________________
Salledhanā is not Suicide
95
by his austerities and meditation, his life elevates the community of devotees and other onlookers by purifying the mind of every individual and by creating an awareness in him or her of the inherent potentialities of the self. The conquest of all passions and full detachment from worldly desires and possessiveness visible in the conduct of the ascetic or the householder evoke our reverence for him. His quiet and joyful death makes us conscious of what is good for the individual and the community at large. His path of absolute renun. ciation and his march towards self-realization ennoble and enlighten the society at large. Such death is not suicide and cannot be categorised as such either according to law or morals.
The numerous instances of Sallekhanā collected from the inscriptions cover a period of two thousand years. Kings and queens, generals and soldiers, monks and nuns, frävakas and frävikās adopted the vow with consent or in the presence of their spiritual mentors. The relatives and dependants were aware of it. They fasted for days and spent their time in prayers before they quitted their bodies. The State and the society must have approved their practices, nay, must have held them in high esteem and veneration. If the high per. sonages could adopt the vow, the State and the high officials must have been celebrating the occasion as sacred festivals. It is called mộtyumahotsava ( the great festival of death ). It is worthy of mention that even during the British Rule, there were instances of ascetics adopting the vow and successfully fulfilling the same without any obstacle or obstruction.
Pausing here for a moment, one may glance through the pages of history of India extending over a period of over three thousand years. There have been innumerable instances of Sallekhana, recorded and unrecorded. The country has been ruled over by Hindus, Muslims and Christians. The Kings and the Dynasties professed different religions and faiths. The Britishers had been in power for over 150 vears. It is therefore most remarkable that none of the ruling powers either prohibited the practice of Sallekhanā or regarded it as a contravention
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
