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Samādhimarana : An Auspicious Death
- Dr Rajjan Kumar
Death is a universal phenomenon. Every living being indulges with it because it is an end of life. Life follows death. There are two ways of death : death with one's will and death against one's own will. The latter kind of death is for ignorant men who are attached to pleasures and amusements, suffer the ills and diseases in life and die in dread of their future. But the virtuous and the learned, the wise who have controlled themselves, and subdued their senses acheive on their death either "freedom from all misery or goodhood of great power." Even at death they are 'calm through patience and an undisturbed mind.' Samādhimarana is that kind of death described by Jainasim different forms.
Samādhimarana is an ascetic termination of physical body voluntarily at the end of life, when it is unavoidable. When there are situation which render the observance of vows impossible, one should decide to terminate his body and accept voluntary death that is called Samādhimarana. A vast number of Jain Texts, Cannonical as well as scriptural define the concept of Samădhimarana viz! The Ācārānga, Sthānāna, Samvāyanga, Upāsakadašānga, Antakrtadašā, Uttrādhyayana, Daśvaikälika. Āturapratyakhyāna, Mahāpratyakhyāna. Maranasamāmhi, Samstāraka, Candravedhyaka, Ācārānganiryukti, Sūtrakrtānganiryukti, Avasyakaniryukti, Nisīthabhāsya, Vyavahārabhāsya, Niśīthacūrni (All are Svetāmbar recognised Text); Mülācāra, Bhagavati-Arādhanā or Mūlārādhana (Yapaniya, the extinct sect recognised Texts); Aradhanāsāra, Samādhisataka, Ratnakrandakaśrāvakācāra, Samādhimarnotsāhadīpaka, Sāgāra Dharmāmrta, Upāsakādhyayana (All recognised by Digambara sect.). TAHT Y511 HATI-HTE, 2000 ALWWW D W W 99
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