A truly noble person is not one born into a noble family but one who shows patience, tolerance, depth and humility. A truly beautiful person is not one who is beautiful in body but one who has virtues, good behaviour and politeness. And a true winner is not one who defeats armies but one who faces the ups and downs of life with courage, compassion and honesty.
Chnadanbala was truly noble, beautiful and a winner. She was the first disciple of Lord Mahavira and the first Jain nun by 599 BC, when Lord Mahavira attained Moksha, his followers consisted of 14,000 monks, 36,000 nuns 159,000 shravaks and 318,000 shravikas. The group of nuns was led by Chandanbala.
Chandanbala’s story is inspiring and relevant even today. Chandana was born as Vasumati in a royal family to King Dadhivahan and Queen Dharini of Champanagar in Bihar. When the kingdom was attacked by a neighbouring ruler, the King Dadhivahan, a believer in non-violence left the kingdom and went away. Left vulnerable in the hands of an enemy soldier Rathik, Queen Dharini sacrificed herself for the sake of her purity and honour, thereby leaving Vasumati all alone in the world.
The Rathik realised that he could not keep Vasumati and at the behest of her pleas sold her in the market place to a Nartaki (Dancer). Vasumati did not want to join Nartaki’s way of life. A businessman named Dhanavah noticed Vasumati’s misfortune and agreed to pay the amount demanded by the Nartaki to release her. Dhanavah gave her the name Chandanbala. However, his wife Moola was suspicious of the relationship between her husband and Chandanabala and mistreated her. To get rid of her she shaved her head, shackled her and locked her in the cellar. Dhanavah freed Chandana, at which point she saw Lord Mahavira and offered him food.
Earlier, Lord Mahavira had taken a silent vow to fast until offered food by a person who met several untold conditions (Abhigrah). Chandanabala met all but one of his conditions, which was that she did not have tears in her eyes. So he refused her offerings. This rejection brought tears to Chandanabalas’s eyes, thereby fulfilling all his conditions. Thus Lord Mahavira broke his fast of 5 months and 25 days at the hands of Chandanabala. She was initiated into his monastic order and became the first nun of Lord Mahavira’s sangh.
SCENE 1
King Dadhivahan and Queen Dharini of Champanagari are upset on being attacked by their neighbouring ruler Shaitanik. While the Prime Minister is keen to fight back, Dadhivahan a believer in non-violence seeks to avoid war, leaving his kingdom. His queen Dharini and daughter Vasumati are left with no choice but to take the help of an enemy soldier/rathik to escape.
SCENE 2
Now that the queen is dead, Vasumati must go with the enemy soldier to the city of Kaushambi. On the way they both realise that he cannot keep her and so Vasumati requests him to sell her in the marketplace.
SCENE 3
The businessman Seth Dhanvah saves Vasumati from the Nartaki and gives her the name Chandanbala. He now takes her to his house. Where, his wife, renowned for her bad behaviour, creates further problems for Chandanabala.
Mean while, Lord Mahavira has been fasting for nearly six months having vowed to eat only when offered food by a person meeting several undisclosed conditions. These conditions were that he would only eat Urad dal or lentils; served in a particular manner; given by a person who was a princess turned into a slave; who was a chaste woman; who had a shaved head; whose legs were bound by chains; who was standing sideways with one foot on the threshold of a dwelling place and the other foot outside; who at the time was performing a 3-day fast; who would serve him only after all other mendicants had rejected her offerings and who had tears in her eyes.
CONCLUSION
Having met all of Lord Mahavira’s conditions, Chandanbala’s offerings are accepted by Lord Mahavira and he breaks his long fast. At this point, Chandanbala’s shackles are broken and a Shower of gold coins rains on Seth Dhanavah’s house. On hearing of this, his wife Moola runs to the house and tries to collect the coins at which point she is warned that this money is only to be used for Chandanbala’s initiation cermony. Chandanbala was then initiated into the monistic order and became the first nun of Lord Mahavira’s Sangh.
Chandanbala - The Story