Dampati Jivanna Dastaveji Patro

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Dampati Jivanna Dastaveji Patro" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, focusing on the content concerning Indulal Yagnik and his wife Kumud:

This essay, published in "Grihamadhuri" in March 1956, by Sukhlal Sanghavi, discusses the marital life of the prominent Gujarati leader Indulal Yagnik, specifically focusing on his autobiographical writings and the letters of his deceased wife, Kumud.

The author begins by acknowledging Indulal Yagnik not just as a servant of Gujarat but as an exceptional national figure. He notes that Yagnik has begun writing his autobiography, with two parts already published and readers eagerly awaiting further installments. While the "Grihamadhuri" might not be the ideal platform to delve into both parts of the autobiography, Sanghavi feels compelled to write about a specific aspect of the second part that sheds light on Yagnik's marital life.

Sanghavi highlights that Yagnik himself has openly and touchingly expressed his marital struggles under the title "The Agony of Married Life" ("Lagnajivan ni Vedana"). This candid outpouring is considered an immortal testament to his truthfulness. Sanghavi advises all Gujarati readers who can comprehend it to read and reflect upon Yagnik's words.

However, the core of Sanghavi's discussion revolves around two letters written by Kumud, Yagnik's late wife, which are published in the second part of Yagnik's autobiography. Sanghavi considers these letters immortal documents that reveal the deep respect and devotion of an "Arya Nari" (noble woman) within married life. He notes that these letters express Kumud's pure devotion to her husband, emanating from her delicate heart. He quotes a sage-like poet stating, "Man ma sanshatam" (Do not doubt in the mind), and sees this reflected in Kumud's life. The essence of this poetic statement, according to Sanghavi, is that nobility is achieved through virtuous conduct, not solely by birth, and its tangible manifestation is the unwavering, constant vitality of association with noble people. Every sentence in Kumud's letters, Sanghavi asserts, serves as proof of her noble womanhood.

This leads Sanghavi to ponder how someone as inherently suitable and possessing such innate qualities as Kumud could have been neglected by a compassionate and service-oriented man like Indulal Yagnik. He draws a parallel to the story of Shakuntala, where Kalidasa attributes Shakuntala's forgetting by Dushyanta to Durvasa's curse. However, Sanghavi points out that Kumud was not afflicted by any such curse.

He then addresses the question of what caused the estrangement. Sanghavi states that Yagnik himself admits to being captivated by a sharp woman of the new era. It was likely such feelings that hardened his compassionate heart. Yet, even in this severe crisis, Kumud remained affectionate, compassionate, and sympathetic. Sanghavi finds a remarkable blend of Sita and Draupadi's hearts in the noble and generous spirit Kumud displayed in her two letters. She implores and bows to Yagnik, but without demanding any overt pity, driven by self-respect and noble sentiments.

Sanghavi quotes excerpts from Kumud's letters:

• From the first letter: "According to your custom, a married wife is yours. Never, as long as life exists and the soul departs, will I become another's. Even if you do not desire us, even if you scorn our love, it is our dharma to love you. And not just outwardly, but in a way that connects the soul's strings."
• From the second letter: "In the life of the world, I have tried, and am trying, to hear the echoes of Brahma. My life passes in pursuit of yoga. I crush my heart, becoming merciless. Why did the Lord create this tenderness, this compassion in my heart? Why didn't He make it bony?"

These words, Sanghavi suggests, allow one to imagine the high ideals with which Kumud's mind was engaged and how she yearned for Indulal.

Sanghavi admits he doesn't know about Kumud's education or preparation. However, he concludes from her letters that she possessed not only extraordinary tenderness and noble womanhood but also remarkable understanding, discernment, a spirit of service, and endeavor. He states that if she were only Sita, she would have silently merged into the earth. But she also had Draupadi's spirit. This is why, overcoming the limitations of her naturally modest and shy heart as a woman of a noble family, she uttered loving yet poignant words to her seemingly harsh husband, much like Draupadi in a grand assembly. Sanghavi believes that when Kumud's noble outcries, even if late, reached Indulal Yagnik, his sensitive heart was shaken, and it transformed from hardness to tenderness. This very compassion, he argues, led him to write the introspective chapter "The Agony of Married Life."

While Rama's longing for Sita is indirectly conveyed through Valmiki's words, Sanghavi sees Indulal Yagnik's lament as direct for the reader. However, the overarching truth Sanghavi perceives in this tragic incident is Kumud's wise, noble spirit. Though she withered and dried within that same spirit, she left behind a memorable ideal.

The essay concludes by posing a question relevant to the times: "What about the man's side?" Sanghavi asks if there are still men who are not infatuated with their wives but are faithful and noble towards them, remaining devoted to their marital bond despite complete neglect. He acknowledges that such examples are not rare in the world, but finding true proof is challenging. He suggests that a man who is faithful to his wife might, in his bereavement, not remarry like Rama, but he would not engage in silent devotion to his father's companion in the way Kumud did.

In essence, the essay is a profound reflection on marital fidelity, the enduring spirit of noble womanhood, and the complexities of human relationships, using the personal narrative of Indulal Yagnik and the poignant letters of his wife Kumud as a case study. It extols Kumud's virtues of devotion, self-respect, and unwavering love, even in the face of marital neglect, while also prompting introspection on the responsibilities and conduct of men in marriage.