567. This body has been compared to a boat and the soul to a boat man. The world is (like) and ocean which is crossed over by great sages.
568. An ascetic whose aim of life is attainment of salvation, should not aspire for sense pleasures (vahya-visaya/subjects of sense organs). He should retain his body, for the destruction of previously earned karmas alone.
569 The end of the brave as well as coward is death. As death is inevitable one should prefer to die bravely. (In other words, dying bravely is preferable).
570. A wise man’s death (pandita-marana) destroys hundreds of rebirths. Hence one should die as wise man’s a death. (Sumarana/good death).
571. A fearless gentle man attains a wise man’s death (Pandita-marana); he thereby ends/terminates (the chain/series of) endless/repeated deaths.
572. A saint should go ahead, having in view, the possibilities of errors at every step. He should be carefull (cautious) of such errors and should deem, even a minute defect as a loop (pasa/snare). He should save life for fresh gains, as and when he finds that life and body have ceased to be gainful, he should leave/abandon body in a wise manner (parijnan-purvak).
573. (But) it is not proper to give up taking food, by persons (saints), who do not face any danger or fear of loss of their conduct e.g. penance etc. In case, such person insists on not taking food and choose death as a consequence thereof, he can be safely charged with being guilty of falling down from his (pions offer of) saintliness or ascetism.
574. “Sainle’ekhana”/death while in meditation (peaceful death characterised by non attachment to the world and suppression of passions) is of two kinds : 1. Internal 2. External The internal sainle’ekhana consists of emanication of passions; and the External sainle’khana consists of the emanciation of body.
575. The saint (adopting death while in meditation) should gradually reduce the quantum of food, being taken and emaciate his passions. In case, he is sick (diseased) and his body has become extremel infirm, he may totally abstain from taking food.
576. The “Sainstaraka” (The bed of grass specially prepared for saints adopting “sainle’khana”) of one, whose soul is pure, consists of his soul. His “samstarak” does not consist of mere blades of grass or of specially purified ground (prasuk-bhumi).
577-578 During “sainle’khana”, the misused weapons, poisons, ghosts misused instruments and exceted serpents etc, do not harm the careless (saint) so much as do the thorns of deceit, wrong faith and future desire, lurking in his mind. They make the attainment of (perfect) knowledge (Bodhi/revealation) difficult; and the end of mundane existence, not probable.
579. That is why, the prideless ascetic out roots the blemished of deceit, wrong faith and desire for future sense pleasure, which constitutes the very root (or origin) of the creeper of re-birth.
580. The attainment of (perfect) knowledge to the (impure) souls. Who succumb to death in a state of dark black thought colour, aspiring for future sense-pleasures and engrossed in wrong faith is difficult (not possible).
581. The attainment of (perfect) knowledge is easy to those (impure) souls, who are faithful and given to Right belief; who are free of all desires for future sense-pleasures; and who succumb to death in a state of white thought colour.
582. Therefore, the saints, who are desirous to attain three jewels at the time of their deah, should make it a point to practice the reverences and religious performances relating to Righteousness from before; because it is easier, for such saints, to practice reverences at the time of death.
583-584. A prince, born in a ruling family attains necessary skill in wielding weapon a a consequence of regular practice thereof; and becomes capable to achieve success in wars (against his enemies). In the same manner an equanimous saint, who daily practice the exercise of meditation, gets command over his mind and becomes capable of meditation at the time of his death.
585. Oh Bhavya! get your self established in a way of liberation. Contemplate about the same; experience the same and move about (roam/vihar kar) the same. Do not roam in substances, other than self.
586. The saint who has taken the vow or peaceful death, characterized by non attachment with the world and suppression of passions (sainle’khnarat sadhu) should renounce desires for sensual pleasures in this world as well as in the world beyond. He should (also) renounce the desire for (further) living or for (quick) dying such a saint should contemplate upon the evil consequences of mundane existence till his last breath.
587. The attachment with non selves (i.e. wealth grain, family members, body etc.) causes incarnation in lower grades of life (Durgati); and the absorption in self causes incarnation in higher grades of life (sugati). Knowing this keep your self absorbed in self and disinterested in (or indifferent towards) non selves.