Sramana 2016 01

Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey, Rahulkumar Singh, Omprakash Singh
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 90

SALLEKHANA : A WAY OF FACING DEATH ARTISTICALLY: 83 Entertaining a desire to live, wishing for (speedy) death, displaying fear, desiring to see or to remember friends, looking forward to future sense-enjoyment [in the life to come)-these have been described as the transgressions of sallekhanā by the Jinendra (Lord of Conquerors). Some thinkers advocate these transgressions with different names" which are: 1. Ihalokāśamsā prayoga undertaken with the desire or motive to acquire wealth, family, etc., i.e. pleasure of this world. 2. Paralokāśamsā prayoga-here the motive is to acquire pleasures of heaven etc. in the next birth. 3. Jīvitāśamsā prayoga- undertaken with the desire for life. 4. Maraņāśamsā prayoga- to desire instant death because of unbearable pain or miseries.
5. Kāmabhogāśamsā prayoga-undertaken for acquiring desired but unfulfilled sexual and other worldly pleasure.
Thus sallekhanā is a step towards self realization. It is to free oneself from the bonds of body and to attain self absorption, the perfection of the soul by the soul. It is clear that intention behind this vow is not to waste time in fruitless activities for the sake of prolonging the existence of the body, which has to be given up sooner or later. Hence attachment towards it is given up, with the result that an individual performing sallekhanā meets the inevitable death as a conqueror. Not surprisingly, it is said to be a spiritual welcome to death. This is not yielding to death but a way of meeting the challenge of death adequately. It has a religious cause and spiritual values.
References:
1.
antakriyadhikaranam tapahphalam sakala darsinaḥ stuvatel yasmādyāvadvibhavam samadhimarane prayatitavyam// Ratnakaranda Śrāvakācāra, (RKS) 123