18. The concept of Death and Emancipation in Jainism

The Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa makes a differentiation in the death of a wiseman (pamditamarana) and that of an unwise person (balamarana). Those who die in the former category attain good birth (soggati) while the other wander in cycles of births full of grief³. The author of Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa probably illustrates balamarana, i.e., the improper ways of death as tried by Dhammilla, such as practising suicide with a weapon (sattha) fire (aggi), poison (visa) or by jumping from a tree (tarupadana). d Bhadaya, a buffalo, meets, death in the wise category. He refuses to take food and remembers in his mind 5 the five personalities (pamcaparametthi). 1. Ibid., I.14a. 2. Ibid., II.49b-50a, 119a. 3. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 272-73. myl 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 34. These are referred to in the improper types the of death in Samavayamga (Pp. 93b, 94ab, ). 5. The five personalities are avahamba, siddha, ayariya, uvajihaya and sahus, Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 273-74. See also Deo, S.B., P. 6p. cit., 321.

515 This type of fast unto death was termed as -1 2 bhattaparinna or bhattapariccaza Usabha also is said • to have died after a fast upto the fourteenth meal (coddasa bhatta) 3. A monk awaiting such a death by lying on a mattress was called samtharaga samana Samlehana f was a similar but a more planned io death by mortification of which covered a period of twelve years, one year or at least six months 5. The Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa refers to Dhammilla who practised a masiya samlehana The practice of paovagamana also has been • referred to as practised by monks. iks 7. The commentators explain this mode of death as 'standing motionless like a tree' (padapopagamana) awaiting death 8. Nidana : Sometimes, however, Jaina as well as other monks showed a desire before death to get a particular birth or 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 118. 3. Ibid., 185. P. 2. Ibid., 21, 117. 4. Ibid., 170. See Deo, S.B. Op. cit., P. 321. 5. See Deo, Op. cit., 201 for details. 6. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 76. 7. Ibid,, 261, 324, 333. 8. However Jacobi takes this explanation as wrong and compares it with Brahmanical prayopagamana. Op. cit. P. 201 and fn. 318. See Deo,

516 C the fulfilment of a particular wordly desire in the next birth. This way of dying was called nidana (renumerative hankering) which was an indication of the last for wordly life or wants, and dissatisfaction for the present life. For instance, the monk Namdisena wanted to be born in the subsequent birth as a beautiful person liked by women, as he was rejected by three girls-. different. The case of kevalin, however, is completely He is liberated (parinevvuya) as he is not governing senses (veyaniya) under the spell of the kammas or those which decide the span of life in next birth (auya) or the kamma 2 called nama or gotta ².