Acharya Prashant addresses a tragic incident involving a three-year-old girl with cancer who was subjected to the practice of Santhara (voluntary fasting unto death) by her parents on the advice of a religious figure. He clarifies that Santhara is a conscious, voluntary decision meant for spiritually mature individuals who realize their body has fulfilled its purpose and is becoming a burden. Applying this practice to a small child who lacks developed consciousness and cannot give consent is not a spiritual act but a form of cruelty. He emphasizes that while one may choose to stop 'fueling the machine' of the body when it no longer serves a meaningful purpose, this must be a dignified, independent decision made with full awareness, not a forced starvation of the helpless.
