Suicide

Forms

  • prAyopaveshaNa - starving oneself.
    • sallekhana among jains.
  • Burning oneself on a pire as a paschAt-tApa/ prAyashchita. The pAla king, the tale of the maNDana.
  • garuDa heroes following their kings in South India [IM].
  • Following the husband by satI-s (details in anugamana page).

Injunctions

“That it goes against the Sruti statements like “Therefore, one should not depart before one’s natural lifespan” (Shatapatha Brahmana 10.2.6.7), which prohibit suicide.” - Nithin

“exceptions to the general prohibition against Atma-tyaga will reveal these cases have no resemblance to Suicides. Other exceptions include, ascetics who discard their bodies at holy places in order to attain heaven[53], heroic warriors who deliberately embrace death in the battle[54], Prayopravesha or embracing death by fasting of persons who are aged or no longer have worldly responsibilities[55].”

Though suicide was generally condemned, the smṛtis (such as Atri 218-219) and Purāṇas allowed certain exceptions, viz. very old men (above 70), very weak men who cannot observe the rules of bodily purification or those who have no desire left for the pleasures of the senses or who have carried out all tasks and duties, may start on Mahāprasthāna or die at Prayāga. Vide H. of Dh. vol. II, pp. 926-928 for detailed treatment of this topic. …

  • PV Kane

Apologetics

From Nithin :

“All these are Dharmically legitimate ways of ending one’s life and interestingly all of them require enormous courage, detachment, and self-control. … Dalpat Singh Baya, in his study on Sallekhana, the Jain counterpart of Prayopravesha, notes how it is different from suicide. Prominent among the differences he notes include[56]”:

  • Sallekhana is not suicide because here the practitioner leaves the body through ritual practice and not by coming under the influence of internal passions and adopting lethal means as done in suicide.
  • Psychologically, a suicidal person have conflicting desires to live and to die simultaneously. These desires may be conscious or subconscious in nature. On the other hand, the practitioner of Sallekhana, has no such desires.
  • There is a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness in a suicidal person, whereas no such feelings exist in spiritual practitioner. The spiritual practitioner is dispassionate, self-controlled and practices Sallekhana for spiritual merit.