A Historic Pageant of Suicide

Part I–Prelude

Whether suicide is morally permissible is a question on which there is a wide divergence of opinion between the ancient and the modern world. So stern a moralist as Marcus Aurelius says in his famous "Meditations" that when a man is afflicted with misery which he feels is unbearable, there is the door always open to him through which he can escape. And there are instances of famous Romans, Seneca, among them, who committed suicide (generally by opening a vein and getting into a hot bath–considered to be the least painful mode) to escape what they regarded as a worse fate at the hands of an enemy. No stigma attached to such suicides. In the modern world, generally speaking, suicide is condemned and a stigma attaches to such an act; especially so, among nations professing Christianity who regard suicide as immoral and a sin against the Almighty. In English law as well as under the Indian Penal Code attempt at suicide is a criminal offence and punishable as such. There are, however, exceptions in the Modern world, the most generally known being the Japanese custom of "Hara Kiri", self-disembowelment, to which not only no stigma attaches but which is considered as honourable. The famous general Nogi of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 observed "Hara-Kiri" on the death of the Mikado Mutsohito in 1912. The question whether when a man is suffering from an incurable disease, he cannot, in order to escape unnecessary pain and suffering, obtain the help of his medical advisers in putting a painless end to his existence has been exercising the minds of many thoughtful men in England in recent years. An Euthanasia Society with the famous English Surgeon Lord Moyaihan at its head was started in England, but inspite of precautions formulated for determining the conditions for resorting to Euthanasia they found they had no hopes of getting the British Parliament to pass a law in favour of Euthanasia. At or about this time a very pathetic case came before the English Courts. An English woman had a son (an only child) who, though a man of about thirty so far as his bodily growth went, was infantile in his mind and so required the constant care of his mother. The mother was one day pronounced to be suffering from a disease which required an urgent major operation which she might or might not survive. The woman was in great anguish. The thought harried her that after her death (and she did not expect or desire to survive the operation) the son would be absolutely helpless and she could not expect any relation or friend to take adequate care of him. So, she decided on putting a painless end to the son’s life and carried out her decision and then went to the Surgeon’s table. Contrary to her expectation she survived the operation, and was restored to health. She was then charged with the murder of her son and brought before the Court. She did not try to defend herself but with tears and sobs confessed what she had done. The Judge and Jury were affected and sought to satisfy the letter of the law and let her off with a light punishment.

Among the ancient Hindus suicide appears to have been allowed under certain circumstances without any stigma attaching thereto. The most ancient instance mentioned in Sanskrit literature is what is termed "prayopavesha" and occurs in the Ramayana. When Ramachandra found that his wife Sitadevi was missing and the extensive search, which he and his brother made, proved fruitless he happened to arrive in Sugriva’s, kingdom (near Hampi in the Bellary District) where he cultivated Sugriva’s friendship. Sugriva ordered a number of his most distinguished, followers Hanuman, Neela, Angada and others to go and discover where Sitadevi was and come and inform him. Now Sugriva’s commands were terrible and must be obeyed. None so ordered dared come and face him without carrying out the order; "Sugriva ajna" has thus become a by-word. So, Hanuman and others having made an extensive search without any result decided on "prayopavesha" lying down on a hill-side and fasting unto death rather than go and face Sugriva’s anger and punishment. Thus they laid themselves down and fasted for three days, when some tardy followers found a romantic cave entering, which they discovered a dazzling habitation and one of the inmates told them with proofs that Sitadevi was in "Asokavana" in Lanka. The fasting followers then decided to make one more attempt before giving up their lives and happily succeeded in the attempt. That this most ancient tradition till lingers among Hindus is brought forcibly home to my mind by an instance within my own experience. Some 15 years ago, when I was residing in Mangalore, the ruler of Sangli sent his mahout to fetch a young elephant and its calf found and kept in custody in a forest in Coondapore Taluk. The mahout with his servants came to my house in Mangalore and after getting instructions and a letter from me proceeded to Coondapore. For no fault of his he appears to have lost these elephants. Some time thereafter I heard from an official of the Sangli State that the mahout had committed suicide shorts distance from Sangli rather than meet his sovereign without the elephants. Fasting unto death with mind fixed on contemplation of the Divine (technically termed ‘Sallekha’), appears to be regarded among the Jains as a religious mode of departing this life, especially towards the close of one’s Natural Life. Tradition says that the far-famed Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta towards the end of his reign, turned a monk and with a large number of followers proceeded to the south and ended his life by "Sallekha" near Sravana Belegola in the Mysore Province.

Besides the above-mentioned circumstances another not condemned by public opinion among ancient Hindus is incurable disease as indicated by the following account of a unique Historical event. Here we find the meeting place of ancient and modern thought regarding Euthanasia.

Part II-Pageant

One of the most famous among ancient Indian rulers was Vikramaditya of the dynasty of Chalukyas of Kalyan. Probably, his fame has not reached our students in schools and colleges who might know all about Ethelred the Unready and the Heptarchy in England but very little about ancient rulers of their mother-country. We cannot blame our students but must convict those whose duty it is to prescribe courses of study in schools and colleges of our country. It is, however, satisfactory to note that things are better now than they were three or four decades ago. Chalukya Vikramaditya ruled over a considerable portion of South India with his capital at Kalyan, the site of which is at a short distance to the north of Gulbarga in the Nizam’s dominions. His was a long and glorious reign, from A. D. 1076 to 1126. He was a great warrior and his conquests embraced most of the kingdoms of the day from Nepal to Pandya: Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Magadha, Panchala, Malwa, Gurjar, Saurashtra, Chedi, Andhra, Kadamba, Hoysala, Kalachurya, etc. Conquests of Hindu rulers hardly ever meant annexation but only acknowledgment of suzerainty and payment of tribute. When Vikramaditya ascended the throne in 1076 he assumed the title of "Tribhuvana Malla" (Hero of the three worlds). He married Chandala-devi, daughter of King Vidyadhara of Karhat, famed as the most beautiful maiden of the day, at a "Swayamvara" where she chose him from amongst a large number of ruling princes who had gathered for the ceremony. Thus he was successful both in war and love. He was a great patron of learning and in his court flourished the famous Yajnavalkya, author of the legal work ‘Mitakshara’, which even at the present day governs personal law among Hindus in South India.

Another great writer and poet was Bilhana who has written a history of his patron in Sanskrit entitled ‘Vikramanka Deva Charitam’. The account of this "Pageant of Suicide" is taken from this work. It relates to Vikramaditya’s father Someshwara I who had the title of Ahava malla (Hero of war) and who ruled from A.D. 1040 to 1069.

By the time Someshwara had concluded his plans of war against the kingdom of Chola then ruled by Vira Rajendra he (Someshwara) had an attack of malignant fever. Inspite of the best efforts of Royal Physicians the fever did not abate but went on rising. The king’s body felt like a live coal. To cool the body sandal paste and medicated oils were tried but to no avail. The fever did not yield to any remedy. Life became insupportable. Then Someshwara sent for his ministers and spoke to them as follows: -

"This life is like a bubble on the surface of water. It appears for a moment and is gone the next. I have no other refuge than Ishwara (the Almighty). I think that instead of rolling on this bed and dying here it is far better that I should lie on the lap of Mother Thungabhadra and give up this body while engaged in the contemplation of Shiva. Till now to the best of my ability, I have spent my days in the service of Srikanta. Hereafter, instead of dying somewhere or other it is proper, I think, that I should end my life in the sacred river."

Then accompanied by his wives, children, ministers, army and others he proceeded to Kuravetti (said to be a place in the district of Bellary) on the banks of the river Thungabhadra. By this time news spread in all the neighbouring villages that the king was going into ‘Jala Samadhi’. From places far and near people began to arrive in crowds at Kuravetti. Long before sunrise on the day fixed for the king’s departure from this world people began to go and occupy places on the banks of the river where from the scene could be most conveniently witnessed.

Early in the morning of the day the king bathed and finished his usual religious duties. The faces of all around him were pale and sorrowful with the thought that very soon he would finally depart from them. Tears were ceaselessly flowing from the eyes of his wives and children and those amongst his ministers and servants who were dearest to him.

Seated in a palanquin and accompanied by the people of his palace, ministers and Brahmins, Someshwara arrived at the river. Undressing and discarding all unnecessary clothes and wrapping the upper part of his body in a "Shalya" and supported by his ministers he descended into the river. Then with his own hands he distributed to his heart’s content largesse to the poor, the learned and the virtuous. Afterwards contemplating ‘Paramatma’ (the Universal Soul) he proceeded further and further into the water. Tears began flow from the eyes of the on-lookers. The sorrow of his queens was indescribable. The eyes of all were fixed on the face, the eyes and movements of the body of the king, who had descended into the water. When the water reached his neck he stood still and made ‘Surya namaskara’ (salutation to the Sun) with the utmost devotion. Then he shut his eyes and his lips were seen to move in prayer. Thereafter opening his eyes he looked around at his subjects who had assembled on the river-banks and having saluted them all with folded hands, uttered the words "Hara-Hara-MahaDev" and stepped forward till the waters flowed over his head and he departed this life.

Though Someshwara sank and passed away, the minds of the people who had witnessed the scene with absorbed attention were thinking of nothing else for several days. And for several days people were talking of nothing else.