Prakrit Sahitya Me Varnit Sheel Suraksha Ke Upay

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prakrit Sahitya me Varnit Sheel Suraksha ke Upay" by Hukamchand Jain, focusing on the methods of protecting chastity as described in Prakrit literature:

The text, authored by Dr. Hukamchand Jain, delves into the various strategies and tactics employed by women in Prakrit literature to protect their chastity (sheel). It highlights that Indian culture has always revered women as embodiments of beauty and grace, making them natural centers of attraction for men. Prakrit literature, too, portrays women as exceptionally beautiful, and their allure naturally draws male attention. However, these women are depicted as actively resisting and safeguarding their virtue.

The author outlines eight primary methods of sheel suraksha (chastity protection) found in Prakrit literature:

1. Instruction through Examples (दृष्टान्त-उद्बोधन द्वारा): This involves using illustrative stories and parables to educate and dissuade potential aggressors.

• Malli's Golden Idol: In the 'Malli Adhyayan' from the 'Niyayadhammakaha,' Princess Malli, faced with seven lovestruck princes ready to wage war for her hand, uses a golden idol filled with decaying food. She explains that just as the idol, outwardly beautiful, contains inner decay, so too are beautiful bodies filled with impure substances like phlegm, bile, urine, feces, blood, and bone. This realization leads the princes to detachment and renunciation.
• Kulavardhan Seth's Wife: In Acharya Nemichandra Suri's 'Ratnachudrayachariyam,' the wife of Kulavardhan Seth, unable to find any other means, tells the story of Madanshri. Madanshri cleverly invites King Vikramsen, who is enamored by her. She presents him with multiple thalis of food, all appearing different due to their coverings. When the King questions this, Madanshri reveals that the food is the same, highlighting how outward appearances can be deceiving. She then explains that women's bodies, though appearing different externally, are internally filled with similar impure elements. This analogy convinces the King to be content with his own wife.
• Rohini's Story: In Acharya Nemichandra Suri's 'Akhyanakmanikosh,' Rohini, whose husband is away, is propositioned by the local king. She invites him and delivers a powerful sermon, questioning who will educate him when he educates others on morality. She emphasizes the dire consequences of actions driven by lust and the temporary nature of youthful intoxication, urging him to not defile his lineage and act as a father to his subjects.
• Rajimati and Rathnemi: In the Uttaradhyayan Sutra, Rajimati, facing the lustful advances of Rathnemi (who has abandoned his ascetic vows), confronts him. She offers him her "vomit vessel," calling it an impure substance. When Rathnemi rejects it, she asks why he wishes to drink the impure "vomit" of worldly desires by abandoning his ascetic life. She compares a man who falters in his vows to a Harad tree easily uprooted by a slight breeze, stating his soul will similarly fall from its high status and wander in the cycle of birth and death.

2. Displaying a Fierce or Terrifying Form (रौद्र रूप प्रदर्शन द्वारा): When reasoned instruction fails and a man attempts to force himself, a woman might transform into a terrifying figure to scare him away.

• Rani Shiva: In the 'Avashyak Niryukti,' Minister Bhutdev becomes infatuated with Rani Shiva, wife of King Chandpradyot. He enters the queen's chambers during the king's absence and propositions her. After initial attempts at persuasion fail, Rani Shiva displays immense courage and power, roaring like thunderclouds and warning the minister to stop. She declares that even Indra cannot break her chastity. Seeing her fearsome form, the minister flees.

3. Changing Appearance (रूप परिवर्तन द्वारा): Women might use special herbs or devices to alter their appearance and escape unwanted attention.

• Rupvati Tara: Tara, forced to leave her home with her husband Chandra, lives with a gardener. She receives a pill from a mendicant that can change a woman into a man and vice-versa. When the local king becomes infatuated with her and attempts to embrace her, she quickly uses the pill, transforming into a man. The king, ashamed, retreats.

4. Feigning Madness (पागलपन के अभिनय द्वारा): Women might pretend to be insane to deter their pursuers.

• Narmada Sundari: Narmada Sundari is imprisoned and tortured to become a prostitute, but she resists. She later finds work in the kitchen, but the king desires her. When the king sends his guards to fetch her, Narmada, seeing a well, pretends to fall in and smears herself with mud. When the guard approaches, she confronts him, calling him a madman for desiring the king's queen. She throws mud at him, and screaming like a demon, runs into a crowd. The guards report her behavior, and the king, believing her to be insane, releases her.

5. Employing Special Tactics or Stratagems (किसी विशेष युक्ति द्वारा): Clever strategies are also employed to protect chastity.

• Shilavati: In the 'Kumarpal Pratibodh,' Shilavati, the wife of Ajitsen, is tested by the king who sends four young men to proposition her. When they threaten her, she realizes it's a planned conspiracy. She feigns acceptance and invites all four to an orchard at dusk, where she has planned to push them into a well and imprison them, thus protecting her chastity through a clever stratagem.

6. Gaining Time (समय-अन्तराल द्वारा): When other methods fail, women might agree to the advances of their pursuers but ask for a postponement, hoping for a change in circumstances.

• Draupadi: In the 'Niyayadhammakaha,' Draupadi is abducted by King Padmanabha. She tells him that her brother-in-law, Krishna, lives in Dwaraka and will come to fetch her within six months. If he doesn't arrive, she agrees to his will. This strategy of seeking time is also found in other Prakrit texts with stories like sati Mrigavati and King Chandpradyot, Tilak Sundari and Madankeshari, Jayalakshmi and Vijaysen, and Ratnavati and Rudramantri.

7. Self-Immolation (आत्म-घात द्वारा): As a last resort, when no other option is available, women might choose to end their lives to protect their chastity. Sati Chandana's story is mentioned as a prominent example.

8. Using the Fear of Public Condemnation (लोक-निन्दा का भय दिखाकर): Women can also use the fear of social disgrace to deter their pursuers.

• Madanrekha: King Manirath is infatuated with Madanrekha, the wife of his younger brother Yugabahu. Madanrekha, unaware of his intentions, treats him like a father. The king, however, sends her gifts. One day, finding her alone, he expresses his desires. Madanrekha understands his intent and confronts him, but the king persists. When the king tries to achieve his goal, Madanrekha's threat of public condemnation frustrates his attempts.

9. Chastity Protection by Men: The text also includes instances where men, when propositioned by women, uphold their vows through instruction or other means.

• Sanatkumara: In the 'Samaraiccaha,' Sanatkumara, estranged from his father, encounters Vilasavati. They develop an affair, but Vilasavati's stepmother, Anangavati, propositions Sanatkumara. He rejects her advances and maintains his vow.
• Sudharshana: In 'Akhyanakmanikosh,' Sudharshana protects his chastity by claiming to be impotent when Kapila, the wife of Kapil, propositions him in Kapil's absence. He declares his desire but states his "own past karma" has made him impotent. Dr. Hiralal Jain's work on 'Sudarshana Charita' is cited for further examples of male chastity protection.

Conclusion: The author concludes that the examples from Prakrit literature demonstrate that adherence to chastity was a significant life value in ancient Indian society. A woman's chastity was considered a greater adornment than material possessions, and its glory was widely praised. These narratives also reveal the resilience and struggle of Indian women, emphasizing that women are not merely objects of pleasure but possess their own dignity and independent personalities. The study of Prakrit literature, therefore, is crucial for understanding life values such as chastity, righteousness, effort, and self-reliance.

The final excerpt provides a poetic description of women from the 'Isibhasiyain,' categorizing them by their diverse qualities and appearances, but ultimately highlighting that true womanhood lies in the radiance of her own virtues.