Rajkumari Chandanbala Diwakar Chitrakatha 011 - Book Summary

This is a comprehensive summary of "Rajkumari Chandanbala Diwakar Chitrakatha 011," a Jain comic book focusing on the life of Princess Chandanbala:

Overall Theme: The comic book tells the inspiring story of Princess Chandanbala, a Jain princess who endures immense hardship and suffering but maintains her faith, virtue, and composure, ultimately achieving spiritual enlightenment and becoming a prominent figure in the Jain monastic order. The narrative emphasizes Jain principles of perseverance, compassion, karma, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness.

Key Plot Points and Character Arcs:

Introduction to Life's Cycles: The book begins by acknowledging the natural ebb and flow of life, with its ups and downs, similarities to the changing seasons. It states that those who maintain balance and focus on their goals during these times become historical figures and great souls.
Chandanbala's Early Life and Downfall: Princess Chandanbala (also referred to as Vasumati) is born into the royal family of Champa, daughter of King Dadivahan and Queen Dharani. Her childhood is filled with joy and luxury. However, her life takes a dramatic turn as she grows older.
Invasion and Captivity: Champa is invaded by the army of Kaushambi. King Dadivahan goes missing in battle, and Champa falls under Kaushambi's rule. In the chaos, Chandanbala and her mother are taken captive by a soldier.
The Soldier's Cruelty and the Mother's Sacrifice: The soldier attempts to force himself upon Chandanbala and her mother. To protect her chastity, Chandanbala's mother tragically bites off her own tongue and dies. Witnessing this, the soldier is remorseful, and Chandanbala forgives him, leading him to adopt her as his daughter.
Forced Sale and the City's Vice: The soldier's wife, greedy for wealth, insists that Chandanbala be sold. Chandanbala is taken to the slave market. A wealthy woman, revealed to be a madam (nagar nayika), attempts to buy Chandanbala for illicit purposes.
Divine Intervention and Compassion: Chandanbala prays to Lord Mahavir, and a swarm of monkeys miraculously intervenes, attacking the madam and her servants. Chandanbala, despite her own suffering, shows compassion by stopping the monkeys and helping the injured madam. This act of kindness leads the madam to repent her sinful ways.
The Virtuous Merchant and a New Home: A kind and religious merchant, Dhanavaha, witnesses Chandanbala's plight. He is moved by her virtue and adopts her, renaming her Chandanbala (meaning "fragrant like sandalwood"). She quickly wins the hearts of everyone in the household with her diligence, service, and sweet behavior.
The Jealousy of the Stepmother: The merchant's wife, Mula, becomes intensely jealous of Chandanbala's growing popularity and good character. She starts finding fault with Chandanbala and plotting against her.
The False Accusation and Imprisonment: Mula falsely accuses Chandanbala of seducing her husband, citing an incident where the merchant had gently pushed Chandanbala's hair away from her face while she was washing his feet. Fueled by suspicion, Mula locks Chandanbala in a dark cellar, chaining her and leaving her without food or water for three days.
Lord Mahavir's Auspicious Vow (Abhigraha): Meanwhile, Lord Mahavir undertakes a difficult vow: to accept alms only from a princess who has lived a pure life, been sold in the market, wears handcuffs and shackles, has a shaved head, has been hungry and thirsty for three days, has been imprisoned, is sitting on a doorstep with one foot inside and one foot outside, holding a sieve with urad dal (black lentils), a happy expression, but tears in her eyes. He will fast for six months if these conditions are not met.
Chandanbala Meets the Conditions: Upon her release by the returning merchant (who finds her in the cellar), Chandanbala, still in chains, hungry, and thirsty, sits on the doorstep with a sieve of urad dal. As she awaits the merchant, she experiences joy at the thought of serving an ascetic, but tears of sorrow and remembrance also well up. Lord Mahavir, passing by, recognizes that all the conditions of his vow are met, except for the tears. He turns away, and only then do Chandanbala's tears of longing and devotion flow. Seeing this, Lord Mahavir turns back.
The Great Donation and Liberation: Chandanbala offers the urad dal to Lord Mahavir. As he accepts her offering, her chains and shackles magically break, and heavenly music plays, signifying her great donation.
Divine Recognition and Repentance: Gods descend, and Indra acknowledges Chandanbala's immense fortune and the sanctity of her act. The stepmother, Mula, realizing her grave error and Chandanbala's divine grace, repents and apologizes.
Reunion and Royal Recognition: News of Lord Mahavir's vow fulfillment reaches King Shataneek of Kaushambi. He and Queen Mrigavati visit Chandanbala and recognize her as their niece (daughter of Queen Dharani). They apologize for the suffering caused by their invasion of Champa.
Refusal of Royal Life and Dedication to Jainism: Despite their invitations and apologies, Chandanbala chooses to remain with the merchant who gave her refuge. She patiently awaits the time when she can formally take Jain vows.
Renunciation and Leadership: Eventually, after Lord Mahavir attains Keval Gyan (omniscience) and establishes his Samavsaran (preaching assembly), Chandanbala receives divine assistance to reach him. She takes initiation (diksha) along with many other women and becomes the leader (nayika) of the Shramani Sangha (female monastic order), guiding women on the path to spiritual liberation.

Key Takeaways:

Strength in Adversity: Chandanbala's story highlights the importance of inner strength, faith, and resilience when facing extreme hardship.
The Power of Karma: The narrative emphasizes the law of karma, suggesting that Chandanbala's suffering was a result of past actions, and her virtuous conduct in the present life brought her liberation.
Chastity and Purity: The comic book underscores the Jain value of chastity (sheel) and the extreme measures individuals might take to protect it.
Compassion and Forgiveness: Chandanbala's acts of compassion, even towards those who wronged her, are portrayed as virtuous and ultimately lead to positive outcomes.
The Path to Liberation: The story culminates in Chandanbala's spiritual journey, demonstrating the Jain path to liberation through asceticism, devotion, and adherence to religious principles.
The Importance of Virtuous Conduct: The book implicitly promotes virtuous living, kindness, and devotion to spiritual principles as the key to overcoming suffering and achieving lasting happiness.