Chandanabala

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text "Chandanbala":

This text tells the story of Chandanbala, a princess who faced immense hardship and ultimately achieved spiritual liberation.

Early Life and Tragedy: Chandanbala was born as Vasumati, the beautiful daughter of King Diwahana and Queen Dharini of Champapuri in Bihar, India. During a war between King Diwahana and the neighboring King Shatnik near Kaushambi, King Diwahana was defeated and fled. Upon hearing of the defeat, Queen Dharini and Princess Vasumati also fled. They were captured by enemy soldiers. The soldier who captured them demanded Queen Dharini marry him and intended to sell Vasumati. Overwhelmed by this, Queen Dharini died on the spot.

Enslavement and Adoption: The soldier took Vasumati to Kaushambi to sell her in the market. Seth Dhanavah, a wealthy merchant, passed by and noticed Vasumati's innocent and frightened demeanor. He surmised she was from a noble family, separated from her parents, and would suffer greatly if sold as a slave. Moved by compassion, Dhanavah bought her and brought her home. On the way, he tried to inquire about her identity, but Vasumati remained silent, deeply distressed. Dhanavah reassured her and told his wife, Mula, to treat the girl as their own daughter. Vasumati, finding peace, thanked them respectfully. Since she hadn't revealed her real name, they named her Chandanbala.

Mula's Jealousy and Cruelty: Chandanbala lived happily in the merchant's house like their own daughter, bringing great joy to Dhanavah. However, Mula grew suspicious of the affection between Dhanavah and Chandanbala, particularly fearing Dhanavah might marry her due to her beauty. Mula resented Chandanbala's presence.

One day, when Dhanavah was away, Chandanbala was washing his feet as the usual servant was absent. As she bowed, her long hair fell down. Dhanavah, seeing this, gently tied her hair up to prevent it from getting dirty. Mula witnessed this and her suspicions intensified, fueling her desire to get rid of Chandanbala.

When Dhanavah left for a three-day business trip, Mula seized the opportunity. She called a barber, had Chandanbala's beautiful hair shaved off, and then bound her legs with heavy chains, locking her in the basement of the house. She strictly instructed the servants not to reveal Chandanbala's whereabouts to Dhanavah, threatening them with the same fate. Mula then left for her parental home.

Dhanavah's Distress and Chandanbala's Rescue: Upon returning, Dhanavah found neither Chandanbala nor Mula. The servants told him Mula had gone home, but out of fear of Mula, they refused to reveal Chandanbala's location, despite Dhanavah's worried pleas. A compassionate old servant, Mula's servant, decided to reveal the truth, thinking she had little to lose in her old age. She informed Dhanavah about Mula's actions and Chandanbala's location.

Dhanavah rushed to the basement, opened the locks, and was shocked to see Chandanbala in such a state. He promised to get her food and break her shackles. He found some boiled urad beans and offered them to Chandanbala. He went to get a blacksmith to break her chains.

Chandanbala's Spiritual Resolve and Lord Mahavir's Vow: Chandanbala reflected on the drastic change in her life, from princess to helpless captive. She decided she would only eat after offering some of her food to a mendicant or mendicant nun. She went to the doorway, placing one foot inside and one foot outside the threshold, and sat with the urad beans. To her surprise, she saw Lord Mahavir approaching. Overwhelmed, she tearfully offered him her alms bowl, saying, "O revered Guru, please accept my bowl."

Lord Mahavir had taken a specific vow (abhigraha): he would only accept alms from a princess who had shaved her head, had chains on her feet, was sitting with one foot inside and one outside the threshold with urad beans, and had tears in her eyes. Lord Mahavir saw that all the conditions of his vow were met. With the fulfillment of his vow, which had led him to fast for five months and twenty-five days, he happily accepted Chandanbala's alms. The celestial beings rejoiced at the breaking of his fast.

Miraculous Transformation and Reunion: At that moment, a miracle occurred: Chandanbala's chains broke, her hair grew back, and she was adorned in royal attire. The sound of celestial drums alerted King Shatnik, who, along with his royal family and villagers, came to meet Chandanbala. A former servant of Chandanbala's father recognized her. He bowed to her and wept. When the king asked why he was crying, the servant revealed, "Your Majesty, this is Vasumati, the daughter of King Diwahana and Queen Dharini of Champapuri." The king and queen then recognized her and invited her to live with them.

Spiritual Attainment: When Lord Mahavir attained omniscience and established the fourfold Jain sangha, Chandanbala took initiation and became the foremost female disciple (sadhvi). She became the chief leader of the laywomen's sangha. Later, she also attained omniscience and attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Moral Lessons: The story teaches several virtues:

• Envy and its Destructive Nature: Mula's intense jealousy prevented her from understanding Chandanbala's innocent actions or recognizing Dhanavah's fatherly love, leading her to inflict terrible suffering on Chandanbala. This highlights the destructive power of envy.
• Selfless Service: The old servant, motivated by pure compassion, revealed the truth to Dhanavah, despite the risks. This selfless act brought her good karma, emphasizing the importance of good deeds in Jainism.
• Compassion and Helping the Needy: Dhanavah's compassionate nature, his willingness to support Chandanbala, and his desire to help the helpless exemplify the virtue of compassion.
• Selfless Devotion: Even in her dire circumstances, Chandanbala's offering to Lord Mahavir, a selfless act from the heart, demonstrated her deep devotion.
• Adherence to Principles: Chandanbala's adherence to the principles of Jainism guided her on the path to liberation.