Nari Charitra

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Nari Charitra" by Devendra Muni Shastri, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Nari Charitra (Woman's Character/Nature) Author: Devendra Muni Shastri Publisher: Lakshmi Pustak Bhandar

This book, "Nari Charitra," is a collection of stories and teachings, likely aimed at illustrating aspects of human behavior, morality, and the complexities of life, particularly through the lens of women's actions and characteristics, but also encompassing broader themes of virtue, duty, and consequence. The stories often feature King Vikramaditya as the central character, experiencing various situations that lead to moral lessons.

Key Themes and Stories:

The text explores several prominent themes through a series of narratives:

• The Importance of Dana (Charity) and Faith:

  • The initial story highlights King Vikramaditya's experience after encountering a benevolent tribal Bhil couple who saved him. Despite their simple life, they showed immense hospitality. After their tragic death, the King, witnessing this loss despite their good deeds, lost faith in charity and closed his charitable institutions.
  • A newly born child, revealed to be the reincarnation of the Bhil, explains to the King that the Bhil couple were indeed the same individuals, and his current prosperous birth was a result of the minor charity they offered. This serves as a lesson that even small acts of charity have consequences, and faith in good deeds should not be shaken by perceived misfortunes. The child, speaking with divine knowledge, convinces the King to reopen his charitable initiatives.

• Wisdom and the Nature of Women:

  • The book delves into the enigmatic nature of women's character ("Nari Charitra"). A section describes King Vikramaditya's visit to a land ruled by women, where men were subservient. Here, he receives fourteen powerful divine gems from the queen, each with unique abilities, such as building structures, attracting wealth, and ensuring safety.
  • A significant portion of the text focuses on King Vikramaditya's interactions with his guards and the unfolding of a conspiracy.
    • The Guards: Vikramaditya has four loyal guards: Shatmati, Sahastramati, Lakshmati, and Kotimati.
    • The Conspiracy and Misunderstanding: In the first watch of the night, Shatmati hears a woman crying and investigates. He learns from Rajalakshmi (the spirit of prosperity) that a dangerous snake will attack the King. Shatmati saves the King by killing the snake, but in the process, the snake's poisonous blood splatters on the Queen's chest. Shatmati cleans it, which the King misinterprets as an inappropriate touch.
    • The King's Mistrust: Enraged by this perceived infidelity, Vikramaditya, though his hand stops him from acting rashly, resolves to have Shatmati killed. He orders Sahastramati to kill Shatmati. Sahastramati, finding Shatmati innocent and realizing the King's potential error, cleverly avoids the act by claiming he was drawn by music, thus protecting Shatmati.
    • Repeat of the Pattern: The King then orders Lakshmati to kill Shatmati. Lakshmati, suspecting the King's delusion, recounts a story about a merchant's son and a dishonest diamond merchant to illustrate the dangers of hasty decisions without proper thought. This story highlights the importance of accurate evidence and the folly of acting on assumptions.
    • Final Guard's Intervention: Finally, Kotimati is ordered to kill Shatmati. Kotimati, like the others, believes the King is mistaken and tries to reason with him by telling stories that emphasize the consequences of rash actions and the hidden nature of truth. He tells the story of the woodcutter Kamlakant, who was granted a daily boon but lost it by revealing the secret, and the farmer Padam, who lost wealth by revealing the secret of his prosperity to a courtesan. He also recounts the story of Queen Rama, who left her husband for another king, only to find him dead and return to face rejection.
    • The Truth Revealed: Finally, Shatmati is brought before the King, and he reveals the truth by showing the four pieces of the snake he killed. The King is overwhelmed with remorse and joy, realizing his mistake and the loyalty of his guards. He rewards them generously.

• The Mystery of the Fish's Smile (Matsya Hasyam):

  • This section explores the enigmatic nature of women's behavior and the king's quest to understand a particular incident.
  • King Vikramaditya is captivated by his new queen, Padmavati, and neglects his other queens. The queens complain, leading to a discussion about true love versus artificiality.
  • Queen Devdamini narrates a story about a king whose queen refused to eat food from a plate with a painting of a male fish, claiming it violated her vow not to touch another man. The painted fish on the plate inexplicably smiled after her statement. The king is baffled by this event.
  • The mystery of the fish's smile becomes an obsession for the king. His court scholars and priests fail to explain it.
  • Finally, the wise daughter of the royal priest, Balpandita, offers to explain but warns the king against uncovering such secrets, comparing it to revealing the unseemly contents of the body, which would lead to disgust. She recounts stories of consequences for revealing secrets (Kamlakant, Padam) and for being led astray by passion (Queen Rama).
  • Despite the warnings, the king's curiosity persists. Balpandita eventually reveals that the queen's refusal to eat was a pretense. She was in love with the king's mahavat (elephant rider). The painted fish smiled because it "saw" the queen's duplicity and her feigned piety. The queen's back bore the marks of the mahavat's punishment from being late or failing to meet him. The divine intervention (implied through the minister Pushpahas) revealed the truth.

Overall Message:

"Nari Charitra" seems to be a didactic work that uses stories to convey lessons on:

• The importance of faith in good deeds, even in the face of adversity.
• The unpredictable and often complex nature of women's character, their emotions, and their actions.
• The dangers of hasty judgments and the need for careful consideration before acting.
• The value of loyalty, wisdom, and discernment, especially in positions of power.
• The consequences of succumbing to passions and the importance of maintaining one's vows and integrity.
• The need for balanced affection and understanding in relationships.

The book uses allegorical storytelling, divine interventions, and moralizing narratives to impart wisdom and guide the reader towards righteous living.