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Place of suicide...
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or atmahanana. This word almaghāta (suicide) is used in two different senses. First of all, it means voluntary self-killing or self-destruction which is committed out of pure melancoly, disappointment in love, unhappiness in one's life and on account of other worldly considerations.19 Secondly, it is used by the ancient philosophers in the sense of not caring for realisation of one's own self.18
Indian culture and religions viz. Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism have approved many other kinds of voluntary deaths (either religious or social ) in certain circumstances such as mahāprasthana (the great journey); prāyopavesana (fasting unto death ); jalasamadhi (drowning in sacred river); agnipraveśa (entering fire); bhgupatana (falling headlong from a cliff): sari, jauhur etc., which are not included in the category of suicide or armaghāta. Thus the word suicide is used in a limited sense. All kinds of voluntary deaths are not called suicides by followers of Indian culture and religions. The reason is that suicide or self-sacrifice for a cause is different from suicide on account of frustration. If one commits suicide for a frustration, he succumbs to weakness which is condemmed by society. If a person kills one's self for a noble cause, i.e. lays down one's own life for religious cause or for the benefit of entire society, his act is approved by the religion or society. But the word suicide is losely used for social and religious sacrifice by certain Western and Indian scholars 14 which may not be cent percent true in the context of Indian culture and religions. In fact they are not suicides but selfsacrifices for higher cause. Let us examine the placə of suicide and other kinds of voluntary deaths or self-immolations in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism to find out the truth of this matter.
Ordinary suicide is denounced by all these three religions of India as an absolutely degrading act, We have already noted that the lśāvāsyopanişat (1200 B.C. to 600 B.C.) bitterly attacks those who indulge in heinous act like suicide. It is condemned to postmortuary penalties which follow the soul. It states that those who commit suicide reach after death the sunless regions covered by impenetrable darkness, 15 They will not be 12. Vyapadyet vịthātmānam svayam yo agnyudakādibhiḥ. Avaidhenaiva märgeņa
ātmaghāta saucyute-quoted in Vācaspatyam; Kautilya's Arthasāsıra IV-7: Amstacandra, Puruşartha Siddhyupaya, ed. Ajit Prasad, Sacred Books of the Jainas,
Vol. IV, Pub, Central Jaina Publishing House, Luck now, 1933, verse 178. 13. Isavāsyopanişat, Ten Principal Upanişads with Sankarabhāşya Pub. Motilal Bana
rasidass, New Delhi, 1978, 3; Vivekacūdamani, Works of Sarkarācārya, Vol. XIV,
Pub. Vanivilas Press, Srirangam, 4. 14. See History of Suicine in India. 15. Asūryā dāma te loká andhena tamasāvstāḥ. Tämste pretyábhigacchanti ye ke
cãtmahano janāḥ-l'śāvās yopaaişat, 1.
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