karmas through
