Hinduism And Suicide
1. Verses Encouraging Suicide
šMatsya Purana 107.4-6š
One who resides on the banks of the Ganges, with or without any object in view, and dies there, goes to heaven and remains far away out of the sight of hell. Such a man sits in a vimana, adorned by decent birds. like swans and flamingoes, where celestial nymphs sing lovely songs. in heaven. Thus he enjoys long life On coming back from heaven, he is born in the house of a very wealthy man.āĀ Ā (source)
šAgni Purana 111.6-12š
The scriptures and sacrificial rites are endowed with forms at PrayÄga. By singing in praise of this sacred place, or by the repetition of (lordās) names or by touching the earth here (one) gets free from all sins. Charity, ancestral rites and recitation (of names of the god) done at PrayÄga, the place of confluence (of the two rivers), has undecaying merits. O Twice-born! One who has resolved to die at PrayÄga at the end (of his term of life) should not change his mind on the authority of scriptures or on the words of the people. Ten thousand and six crores of sacred places are present only here. Hence PrayÄga is the foremost (place). The BhogavatÄ«, sacred spot of VÄsuki (serpent chief) and the flight of swans are present here. One reaps the fruits of making a charity of a crores of cows by bathing at PrayÄga three days in the month ofĀ mÄghaĀ (February-March). The learned have declared thus. It is easy to have access to Ganges all along its course, but very difficult at the (following) three placesāGaį¹
gÄdvÄraĀ (HaridvÄra), PrayÄga and the confluence of Ganges with the ocean.Ā One goes to heaven by giving alms here and one will become a monarch here itself.āĀ Ā (source)
šMatsya Purana 106.1š
Yadhisthara said: Sage I feel I am gradually being freed from my sins by the virtues of Prayaga that you have been pleased to relate to me. O, blessed saint, tow he pleased to explain to me how one should go to PrayagaāĀ Ā (source)
šKurma Purana 1.38.3-12
If a person who has the full complement of the five sense organs, who has no deficiency in any limb and who has no ailment performs the rite of Karisagni (i.e. immolation of the body in the cowdung fire) at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, O ruler of the Earth, he is honoured in the heavenly world as many thousand years as there are pores of hairs in his body. After enjoying extensive pleasures, he falls off from heaven and becomes the lord of Jambudvlpa. He attains the same Tirtha once again. If {in order to cast off his body) a person enters water at the world famous confluence (at Prayaga)Ā» he becomes liberated from all sins, as the moon devoured by Rahu becomes completely brilliant after the eclipse. He attains Somaloka (region of the moon) and he rejoices with Soma (the moon) for sixty-six thousand years. From heaven he rejoices in Indraās world resorted to by sages and Gandharvas. O leader of kings, falling off from that place, he is born in a prosperous family. If a man stands topsyturvy with the legs up and the head below and drinks water from the current of Ganga he is honoured in the heavenly world for seven thousand years. O leader of kings, fallen off from that place, the man becomes the performer of the rite of Agnihotra, Enjoying extensive pleasures, he resorts to that Tirtha once again. Listen to the benefit attained by one who severs his limbs and offers pieces to birds and who is devoured by the birds. He is honoured in the Somaloka for a hundred thousand years.āĀ Ā (source)
šKurma Purana 1.37.14-16š
O dear one, neither at the instance of the mother nor at the report of the common people should your mind to perform pilgrimage to Prayaga, be dissuaded. O scion of the family of Kurus, sixty thousand Tirtkas and other sixty crores of sacred places are present here (at Prayaga). The goal attained by one who gives up his life at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna is the same as obtained by a learned man who has renounced the world as a Sannyasin and who is endowed with Yogic power.āĀ Ā (source)
šNarada Purana Uttar Bhaga 63.129b-132š
(This holy sacred place and sphere of Prajapati has the following boundaries Prayaga* extends from Pratisthana up to the deep pool of Vasuki in front of Prajapati and up to the two Nagas Kambala and Asvatara and the Naga Bahumulaka. This is known in the three worlds as the sacred spot of Prajapati. By taking the holy bath there, people go to heaven. Those who are dead there are not reborn. Not only through the words of the Vedas but through the popular saying this is justified. The soul goes up in its flight as a result of the death in Prayaga. There are ten thousand Tirthas and another sixty crores.āĀ Ā (source)