Acharya Mahaprajna
8.1 āṇupuvvī-vimohāiṃ, jāiṃ ghīrā samāsajja.
vasumaṃto maimaṃto, savaṃ ṇaccā aṇelisaṃ..
The forebearing, self-restraint and wise monks know the proper time of fasting unto death, in due order of his practice of spiritual discipline. Then, they come to know the prescription of three kinds of fasting unto death, namely, giving up of food, with unrestricted movement from place to place, with restricted movement and without movement, which are absolutely different from the death courted by the ignorant person.
Bhāṣyaṃ Verse 1
'In due order' means in proper sequence. The monks accept initiation, adopt training, that is, they learn the scripture and the meaning, engage themselves in teaching and travelling in the country. Theieafter on the detrioration of age and strength,[1] they accept fasting through meditation, undeluded, that is, devoid of delusion. This is uncommon and unlike the ignorant's death. Having understood the complete nature of fasting through meditation, he accepts such fasting. Only those persons who are forebearing,[2] self-restrained and wise adopt such fasting. By this the three criteria of the worthiness of fasting through meditation have been indicated, viz, forbearance, self-restraint and wisdom.[3]
(b) Iṃginῑ (Iṃgita) Maraṇa; and
(c) PrāyopagamanaSection five, six and seven respectively deal with these three. The fourth section lays down the conditions for vihāyomaraṇa (i.e. deliberately ending one's life by hanging). Fasting is of two kinds:(a) Saparākrama (undertaken when the body is strong).
(b) Aparākrama (undertaken when the body grows weak).Classified in another way, fasting is of two kinds:(a) Vyāghāta-yukta i.e. undertaken suddenly on account of some incident.
(b) Avyāghāta i.e. undertaken in the normal course.While the earlier sections deal with the former kind of anaśana, the present section deals with the latter one. As the avyāghāta anaśana is not abrupt or sudden but is achieved in serial order of development, it is also called ānupūrvῑ (vide, the Niryukti, verse 263).(a) getting initiated into ascetic life;
(b) studying the scriptures;
(c) learning their deeper meaning and significance;
(d) after having attained efficiency in the Scripture and their interpretations, imparting this knowledge to the deserving disciples;
(e) after having taken due permission of the preceptor, undertaking gradual attenuation of the body (saṃlekhanā);
(f) then, finally, undertaking fast unto death (leading to Death Sublime), choosing one of the above three kinds of fasts and abandoning threefold daily necessities, viz. food, implements (clothes, bowls, etc.) and lodging.
