Thread by @Jainismrevival

Om Shanti 🙏🏼

Sallekhna Samadhi of #Jain monk 8Param Pujya Shri 105 Kshullak Satyanand Maharaj at Sri Kshetra, Ponnur Hills, #Tamil Nadu at 12.20 pm yesterday.

Sallekhna or Santhara is one ritual that has come a long way & consistently practiced for 2300+ years
#Thread

Memorial stones, Inscriptions, Chambers, Sculptures are some of the archaeological evidences of Sallekhana being an ancient practice. Sallekhana is always voluntary, undertaken after public declaration, and never assisted with any chemicals or tools.
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This ritual is mentioned in Agams like Acharang Sutra, Bhagavati Sutra, Tathvartha Sutra, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, Puruşārthasiddhyupāya, Nava-pada-prakarana. Kannada literature Vaddaradhane, Lalitaghate etc. Tamil Sangam literature Sirupanchamoolam, Silappadikaram etc.
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Acharanga Sutra dated to 3rd-2nd century BCE, describes three forms of Sallekhana:
1. Bhaktapratyakhyana - the person taking Sallekhana vow selects an isolated place where he lies on a bed made of straw, does not move his limbs & avoids food & drink until he dies.
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2. In Ingita-marana, the person sleeps on bare ground. He can sit, stand, walk or move, but avoids food until he dies.

3. In Padapopagamana, a person stands "like a tree" without food and drink until he dies.
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Another variation of Sallekhana is Itvara which consists of voluntarily restricting oneself in a limited space and then fasting to death. In some cases, Jains with terminal illness undertake sallekhana, in these cases they ask for permission from their spiritual counsellor.
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