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Concept of Santhärā (Samadhimaraņa) in Jainism : 69
Sanskrit is ātmaghāta or ātmahatyā (self-destruction). It is normally a misfortune of one's own making. A victim of suicide is either a victim of his/her mental weaknesses or of external circumstances, which he is not able to circumvent. In modern times mental and ethical strength has been deteriorating fast , whether it be an individual or in any social group. Present scenario has brought with it a large number of psychological problems which an individual without courage can hardly solve.
Sociologists have put forward numerous explanations in their suicide notes, abnormal grief accruing from the loss of the loved one, mutual jealousy, mental difficulties, infidelity, family discord, anger, pride, remorse and shame are all symptoms of difficulty in personal adjustment. The forces of fear and anxiety, feeling of inferiority, hatred, aggressiveness, revenge, guilt, and other mental disorders are such that they prevent people from attaining emotional maturity. This emotional immaturity has been the most powerful factor compelling a man to choose suicide as the only solution to seemingly insurmountable difficulties.21 The main psychological and physical features of suicide are: (1) the victim is under an emotional stress; (2) he or she is overpowered with a feeling of disgrace, fear, disgust or hatred at the time when suicide is resorted to; (3) the main intention of committing suicide is to escape from the consequences of certain acts or events; disgrace, agony, punishment, social stigma or tyranny of treatment elc. (4) the kind is far away from religious or spiritual considerations; (5) the means employed to bring about the death are weapons of offence or death; (6) the death is sudden in most cases unless the victim is rescued earlier; (7) the act is committed in secrecy (8) it causes misery or bereavement to the kith and kin. In Samavāyānga-sūtra and Bhagavati-ārādhanā 22 text seventeen types of deaths are discussed in brief. Here we find the references of deaths occurring due to common methods adopted for committing suicide like jumping from heights, jumping into wells, having poison
