A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c25.209

v1.c25.209

A section devoted to timely (kālamṛtyu) and untimely death (akālamṛtyu) follows (9.79–85).367 The life span is said to depend on fate (daiva) and one’s actions in the present life (puruṣakāra) (9.79), each of which is of three grades (śreṣṭha, madhya, avara); kāla- and akālamṛtyu are determined by the type of karman and puruṣakāra (9. 80–85). The vedavādinaḥ distinguish 101 kinds of death: one of these is kālamṛtyu, the remaining hundred are āgantu (9.86).368 The killing of foes (bhrātṛvya) by means of the śyena sacrifice (yāga)369 and other rituals, and the suicide of Dīrghaśravasa370 are referred to (9.87). One should always protect one’s life, for example by means of the mitravindā iṣṭi371 (9.88). The four kinds of death of Buddhist doctrine are referred to (9.89ab). Untimely death is declared to be a phenomenon occurring under all sorts of circumstances, and recognized as such by all the āgamas; death, when taking place even in the presence of accomplished physicians, is to be regarded as akālamṛtyu (9. 89cd–101). The unavoidability of death is emphasized and illustrated (9.102–106).