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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
261
Bhadrabāhu-Candragupta migration, literary works like Vaddarādhane, Cāvundarayapurāņa etc, epigraphic records, and archaeological remains such as at Śravanabelgola, Koppal and other places.
Among all these, epigraphic records are of great importance not only for their eloquent nature regarding this kind of religious vow, but also for the reason that several of them preserve, among other details, the date and the name of the place where the vow was practised. Some of them also concern great personages in the history of this part of the country as for example Ganga Mārasimha and the Rāshțrakūta King Indra IV. In several such inscriptions, besides several literary works, three terms are synonymously used for this religious vow : (1) Sallēkhanā, spelt here after as Samlekhanā (2) Samnyasana and (3) Samadhimarana. Though all details are not available, such religious vow generally appears to have been Bhaktapratyakhyana (courting death by absolute abstinence from all kinds of food).
Technically speaking, Bhaktapratyākhyāna has two varieties: Savichāra and Avichāra. The first is described by Sivarya in his Bhagavati Aradhanā in 40 adhikaras. It is prescribed for such a monk who is healthy and who has before him still a long life. The sccond is for the one who is weak or who faces sudden death. The term Samnyasana appears to have been set in currency at first only in the case of Śrāvakas (house-holders) who adopted the Pañcamahāvrata (or who were initiated into monkhood) which was immediately followed by Bhaktapratyakhyāna. Saril@khanā connotes imaliation which is of two kinds: (1) Internal - kasāya-samlekhanā (imatiation of passions) and (2) External-Sarīrasamlckhanā (imatiation of body). The external imatiation is achieved by Bhaktapratyakhyāna. Samādhi means mental equipoise and perfect concentration on the self at the critical hoor of death which alone can lead to spiritual purification and liberation. Whatever may be the technical sides and shades of these three terms, they have been used synonymously for
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