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Jaina Acāra : Siddhānta aura Svarūpa Sivakoti further divides the first category into two heads :
Savicāra and Avicāra.—The first kind applies to those who are physically strong and energetic and who are not to die soon. The second category applies to such as are likely to breathe their last soon. The second category is further divided into :
1. Niruddha—This means that a monk is too weak to join another group because of the incapacitating debility of his legs. He should do his work himself so long as he can. When he cannot, let others serve him.
2. Niruddhatara-It means that a monk on being bitten by a poisonous snake or engulfed by fire and the like or when the body is wholly incapacitated undertakes fast unto death.
When the voice is choked because of snake-bite and the like it is 'Niruddhatama'. Samthārā means a bed of sacred grass. This follows the vow of voluntary death but in special circumstances one could directly lie on the straw-bed. First of all, the candidate in question should select a sinless, pure place, and then spread the bed of sacred grass. He should sit with his face towards East or North and take the vow of gladly opting for voluntary death. Then he should recite 'Namaskāra Mahāmantra, offer his respects three times and decide to enter the new phase with the Founder of Faith as witness. He announces his abandonment of four kinds of food, eighteen types of sin, attachment to worldly things and
gs and his own body. He becomes the pure soul, since his body is so emaciated that he cannot meditate. Since the body is a burden and useless for pious purposes, it must be given up with pleasure and firm determination.
* Upāsakadasānga says that Ānanda in the evening of his life after enjoying the world for years together determines to renounce all sensual pleasures and take to the holy life at a religious place to die there peacefully.
'Pravacnsaroddhara" says that after having renounced the world one observes hard penances for twelve years. Then he selects some corner of the mountain or cave to make his death a spiritual success.
The importance of passionless voluntary death cannot be overestimated. What you are at the time of death makes or mars your future life. A fearless death is an effective check on transmigration. Otherwise you have to undergo the travails of birth after death and death after birth. Bhagavatīsūtra says that he who dies passionlessly dies but once and is.not born for more than eight times again. Samantabhadra says that the fruit of accumulated merits while living is such holy death. Mrtamahotsava' says that a single passionless death is more precious than hardest external penances.
Nemicandra in--Gommatasāra' has mentioned three kinds of death as follows:
(1) Cyuta—It is when a person dies in the ordinary course of things. It is natural death. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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