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Concept of Santhārā (Samādhimaraṇa) in Jainism : 71
This is not the case in Jaina concept of Santhārā. In Satī-prathā, the women has attachment towards his husband and she cannot imagine the life without him. In such a condition, she voluntarily or out of respect for their cultural tradition, jumps on to the funeral pyre of the husband and ends her life. On the other hand, a person abide by the vow of Santhārā, dispassionately gives up body for attaining the higher purpose, i.e. emancipation from the cycle of birth and death whereas the women dying out of emotional attachment wanders in the world. Moreover, in Satī-prathā, only women are indulged, no men are bothered to ever follow such type of social culture. But in Santhārā, both men and women voluntarily participate in this spiritual vow for shedding off one's karmas and thereby purifying the self. It seems that due to cognition of one-sided truth, the court has arrived at such a judgment, so it needs further verification as both the practices are radically different in nature and the purpose behind the actual undertaking such action.
Concept of Euthanasia
This modern concept is a debatable issue, as few consider it as a kind of murder, few consider it as physician assisted suicide, and for few, it is a merciful method of death. The problem of euthanasia is related with both the animals and human beings. Herc point of consideration is for human euthanasia.
The euthanasia is of two types; active and passive. The active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill a person. The passive euthanasia entails withholding of medical treatment for continuance of life, withholding of antibiotics where without giving it, a patient is likely to die, or removing the heart lung machine, from a patient in coma. It entails the withholding of. common treatments (such as antibiotics, pain relief medications, morphine or surgery) knowing that it may also result in death (principle of double effect). Both the methods are illegal without legislature, provided certain conditions and safeguards are maintained. Passive euthanasia is the most accepted form and it is a common practice in most hospitals.
