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MANAV DHARMA / 69 The five are the transgressions of Atithi samvibhagvrita, which bring defame to this Vrita. Necessity is to avoid them at any cost.
Thus in this way the author has vividly described the HumanityA religion and the need for the readers is to implement these in their own practical life. But an important fact is also to be kept in mind that life is very intimately or closely related with death because death is.inevitable. One, who has taken birth, is bound to die, except those emancipated souls or jivas. Death is of two kinds - 1. When the age power goes down gradually, this is the natural
and simple path of death which is inevitable. 2. Death can be faced due to poison, accident, or by weapons
or by some chronic disease but to take some remedial measures to check them up is also possible.
Suppose some one has been bitten by a cobra. 'Garud Mantra" can be used to lessen the effect of biting. Thus where there is any possibility of harm, there is a possibility to remove that harm. But sometimes it so happens that inspite of best of efforts, the situation causes us harm. Inspite of best available treatment the disease may go on increasing and body comes on the verge of destruction but it is not at all a desirable duty to protect this mortal body by adopting any undesirable means, when the body is bound to die one day earlier or two days later, then one should always be gladly prepared to renounce this body, and strictly adhere to follow up one's moral duty. This duty has been defined by the word Sallekhana by our Acharyas which we will study next.
SALLEKHANA (Passionless - End)
उपसर्गे दुर्भिक्षे जरसि रुजायां च निः प्रतीकारे ।
धर्माय तनु-विमोचनमाहुः सल्लेखनामार्याः ॥१२२॥ Explanation :
The most excellent of men describe the giving up of the body on the arrival of the unvoidable calamity, distress, senescence, and disease, with a view to increase of spiritual merit is Sallekhana. Description :
Human body (specie) is rare among all species. After obtaining this valuable life, it is highly foolish to waste it merely in fun and frolic Instead of this, as far as possible, we should try to use all our energies in performing all our worldly duties in a better way. Even after paying very careful attention to the maintenance of the
