The ancient Jain practice of Santhara, or voluntary fasting to death, has come under national scrutiny following a tragic accident involving a three-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh. Viyana Jain, who was suffering from a brain tumour, died after her parents, both IT professionals, introduced her to the spiritual practice under the tutelage of Jain monk Rajesh Muni Maharaj.
The incident turned into a controversy after the Golden Book of World Records recently awarded Viyana the title of “youngest person in the world to pledge the Jain ritual Santhara.” Her parents, Piyush and Varsha Jain, insisted that they had acted on the advice of their spiritual leader. According to HT’s previous report, the couple considered the practice as a peaceful death for their ailing daughter.
This case has brought about a public uproar, again raising questions regarding the ethics as well as legalities of Santhara—particularly when carried out by children. Here is a deeper analysis of the tradition, the people it concerns, and its legal status in India.
What Is Santhara?
Santhara, also referred to as Sallekhana or Samadhi Maran, is an ancient religious promise practiced in Jainism. It entails voluntarily fasting from food and water during the last phase of life to cleanse the soul and achieve spiritual liberation.
As described by A Sundara, Director of Karnataka’s Department of Archaeology and Museums, the practice demands total control over passions and desires, and progressive abandonment of sustenance. The term Sallekhana is derived from “sat” (truth) and “lekhana” (wasting away), representing self-willed lessening of the body to relinquish worldly desires.
Instead of an act of despair, Santhara is understood as a voluntary act of spiritual cleansing based on non-violence and detachment.
Who Can Take the Vow?
Jain scriptures lay down strict conditions under which Santhara can be performed. It is available to both monks and laymen but only in extremely specific situations—like when one is suffering from a terminal illness, very old, or suffering during a famine.
The oath cannot be sworn spontaneously or amidst regular life occurrences. Jain literature also states that when someone’s declining vision results in constant ahimsa (non-violence) breaches, they might decide to go in for Sallekhana in order to avoid causing harm any further.
Several terms like Samlehana, Samadhi, Samadhi-maran, and Sanyasana have been applied in Jain scriptures to the practice. A wise or learned death is occasionally described by the term pandita-marana.
How Is It Performed?
Careful instructions regarding Santhara can be accessed in the Ratnakaranda Shravakachara, an early 4th century AD Jain text by Samantabhadra. The ritual consists of psychological and physical preparations such as the renunciation of worldly goods, disconnection with near and dear ones, giving and asking forgiveness.
Upon acquiring this mental and religious preparedness, the individual starts fasting calmly, slowly ceasing all food and water consumption, with emphasis on prayer and penitence until death.
Is Santhara Suicide?
There are disagreements regarding whether Santhara would be defined as a form of suicide. A Sundara maintains it is essentially different.
Suicide is the sudden taking of one’s own life by means forbidden to human beings, prompted by fleeting anger or frustration, for no ultimate aim,” his research states. Compared to that, Samadhi-marana or Santhara is a slow, reflective act practiced at the natural end of life, accompanied by peaceful resignation and religious piety.
More than an avoidance of suffering, the act itself is viewed by Jain philosophy as a last religious effort towards salvation.
Legal Status of Santhara
The practice faced legal attention in 2015 when the Rajasthan High Court held that Santhara was prosecutable under sections 306 and 309 of the Indian Penal Code, effectively equating it with abetment or attempt to suicide. This evoked fierce resistance from the Jain community, who protested the ruling across the country.
Soon thereafter, the Supreme Court acted and issued a stay of the Rajasthan HC verdict, reaffirming the community’s religious freedom right and enabling the continued observance of Santhara as a shielded ritual.
