Showing posts with label Sallekhana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sallekhana. Show all posts

Monday, July 30, 2012

Seeing a 'Sallekhana': Jain woman who had taken death vow under an ancient tradition gives up life after long fast

BEFORE DEATH
The Santhara [or Sallekhana] is a Jain ritual, under which people make a decision to voluntarily die by giving up food and water totally, which results in their death.

Though not too common, quite a lot of Jains are undertaking this vow. Its an ancient practice, as Jainism is one of the oldest religions.

An elderly Jain woman--Chain Kunwar, a nonagenarian, recently gave up her life by observing the 'Sallekhana'. She was 93.

Chain Kunwar, who was wife of late BL Jain, had decided that she had lived her life and it was of no further use. She decided to undergo Santhara. The old woman got even more frail within days, as she could no longer eat or take every a drop of water.

The Death Vow

Already, there was news circulating among the community members about a 'Sallekhana'. When she finally died, thousands had reached the place to participate in the last ritual. Munis and newly initiated monks were part of the programme.

Mortal remains in palanquin procession
The mortal remains [body] was kept in the palanquin [palki] in 'padmasana' position and after the rituals, taken for last rites.

Though a section criticises the practice and terms it a sort of suicide, followers of Jainism say that it is the highest and purest form of death.

Chain Kunwar becomes Ajeyamati Mata

Only recently, Chain Kunwar, had told her family members that she would renunciate the world through this age-old path.

She was taken to the Jinalaya [popularly known as Jain Mandir or temple] were a Saint made her take the vow.

Now she was rechristened and given the honorary name as Aryika Ajeyamati* Mata. From then onward she shunned food and water. [*the victorious, one couldn't be conquered]

Demise on Tenth Day

On the tenth day, the soul departed. Amid chants of the Navkar Mantra, and amid presenece of thousands of devotees, the funeral procession began from the Jinalaya. Some local politicians also reached to seek her blessings.

Most of those who were part of the procession belonged to Digambar Jain sect [though there were people from some other sects of Jainism and also other religions] reached there to witness the 'shobha yatra' and the last journey.

The large crowd during the final procession
"When a person feels that he or she has no more to gain from or give to the society, they take this vrat".

That's what says a Jain devout over the controversies regarding the death fast and opposition to this tradition.

"It is not about religious dogma but this is a radical and modern approach towards life and death".

"And the person who thinks on a much more philosophical plane, takes the decision, voluntarily", he says. "It is not suicide but a refined way of renouncing the world, happily", he further adds. The Jains say that it is not euthanasia, which is intentional death, do escape from pain or illness.

Spirit and Spectacle

The procession was impressive, both in terms of strength and the passion among the crowd. People were happy that a woman in the city has become a 'Sant', by taking up the vow and letting her soul escape the body.

Catching the last glimpse!
There were banners with 'Jai Mahavir' written over them. Besides, there were posters depicting other religious messages that also had photographs of the idols of Jain tirthankars.

On way one could see Jain youth lined up. Many scaling the walls, to catch a last glimpse of Ajeyamati Mata Ji. It was quite a spectacle, indeed.

'Not suicide but leaving the world Gracefully'

Rather, it is voluntary fasting to death, which is sublime form of leave from the world gracefully. Though it often comes in conflict with law, as it is a ritual and part of a religious community's heritage, there is generally no obstruction by authorities.

During the event, one could feel how India has such a unique culture with innumerable traditions [of diverse faiths], many of which are not even known to people in other countries.

As Jains are not a large community, but because they are more numerous in cities and towns, particularly, in markets and business areas, the ceremonies and practices which were not too well known earlier are also getting more coverage in media, and thus reaching the wider public. 

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Santhara or Sallekhana: Can Jain tradition of Fasting to death be banned?

The body kept for darshan
Even as the Rajasthan High Court is hearing the petition challenging the 2,300 year old Jain practice of Santhara as per which a person decides to stop taking food and water until death in order to attain salvation ['moksha], similar deaths are reported from all over Rajasthan.

After Vimla Bhansali died by oberving Santhara in Jaipur and Amarchand Kaswan also died in this ritual in Ajmer, now it is Dhani Devi Pugalia who is in her 20th day of Santhara fast in Bikaner.

She is member of Terapanthi sub-sect of the Shwetambar sect of Jains, is on deathbed. Meanwhile, Monk Merubhushan has also announced that he will take the similar route to end life. Another lady Keila devi has also vowed the same. And these are just reports from urban areas of Rajasthan.

I spoke to a friend of mine whose family had two Sallekhana (the Digambars call it Sallekhana Vrata) recently in MP. Is it a form of suicide, euthanasia or a practice like the Sati that should be stopped legally.

Practically, I think it is not easy to stop Santhara. Jainism is one of the oldest religion in the world Mahavir, the last of 24 Tirthankars was a younger contemporary of Gautam Buddha, and Jains claim that India got the name Bharat owing to the name of Bharat, son of first Tirthankar Rishabh.

Religion as surname

The tradition exists for long and every year hundreds commit sallekhana. Never the need for curb on the practice was felt as Jainism went into near-extinction and was almost considered a part of Hinduism until the revivalism when Jains [mostly Digambar sect] decided to drop their surnames.


The commonest of Jain surnames include Shah, Sheth, Lodha, Godha, Khandelwal, Kasliwal, Bakliwal, Baid, Sethia, Sanghvi, Surana, Banthia, Bansal, Bhandari and even some Agarwals. Now, they instead write Jain.

Thus Jains became a unique people, a majority of whom [not in Gujarat though where surnames like Shah were not replaced [began writing their religion as their surname to appear more in number. Ever heard a Rajesh Hindu, Salim Musalman or a David Jew!

So being a micro-minuscule minority Jains grappled with a serious problem of preserving their identities like their beliefs [they are atheists and don't believe in God], places of worship 'Jinalaya' that is generally known as Jain Mandir and other unique traditions.

Can there be a consensus among Jain sects?

You can't simple ban the Santhara because it is about a community that is very minor [around 50 lakhs in India or just 0.4% of the country's population] and further divided in sects and sub-sects demographically spread in such a way that a consensus is very difficult.


Being less in number, they are more sensistive about their religion and it age old practices. An example is that of Parsis whose number is dwindling [they are barely around 75,000 in India] and still they are not ready to accept half-Parsis [those who marry outside the community] even when their survival is at stake.

Apart from the arguments in favour--like the oft-quoted claim that Santhara is not a social evil because both men and women go for it unlike Sati or that it is not forcible and people take the vow themself, there are  other aspects to it as well.

Arguments against Sallekhana ritual

Firstly, it's illegal and it is surely a crime to take one's own life. Secondly, it is a fact that majority of those who take Santhara are women and often in rural areas, the 'old person who is of no use' goes for it and the family often encourages it because in rural areas they gain prestige and also other monitory benefits in some regions, not all. 


Thirdly, some other Jain traditions like the practice of making children as monks [a 9-year-old girl was sent by her parents to go and live a celibate ascetic for life] are not entirely agreeable in a free democratic society. The case of the girl was in the court until I knew and her parents and the Jain community claimed that she had herself volunteered to become a monk!

Still, voices against Santhara should come from within the Jains. Has anybody heard any voice against it from them? Not a single one. Even the most fiery social activists including women [belonging to Jainism] who keep voicing their concern on all social 'evils' just keep mum when it comes to Santhara or Jain Nuns' plight or the 'deeksha' at an early age.

If a Guru's permission is necessary before embarking on Santhara, then the Gurus [Monks] can be urged by governments to not give such a permission. But is it practical? Most Jains believe in Santhara and they consider death as a celebration unlike other communities.


Even governments will not be able to force them. A clear majority of Hindus is against Sati today and condemns it. However, it is difficult to find a Jain who does not believe in Santhara tradition. The practice has been existing since time immemorial.


Just because of the media boom, people have come to know about it. It could probably have been banned in the years after independence but government can't take such a step just because media is highlight something that is occurring for centuries.


Didn't the great emperor Chandragupta Maurya abandon his kingdom and died of Sallekhana? Jains are the most educated community in the country with a vast treasure of literature preserved in their libraries and unless a reformist movement comes out from within, nobody can force a change.


[The photograph shows Vimla Devi's body kept for darshan, after she died of Sallekhana]