The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c26.214

v1.c26.214

The fact that women were allowed to associate themselves with the men as ascetics was also noted by Nearchus¹. Suicide, Megasthenes said, was not a universal obligation for 'wise men': it was considered however rather a gallant thing [τοὺς δὲ ποιοῦντας τοῦτο νεανικοὺς κρίνεσθαι] and the more painful the manner of death, the greater the admiration earned².