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पुरुषार्थसिद्धयुपाय 178. When a man, actuated by passions, puts an end to his life by means of stopping breath, or by water, fire, poison, or weapon, he is certainly guilty of suicide.
नीयन्तेऽत्र कषाया हिंसाया हेतवो यतस्तनुताम् । सल्लेखनामपि ततः प्राहुरहिंसाप्रसिद्ध्यर्थम् ॥
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अन्वयार्थ - (अत्र) इस सल्लेखना में (हिंसाया हेतवः कषाया) हिंसा के कारणभूत कषाय ( यतः तनुताम् नीयन्ते) जिस कारण सूक्ष्म किये जाते हैं (ततः सल्लेखनाम् अपि) इसलिये सल्लेखना को भी ( अहिंसाप्रसिद्ध्यर्थम् प्राहुः) अहिंसा की सिद्धि के लिये कहते हैं।
179. In the observance of sallekhanā, since passions, the instrumental cause of himsā, are subdued, sallekhanā is said to be leading to ahimsā.
Sallekhanā is not suicide Acharya Pujyapada's Sarvārthasiddhi:
Sallekhanā is making the physical body and the internal passions emaciated by abandoning their sources gradually at the approach of death. The householder observes sallekhanā at the end of his life...
It is argued that it is suicide, since there is voluntary severance of life etc. No, it is not suicide, as there is no passion. Injury consists in the destruction of life actuated by passion. Without attachment etc., there is no passion in this undertaking. A person, who kills himself by means of poison, weapon etc., swayed by attachment, aversion or infatuation, commits suicide. But he who practices holy death is free from
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