He wished to take this vow due to the impossibility of living a life in accordance with the religious restrictions as he suffered from an incurable disease called Bhasmaroga. His preceptor with his intuitive knowledge realized that he was going to live a longer time and he had the potential to make a very significant contribution to the Jain literature. Therefore, he declined the permission. For many Sallekhana is confused with the suicide since the word suicide covers all self-implicated deaths. The suicide is killing oneself by the means employed by onself.
Suicide is normally a misfortune of one's own making.
A victim of suicide is either a victim of his mental weakness or of the external circumstances which he is not able to circumvent. In the modern times, the mental and ethical strength has been deteriorating rapidly individually or in any social group. Our civilization has brought large number of psycological and social problems, which only strong individuals can survive. Frequent repititions of situations, which bring about the feelings of disappointment, depression, mental and emotional conflicts irresistably drive the victim to the horrible step of the suicide. On the other side in Sallekhana none of the above psychological or sociological charecteristics are found either in adopting this vow or in its fulfilment.