Acharya Mahaprajna
8.54 lāghaviyaṃ āgamamāṇe.
He should gradually do away with his clothing in consideration of light outfit.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 54
The ascetic gradually reduces his clothings for the purpose of lightness.
8.55 tave se abhilamannāgae bhavati.
The nude monk is fit for practising the austerities in a right manner.
8.56 jameyaṃ bhagavayā paveditaṃ, tameva abhisameccā savvato sawattāe samattameva samabhijāṇiyā.
The monk should realise nudity exactly as the Lord has propounded, and practise equality in its completeness and in all respects.
8.57 jassa ṇaṃ bhikkhussa evaṃ bhavati—puṭṭho khalu ahamaṃsi, nālama-hamaṃsi sīya phasaṃ ahiyāsittae, se vasumaṃ savva-samannāgaya-paṇṇāṇe- ṇaṃ appāṇeṇaṃ keiṃ akaraṇāe āuṭṭe.
It may occur to the monk: I am touched by cold, that is, the hardships of sex, I am not able to endure this hardship. Under such circumstances, the dispassionate monk should exert to refrain from that touch, exercising his all embracing wisdom.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtras 54-57
An ascetic might have the thought - I am toutured by the rigour of cold. The rigour of cold stands for two kinds of rigours - rigour of women (sex) and the rigour as eulogy and praise. I am not able to endure these rigours, like Sudarshan.[1] Under such circumstance, the monks, possessed of all embracing wisdom,[2] subjugate his rising passions and thus save himself[3] from sexual indulgence.[4]
8.58 tavassiṇo hu taṃ seyaṃ, jamege vihamāie.
It is beneficial for the austere ascetic to hang himself to guard his celibacy, under certain circumstances.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 58
An ascetic may be weak; he may not be capable of withdrawing himself from the worldly objects in thought, word and deed. For such an ascetic, giving up of life through a prescribed way is better. The prescribed way is - in that state of being confined by women, he should resort to death by hanging. Here the ancient tradition is the ascetic should pose to tie a rope round his neck. Now, if the woman prohibits him asking him to leave the place, it is good, but if she does not say so, then he should think, 'let not there be break in my discipline'. Thinking thus, he should die by hanging himself.
8.59 tatthavi tassa kalapariyae.
Such death is also timely and unblameworthy.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 59
For the ascetic, in such state of hardship or rise of intolerable conduct-deluding karma (sexual excitement), death is timely and unblameworthy[5]—that is not prohibited in the scripture. In the Sthanāṅga Sūtra, it is said - On the arising of a proper cause, like keeping chartity intact, however, two types of death (suicide) death are unblameworthy, viz., death by hanging and death by entering a dead body of a massive creature.[6]
8.60 se vi tattha viamtikārae.
By such death the monk can also put an end to his worldly life.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 60
The ascetic, dying such death on arising a proper situation,[7] may bring about the end to his worldly life, that is, he becomes the destroyer of all karmas.
8.61 iccetaṃ vimohāyataṇaṃ hiyaṃ, suhaṃ, khamaṃ ṇisseyasaṃ, āṇugāmi-yaṃ. - tti bemi.
Such death is the proper ground for elimination of the delusion about death. It is good, auspicious, blissful, appropriate, beneficial and conducive to enlightenment.
Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 61
Such death is accepted for elimination of the delusion of death i.e., infatuation due to fear of death. Therefore, it is the proper ground[8] for the practise of elimination of delusion. It is beneficial, good or auspicious, appropriate, blissful and conducive to enlightenment.[9]
Ending one's life is of two kinds: (a) bāla-maraṇa - suicide committed due to irrational impulses, and (b) paṇḍita maraṇa - the one committed by conscious judgement. Vehānasa (i.e. committing suicide by hanging etc.) falls in the former category. Anaśana (i.e. undertaking fast unto death) exemplifies the latter (vide, Bhagavatī Sūtra 2.49). But how can a monk practise anaśana in such an emergency as above? Vehānasa death has been prescribed and approved of in such circumstances, for the sake of keeping the monk's chastity intact. Therefore it is not instance of bāla-maraṇa.
The author of the Cūrṇi cites an interesting case of a monk who finds himself locked in a room in which he discovers, to his utter dismay, his former wife introduced in it by his relatives. He is unable to come out of it. Now, the woman tries to seduce him. He should then pretend to be a dead man by suppressing his breath. As soon as he finds a suitable opportunity, he should try to pretend to put a noose around his neck. If, then, the woman takes pity on him and asks him to leave rather than commit suicide, he should come out of the room. If, however, the woman continues her advances, he should hang himself to death. To be forced to commit suicide in this way is not deemed to "bāla-maraṇa". This has been approved of by Bhagavān Mahāvīra.
