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Scriptures and saints have unanimously criticized suicide as it ends human life which is very rare to get. As this answer says, those who commit suicide become ghosts.

But because suicide involves death, it must be part of prarabdha and that which is prarabdha is bound to happen. So why is suicide criticized?

Pinakin
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    Good Qn. Related: Which are the crimes in which people becomes ghost and for how much time?. Not all types of suicides are sin. I think, if the suicide is done as completely relying on prArabhdha (i.e. giving up "doership"), then it's not a sin. However, if it's done with senses involved (i.e. fear, anxiety, escape, crazyness, ...), then it's a sin. You may also tag it with "philosophy". – iammilind Sep 05 '17 at 12:42
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    Even Adharmic and Dharmic acts we do in this life are part of Prarabda but Adharma or something which causes bad consequences is always condemned. – The Destroyer Sep 05 '17 at 12:44
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    If it is somebody's prarabdha to commit suicide, then it is also their prarabdha to be punished for it. If you did lot of papam in previous lives, your 'prarabdha' will compel you to do more papam. Your job is to fight these vasanas. Saying 'Oh I'm poor, so I will steal - will make you even poorer by going to jail". The only way to break out of papa-cycle is to mentally fight the urge to do adharma. By that logic, anyone can claim that their vasanas are prarabdha, and they 'have no choice' but to steal. Then Yama dhootas simply will reply, 'it is our vasana to punish you' – ram Sep 05 '17 at 13:23
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    According to ur logic nothing should be condemned because everything is ultimately linked to prarabdha? – Rickross Sep 05 '17 at 15:38
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    It is not part of prarabdha. Prarabdha is fruits of past karma coming into experience. Intention to commit suicide and committing suicide is aagaami and sanchita paapam. –  Sep 05 '17 at 16:38
  • @Rickross Why should we condemn it when we know no one can stop similar thing from happening in future? People who doesn't know about prarabdha can condemn such incidents but despite knowing the cause behind such incidents, i.e prarabdha, how can someone condemn it? – Pinakin Sep 05 '17 at 17:40
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    @moonstar2001 Major events in a person's lifetime are prarabdha and death is one of the major events, it has to be part of prarabdha. And if it's not then even God doesn't know the future. In fact, according to Sage Astavakra, whole life is Prarabdha, every single action be it small or big is prarabdha and the only thing we have control over is either attachment or non-attachment to a particular action and this is exactly what Sri Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita - do karma but don't attach yourself to it. – Pinakin Sep 05 '17 at 17:42
  • @ChinmaySarupria No. –  Sep 06 '17 at 04:09
  • Then what about murder? Is it also part of parbrahma? We should stop criticize murder also and stop giving punishment on murder? Suicide is also a murder. – Vishvam Sep 06 '17 at 04:38
  • @chinmaysarupria But still murder is crime in both legally and religiously. The thing is, you are not authorized of the decision that you/anyone has to meet parbrahma on which time and by which medium. You cant decide when you/anyone need to end life to meet parbrahma. It's authority of Parbrama himself. He will decide which life will be end on what time, not you or anyone else. You didn't come in this life by your own wish, then how you can leave life with your own wish. Its Lord who gave you life and it will be Lord who will take life from u whenever he want. – Vishvam Sep 06 '17 at 07:50
  • @Rishabh I am not saying that I will decide when something will happen, what I am saying is that death is pre fixed, i.e, it will come when it is destined. For example, if a person is bound to die on 1st January, then he will die either by normal means or murder or suicide. – Pinakin Sep 06 '17 at 08:34
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    @moonstar2001, I think whatever Chinmay said regarding prarabdha is true -- "according to Sage Astavakra, whole life is Prarabdha", it's perfectly resembling what Krishna said in Gita. If one is attached to an action, then one bears its fruits. If one is not attached to the action, then one doesn't bear. Now collectively, if one is not attached to any actions throughout the life, then no fruits remain to be bore. That person becomes free while living itself. Upon death, he/she doesn't have to reborn, as there is no purpose (fruits) pending. – iammilind Sep 06 '17 at 12:35
  • @ChinmaySarupria You are confusing prarabdha and sucide. – Praveen Gaikwad Sep 07 '17 at 10:57

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Scriptures may condemn suicide, because mostly it's done with a purpose.

Anything which is done with a purpose, be it good/bad/ugly -- one has to bear its fruits. If no purpose then no fruits. According to Gita, death has a crucial importance in deciding the next phase, which is based on state of mind. The state of mind is based on what the person has accumulated/learned throughout the life.

BG 8.6 — Also [when] the body is left remembering whatever "Nature" at the end, O son of Kunti, [it] always approaches towards establishing those nature(s) only.

If person is in the state of fear, anxiety, escape, craziness (e.g. "blue whale game"), then those emotions would certainly follow in the afterlife or the next birth. The consciousness either gets trapped for a duration as a ghost or creates a very weak minded person, which is a liability for the society.
Upon committing suicide, a person not only kills a body, but also creates distress for those who are associated with. Hence, "suicide" is condemned.

There are rare scenarios where suicide is not condemned. This is when a person is left with no purpose. A person without any purpose becomes free & realises that the physical body is bound by the 3 modes of Prakruti. Whether one lives or dies.
Note: Tendency to have "no purpose" is also a "purpose". Repenting or being happy with having "no purpose", is also a "purpose". So be careful with the words "no purpose".

e.g. After hearing about the death of Ashwathama, Drona was left with no purpose. His body started showing up those signs. He continued to fight for a while with the enemies, but without purpose. He dropped the weapons, without purpose. He sat in the midst of active battle (unlike Arjuna), without purpose. Went into Kriya yoga and finally didn't find any purpose to breathe. As described in this answer, after leaving the physical body finally his consciousness merged back to Brahman and attained Moksha.

I completely agree that, Whole life is prArabhda. If we are within the scope of prArabhda, where we attach doership, then we have to bear the results of such actions, including suicide.
Outside the scope of prArabhda, one realises that actually there is no doership, it's all fate. Hence sins & virtues don't exist.

BG 5.14 - Neither "Doership" (Kartutva) nor "Actions" (Karma) nor "Reactions" (result of actions) of the people are created by the Omnipotent; But only their nature [3 modes] pervades.
BG 5.15 - The Omnipresent neither accepts anybody's sin nor even virtue. Knowledge remains covered by ignorance. Thus the creatures become deluded.

iammilind
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