Damyanti Charitra

The Jain text "Damyanti Charitra" (also known as Nalayan) authored by Manikyadevsuri and published by Atmanand Jain Sabha, is a devotional narrative focusing on the virtues and miraculous events in the life of Mahasati Damayanti. The text highlights her exceptional chastity (shila), unwavering devotion to her husband King Nala, and the remarkable patience and peace she displayed during their twelve-year separation.

The book details several miraculous incidents stemming from Damayanti's immense spiritual merit and chastity. It elaborates on the intricacies of various subjects, the deep marital devotion of the couple, the hardships of their separation, the downfall caused by addiction (gambling), and the resilience of the virtuous woman. The narrative is interspersed with captivating anecdotes, beautiful illustrations, and enlightening stories, all aimed at inspiring the reader towards righteous conduct and spiritual upliftment.

The introduction emphasizes the importance of studying the lives of virtuous individuals, particularly women, as role models for achieving spiritual well-being and societal progress. It mentions previously published virtuous female characters like Champakmala, Sur Sundari, and Mahadevi (mother of Lord Mahavir), and introduces this text as a valuable addition to the Jain literary tradition.

The text, originally composed in Sanskrit in verse form across 99 cantos and 4050 verses, was researched and edited by the learned Acharya Vijyendra Suri. The narrative places King Nala's reign during the period between the 15th Tirthankar, Dharmanath Bhagwan, and the 16th Tirthankar, Shantinath Bhagwan. It portrays King Nala as an exceptional ruler endowed with extraordinary beauty, strength, prosperity, philanthropic spirit, and immense glory. Damayanti is celebrated as the foremost among chaste women due to her exceptional form, intelligence, and glory, which stemmed from her virtuous past lives and rigorous penance.

The book recounts the miraculous events during Damayanti's Swayamvar (self-choice ceremony), where the goddess Saraswati herself described the virtues and qualities of the assembled gods and kings to Damayanti. It details Nala's devotion, the lessons imparted by her parents before marriage, the disastrous consequences of gambling, the cunning of the wicked, the fulfillment of vows, the path of virtuous women, statecraft, and the immense patience and peace experienced during their time in the forest. The twelve-year separation due to Nala's gambling addiction and its heart-wrenching depiction, along with the transformation of their lives, is vividly described. The text also includes incidental stories of ideal women like Shakuntala-Dushyanta, Kalavati, Subhadra, and Tilakmanjari, making it a rich and inspiring collection of narratives. The publication is a testament to the commitment of the Atmanand Jain Sabha to making valuable Jain literature accessible to the public, often supported by the generosity of patrons like Shri Fatehchand Jhaverchand and Seth Shri Manilal Vanmalidas.