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Studies on Biology in Tattvārtha-Stūra :
(163)
(c) Death
Death is the natural process of termination of functioning of ten vitalities of cognitive senses, respiration, life-span karma and strength. Akalanka in his commentary on 7.22 points out that death has two varieties - (1) This-worldly death (2) Continual death. This - worldly death means destruction of vitalities while continual death seems to mean ever-lasting process of cellular destruction and regeneration or continual lose of particles of life span karma. There may be natural death; there may be accidental death. There may be fool's death, there may be prudent's death or there may be holy death. The texts describe 17 causes of death including physical and psychical (fear, sorrow, pains etc.) and demigodal ones. The T.S. 2.53 mentions that some class of excellent persons may not have accidental death and that death may be delayed by Āyurvedic treatments.
Medical biologists also describe the death process. They also tell us it is natural phenomena caused due to internal or external physical factors like accidents, failure of body parts, suicide etc. and many psychological factors as indicated in Canons. However, they do not approve of demonical death, it being taken as a form of psychological death. They point out that at normal death, there are certain changes like (1) Stoppage of cellular regeneration processes (2) Zeroing of bio-electrical charges of the living beings so that circulatory systems stop functioning and (3) Stoppage of heart beat etc., as given in the Table 9 below.
Table 9: Death in Canons and Biology
.
S.N 1.
Details Characteristics
Canonical Destruction of Vitalities
Biological (1) Stoppage of cellular regeneration (2) Zeroing of bioelectric charges. (3) Failure of body parts Clinical death, brain death 10
2.
Types
Clinical
5; Natural, accidental, demonical, continual, holy
dal, holy 14
3.
2
Causes : Physical Psychological Demonical Euthanasia
Not mentioned
Rarely permitted
.
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