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by a course of graduated fasting lasting as long as twelve years. If, however, he is sick and is unable to maintain the course of rigid self-discipline to which he is vowed he may fast unto death without any preliminary preparation.13 The Jaina tradition looks at samlekhanā as the highest end to be achieved in the course of the spiritual struggle, and finds there no cause for tears.14 But it has to be noted that, even at this stage, such a course of death has to be adopted only with the permission of the Guru. Acārānga Sūtra exorts the monks to practise this great penance as the final end of their religious course to reach the trimphant end of their spiritual struggle.15 In the Manu Smrti we get similar instructions to ascetics. They are asked to walk straight, fully determined, in the north-easterly direction subsisting on water and air until their body sinks to rest. 16 This is the great journey (mahāprasthāna) which ends in death. When the ascetic is incurably diseased or meets with a great misfortune he should accept voluntary death. This is taught in the Sastras. It is not opposed to the Vedic rules which forbid suicide.17 Buhler remarks that voluntary death by starvation was considered, at this time, to be a befitting conclusion to a hermits's life. The antiquity and the general prevalence of the practice may be inferred from the fact that the Jaina ascetics too consider it particularly meritorious. Among the Maharastra mystics, Jnanesvara, gave up his life voluntarily; such voluntary death was called sajiva samādhi. But this cannot be compared to the samlekhanā of the Jainas.18 It is necessary to note that, according to the Jainas, samlekhanā can be taken only when ordinary death is felt to be imminent.
At the proper time, having taken the permission of the Guru, one must prepare oneself for the practice of this kind of death. It needs physical and mental preparation. Gradual development of self control is to be attained, the passions have to be conquered, emotions subdued, and the urges to be controlled and canalised to the fulfilment of the desired end. One should meditate on the important virtues. Having called relatives and friends, one should seek their forgiveness for any transgressions in conduct and forgive them.
13 Basham, A.L., Sources of Indian Tradition, Part II, p. 69.
14 Acaranga Sutra, 1.7.6.
15 Ibid.
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1 Manu Smrti, SBE, Vol. XXV, VI 31; Apastambhiya Dharma Sutra, II. 123.2, 223.4; Baudhayaniya Dharma Sutra, III. 3.9, 13-14; Yajnyavalkiya Dharma Sutra, III. 55. 17 Ibid., comment by Buhler.
18 Namadeva Gatha, Poona, 1924, Samadhi Prakarana.
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