Sallekhana
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Sallekhana (also called Santharo, Prayopavesha Samadhi, or Samnyasa-marana) is a Hindu or Jainist practise of voluntary death through fasting.
As with most religious traditions, Hinduism and Jainism both consider suicide a wrong that only retains the karma from the current life and makes you relive it all over again in your new incarnation. However Sallekhana, which typically consists of starvation and/or dehydration, is considered a more noble and acceptable action similar to sati.
Mostly committed by ascetics, one is required to detach themselves from all things in their life, including food and water, and spend their time in meditation until death sets in, to ensure that the undertaking is understood and received peacefully.
Chandragupta Maurya, Sane Guruji, Veer Savarkar and Vinoba Bhave are all claimed to have died through Sallekhana.
Jainism and Santharo
In Jain Santharo is a religious fast to the death when all purposes of life have been served. It involves abandoning all 18 types of sins and 4 types of foods. In order to complete the fast, practitioners must also abandon their bodies, and any feelings relating to it.
During Pratikraman, Jainists must repent for their misdoings, violent acts, falsehoods, thefts, sensualities and worldly belongings, if possible in front of a Guru.
After the 12 vows, they express their desire for the peaceful, voluntary and planned religious death or Santharo.
5 Violations of the Vow of Santharo
- Desiring worldly status
- Desiring to become a divine personality after death,
- Desiring prolonged life with the view of becoming popular,
- Desiring early death, in order to cut short the physical pains etc.
- Desiring sensual pleasures of the world.
References and Recommended Reading
[Jainworld.com Pratikraman]Scriptural References
While the early Vedas accepted religious suicides, the Upanishads never distinguished between different forms of suicide and condemned them all.
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