Jambudweep - 7599289809

Santhara

March 9, 2023Jainism

Sallekhanā

Sallekhanā (also Santhara , Samadhi-marana, Sanyasana-marana ) refers to a natural practice of giving up food when death is very near. In Jainism, it is prescribed both for the householder and ascetics. Sallekhana is made up from two words ”sal” (meaning properly) and ”lekhana”, which means to thin out. Properly thinning out of the passions and the body is ‘Sallekhanā’. Sallekhana is allowed only when a person is suffering from incurable disease or great disability or when a person is nearing his end.

It is a highly respected practice among the members of the Jain community. According to Jain texts, sallekhanā leads to ”Ahimsa in Jainism ” (non-violence or non-injury), as person observing sallekhanā subjugates the passions, which are the root cause of himsā (injury or violence).

Overview

See also: Sallekhna (Part_VI)

In Jainism, both Jain ascetics and householders (Sravaka) have to follow five major vows (vratas). Ascetics must observe these vows more strictly. Jain ethical code also prescribe seven supplementary vows, which include three ”guņa vratas” and four ”śikşā vratas”.

1. Ahiṃsā	Not to hurt any living being by actions and thoughts
2. Satya	Not to lie or speak what is not commendable.
3. Asteya	Not to take anything if not given.
4. Brahmacharya	Chastity / Celibacy in action, words & thoughts
5. Aparigraha	(Non-possession) Detachment from material property.
6. digvrata	Restriction on movement with regard to directions.
7. bhogopabhogaparimana	Vow of limiting consumable and non-consumable things
8. anartha-dandaviramana	Refraining from harmful occupations and activities (purposeless sins).
9. samayika	Vow to meditate and concentrate periodically.
10. desavrata	Limiting movement to certain places for a fixed period of time
11. upvas	Fasting at regular intervals.
12. atihti samvibhag	Vow of offering food to the ascetic and needy people
13. sallekhanā	Vow to adopt sallekhana when death is very near

An ascetic or householder who has observed all these vows to shed the ”Karma in Jainism|karmas”, takes the vow of Sallekhana at the end of his life. According to the Jain text, ”Purushartha Siddhyupaya”, sallekhana enable a householder to carry with him his wealth of piety . Sallekhana is treated as a supplementary to the twelve vows taken by Jains.

However, some Jain Acharyas such as Acharya Kundakunda, Devasena, Padmanandin and Vasunandin have included it under the last vow, śikşā-vrata.

According to Tattvartha Sutra (a compendium of Jain principles). A householder willingly or voluntary adopts Sallekhana when death is very near.

Procedure

Observance of the vow of sallekhanā starts much before the approach of death. A householder persistently meditate on the verse: “I shall certainly, at the approach of death, observe sallekhanā in the proper manner.

आहारं परिहाय्य क्रमशः स्निग्धं विवद्र्ध त्पानम्।
स्निग्धं च हापयित्वा खरपानं पूरयेत्क्रमशः।।१२७।।

Giving up solid food by degrees, one should take to milk and whey, then giving then up, to hot or spiced water.

खरपानहापानामपि कृत्वा कृत्वोपवासमपि शक्त्या।
प´चनमस्कारमनास्तनुं त्यजेत्सर्वयत्नेन।।१२८।।

Subsequently giving up hot water also, and observing fasting with full determination, he should give up his body, trying in every possible way to keep in mind the give-fold obeisance mantra (holy formula).

Explanation – The pancha-manaskara (five-fold obeisance) mantra is as follows :-

Namo Arhantanam (I bow to Arhants) ;1
Namo Siddhanam (I bow to Siddhas) ; 2
Namo Aiyaryanam (I bow to Acharyas) ;3
Namo Uvajjhayanam (I bow to Upadhyas) ;4
Namo Loe sarva sahunam (I bow to all Sadhus) ;5

The person observing sallekhana does not wish to die nor he is aspiring to live in a state of inability where he she can’t undertake his her own chores. In Jainism, there is a daily prayer where a person wishes to be able to face death after having taken the vow of sallekhana.

Due to the prolonged nature of sallekhana, the individual is given ample time to reflect on his or her life. The purpose is to purge old karmas and prevent the creation of new ones.

Transgressions

Jain texts lists down “Five transgressions” of the vow of ”sallekhanā”:

desire to live
desire to die
recollection of affection for friends
recollection of the pleasures enjoyed
longing for the enjoyment of pleasures in future

The Ratna Karand Shravakachar

जीवितमरणाशंसे भयमित्रास्मृतिनिदाननामानः।
सल्लेखनातिचाराः प´च जिनेन्द्रैः समादिष्टाः।१२९।।

Entertaining a desire to live, wishing for speedy death displaying fear, desiring to see or to be remembered to friends, looking forward to future sense-enjoyment in the life to come – these have been described as the transgressions of sallekhana by the Jinendra (Lord of Conquerors).

In Practice

Doddahundi nishidhi inscription was raised in honor of Western Ganga Dynasty King Nitimarga I in 869 C.E. The king was a devout Jain who observed the vow of Sallekhana. These memorial stones were raised in medieval India to honor noted Jains who took Sallekhana.

According to Champat Rai Jain: “The true idea of Sallekhanā is only this that when death does appear at last, one should know how to die, that is, one should die like a monk, not like a beast, bellowing and panting and making vain efforts to avoid, the unavoidable.”

In around 300 BC, Chandragupta Maurya (founder of the Maurya Empire) undertook Sallekhana atop Chandragiri Hill, Shravanabelagola ,Śravaṇa Beḷgoḷa, Karnataka. Acharya Shantisagar, a highly revered Digambara Jain saint of the modern India took Sallekana on 18 August 1955. He decided to take the vow in July 1955, on account of inability to walk without help and weak eye-sight. He died on 18 September 1955.

Misconceptions

Sallekhana is often compared with suicide. According to ”Purushartha Siddhyupaya”, when death is near, the vow of sallekhanā is observed by properly thinning the body and the passions. It also mentions that, sallekhanā is not suicide since the person observing it, is devoid of all passions like attachment.

The vow of sallekhanā is often explained with a famous example: A trader stores commodities for sale and stores them. He does not welcome the destruction of his storehouse.

The destruction of the storehouse is against his wish. And, when some danger threatens the storehouse, he tries to safeguard it. But if he cannot stop the danger, he tries to save the commodities at least from ruin.

Similarly, a householder is engaged in acquiring the commodity of vows and supplementary vows. And he does not desire the ruin of the receptacle of these virtues, namely the body. But when serious danger threatens the body, he tries to avert it in a righteous manner without violating his vows.

In case it is not possible to avert danger to the body, he tries to safeguard his vows at least.

Jainism forbids suicide and it is said to be the biggest sin. Suicide involves an intentional act of harm against oneself with a known outcome that negatively affects those left behind.

It is believed that the precipitous taking of one’s life constitutes only a perpetuation of the karma from the current life (particularly that associated with negativity or suffering), which is thus “inherited” by the subsequent life to be assumed through reincarnation.

Suicide does not allow escape from one’s karma, nor from one’s cycle of births and rebirths. However, in the practise of Sallekhana, it is viewed that death is “welcomed” through a peaceful, tranquil process that provides peace of mind and sufficient closure for the adherent, their family and/or community.

Whereas suicide is an act of extreme desperation fuelled by anguish and hopelessness, a Sallekhana practitioner relinquishing food and drink voluntarily by this method has arrived at that decision after calm and unruffled introspection, with an intent to cleanse oneself of karmic encumbrances and thus attain the highest state of transcendental well-being.

Sallekhana, for him/ her, is therefore simply an act of spiritual purification premised on an exercise of individual autonomy.

In both the writings of Jain Agamas and the general views of many followers of Jainism, due to the degree of self-actualisation and spiritual strength required by those who undertake the ritual, Sallekhana is considered to be a display of utmost piety, purification and expiation.

According to advocate, Suhrith parthasarathy, “Sallekhana is not an exercise in trying to achieve an unnatural death, but is rather a practice intrinsic to a person’s ethical choice to live with dignity until death”.

In his book, Sallekhanā is Not Suicide, Justice T. K. Tukol wrote: “My studies of Jurisprudence, the Indian Penal Code and of criminal cases decided by me had convinced that the vow of Sallekhana as propounded in the Jaina scriptures is not suicide.”

Legality

In August 2015, the Rajasthan High Court stated that the practice is not an essential tenet of Jainism and banned the practice making it punishable under section 306 and 309 (Abetment of Suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

On 31 August 2015, Supreme Court of India stayed the decision of Rajasthan High Court and lifted the ban on santhara. The Special Leave Petition brought before the Supreme Court of India was filed by Akhil Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Parishad.

Protest

On 24 August 2015, members of the Jain community held a peaceful nationwide protest against the ban on Santhara. Jain community protests ban on religious fast to death Protests were held in various states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi etc. Silent march were carried out in various cities.