________________ MARANA-SAMADHI Dr. Aruna Mukundkumar Lattha The traditional division of the Ardhamagadhi Jain Agamas into six classes, viz. Anga, Upanga, Mula-Sutra, Cheda-Surta, Prakirnaka and Chulika-Sutra are well known: MARANASAMADHI is one of the ten Prakirnakas. Its extent is 661 Gathas. It is in the form of the Guru - Sisya dialogue. Its main theme of the work is to show and prescribe the optimum mode of dying voluntarily when one approaches one's end. With that aim in view various modes of dying are discussed. The method and means of achieving the Samadhi-maran are laid down. Incidentally Jain tenets for leading a prior life are preached Legendary Examples of many men, women and even animals are given - who left their bodies by adopting the Supreme mode of dying and who observed equanimity and tolerance till the last moment. Numerous instructive remarks of respected Acaryas are cited and references to the Agamic tradition are given. We have compared this Jain view of the Samadhimarana with the views of the Vaidika and Buddhist traditions and some current thinking about life and death. This is the first critical and comparative study of the Marana-Samadhi in Gujarati.
