38.The Death became Immortal by Touching Thy Feet

Chapter -38

The Death became Immortal by Touching Thy Feet
It has been said in ‘Ratanakarand Shravkachar’ “Sallekhana” is the renunciation of one’s body with eq­uable feelings at time of calamity, famine, feebleness of the body due to old age or suffering from any incurable disease”.

Sallekhana is embraced with the holy intention of crush­ing one’s own “kaya ” (body) and the “Kasayan ” so that the ob­servation of “Ratnatriya-dharm” could be continued with the ado­ration of self-restraint till the last moments of one’s life.

Achharya Pujyapad Swami has said, “The external ‘Sallekhana' is to reduce the body and the inner one is to lessen ‘kasayan’, and all the causes\ means which nourish them”.

The ‘Chhapak’ (i.e. the bearer of ‘Sallekhanaf purifies his life by this act of conquering death. As gold gets refined and purified in the ritual of being put in fire, similarly a detached (free of passions) person, having reached the old age or due to any of the reasons mentioned above, assumes ‘Yam Sallekhana' challenging the god of death and gradually decreasing the feeling of passions towards the body. The Saint makes his body forbearing to pains and afflic­tions by observing penance with the sole intention that at the last moment he may renounce the body with 'Samadhi Maran'.

‘Charitra Chakravarti Shanti Sagar Ji Maharaj, a "Samadhi-Sadhak”, embraced the historic ‘Sallekhana’ in Kunthalgiri (Hyderabad) on August 14,1955 giving the position of Achharya to his chief disciple, 108 Shri Veer Sagar Ji Maharaj, on August 24 and a written announcement to the effect was sent to Jaipur (where Muni Veer Sagar Ji was stationed) Achharya Shri assumed the ‘Ingnimaran Sanyas' and told the people that he had no expectation from any one after that. Achharya Shri took only water for twelve days during the entire pe­riod of 36 days of 'Sallekhana'. Meditating ‘Ora Siddhoham’, he breathed his last and left for heavenly abode on September 18,1955 in the morning at 06.50 hours. Achharya Shri, through his arduous penance and following the daily routine of the Muni described in religious texts of Jain scrip­tures, very effectively diffused Jain preaching by reviving “Jain- Shraman” culture. He had adopted the twelve years duration ‘Sallekhana ’ vow in Gajpantha, a place of Jain pilgrimage, in 1950.

When some distinct people requested Achharya Shri that he should not assume ‘Sallekhana’ at that time, then Achharya Shri nar­rated an incident that had happened 12 years back.

TWelve years ago Achharya Shri fell ill. The son of one of his devotees had returned to India from America after obtaining a high	| degree in medicine. After examining Achharya Shri, he reported, “Maharaj, you have developed a cancer of the throat which is incur­able, therefore it will be better for you to assume ‘Sallekhana'.

Maharaj Shri smiled on hearing his advice. He said to the young doctor, “See I have no cancer. Your anxiety is meaning­less. What is conducive to the well-being of my self, I will man­age it on my own. I shall assume this vow at the call of my self- ( inspiration you have no right to suggest it to me”.

Achharya Shri continued saying, “That time I was not a victim of cancer nor did it appear later. But now my senses have weakened, therefore, for the sake of protection of my vow of non­violence it is my duty to assume the ‘Sallekhana'. My conscience is telling me so”.

Maharaj Shri further told, “Yasi Ekla Jasi Ekla”, i.e. a living being comes and goes all alone. ‘Sathi kuni na kunacha’ i.e., no one is of any assistance to anyone. His words, fortifying and furthering asceticism against worldly desires, made every­one nonplussed.

During ‘Sallekhana’, Achharya Shri, the great saint cher-ishing the transcendental and auspicious feelings for the well being of all, showered his blessings of “friendship open to every one” while being very cautious in appearing before devotees and in performing his religious routine activities without any negligence.

When Sanghpati Seth Gendamal and the great Pandit Sumerchand ji Diwkar requested him for his blessings he said, “Why only for you? My blessing are also due for those who ob­serve and follow the religion and for the atheists/adversaries to the effect that the wisdom may prevail upon them for their wel­fare.”

Each and every particle of kunthalgiri echoed these feel­ings of Achharya Shri: “Friendship towards the whole world; and not the least enmity towards any one. All hopes and expectations are to be given up while taking the shelter of ‘Samadhi\The samadhi of Achharya Shri was the indication of the following: “The soul is eternal and is characterized with the quali­ties of right belief and knowledge, the all other outer qualities and feeling are only symptoms of coincidence.”

The life of Achharya Shri was becoming by all means transcendental and by shedding karmas it was advancing from pure to purer through the penance-fire of 'Sallekhana’.

The death, as if transforming itself into a great auspicious festival, was telling to Achharya Shri- “Today the death has be­come immortal by touching Thy feet. ”