MAHASATI CHANDANBALA

In Jain scriptures we have narration of many “Satis” (noble women) whose chastity, trustworthiness, patience and endurance were put to the test with all kinds of hardships and difficulties in life.
Among the famous “Satis” the story of Chandanbala is well known. Just as Mahasati Brahmi (daughter of the first Tirhtankar, Lord Adinath) became the leader of nuns during her time, Chandanbala became the leader of Jain nuns during Lord Mahavir’s time.
In the year 600 BC, the king of Champa, Dadhivahan and his wife, Dharini, had a daughter named Vasumati. She grew up to be a beautiful girl. Under the influence of her religious mother, she herself became very religious minded. Because of her calm and gentle nature she was called Chandan (Sandalwood) and later known as Chandanbala.
One day the beautiful princess dreamed that the whole kingdom of Champa was drowning in an ocean of sorrow and in the end she saw that she was the only person who could save it. The nightmare was so frightening, it shook her up. She related the nightmare to her mother with tears. Her mother tried to console her by telling her that the gist of religion is “Not to be overwhelmed by happiness, and never to be discouraged by misery. One can’t fight the power of destiny and Karma. It is needless to worry about it so let us just wait and see what happens.”
Her dream was a premonition to the sorry fate of Champa. King Shatnik of Kaushambi suddenly attacked Champa. His soldiers surrounded the town. He disregarded the treaty that he had signed with Dadhivahan and attacked the kingdom. Dadhivahan called his ministers and asked for advice. The ministers were all mad with rage and wanted war but Dadhivahan explained, “Our army is very small and is not organized nor well-prepared for this sudden attack so there will be unnecessary bloodshed on our side. I will first talk to Shatnik and try to reason with him.”
Dadhivahan went to Shatnik and requested him, “Oh Shatnik, first of all we are both related as our wives are sisters and there is no point in destroying two related families. Secondly, be a man of your own promise and don’t break the treaty that has been signed and honored by us for so many years !” Shatnik said haughtily, “I don’t care for our relation nor do I care for the treaty. All I am interested in is expanding the boundaries of my kingdom. Go back and meet me in the battlefield, or like a coward renounce your kingdom and live in exile.”
Dadhivahan. who was a very religiously inclined person decided he would renounce the kingdom rather than fight a war which would bring unnecessary bloodshed when there was no chance to win at all.
When he told his ministers about his decision to give up without a war, the ministers were very unhappy. They felt humiliated that their king had given up his kingdom without a war. They got all the soldiers together and declared war. Many soldiers fought and many of them were killed by the overpowering army of Shatnik. Finally Shatnik and his men were all over Champa, looting the wealth of the citizens and rejoicing.
Queen Dharini said to her daughter, “Vasumati, your dream has come true. The king has left us, the people of Champa are miserable, and there is no one to protect us know. However, it is better to die than to renounce our beliefs and principles of living.”
Suddenly, a charioteer entered the palace looking for wealth to loot. When he saw the beautiful queen and the princess he forgot about wealth and captured them and took them into a deep jungle. His intentions were not honorable.
When the queen realized that this man was overpowered by lust, she pulled her tongue inward (choked herself), and ended her life to save her honor and chastity rather than be a prey to the desires of that charioteer. The charioteer was really surprised and shocked by the queen’s death. He suddenly came back to his senses and was filled with remorse.
As Vasumati (Chandanbala) stood there looking at her mother, she knew that the only way she could save her honor was to end her life. When she started to choke herself the charioteer started weeping bitterly and said, “Oh Mahasati, Oh princess, you are like a daughter to me. I have already committed a big crime, so I beg you to please come with me and give me a chance to repent for my misdeed.”
She was very unhappy and angry but with her strength of religion she learned to suppress her anger and forgave the charioteer, who called her his daughter, and invited her to stay in his house. Then, they both cremated the queen in the jungle and left for Kaushambi where the charioteer lived.
The charioteer’s wife was waiting for her husband to come home with his chariot loaded with riches from Champa but when the charioteer arrived, his wife saw no sign of wealth, but saw a beautiful girl getting off the chariot.
She was confused and angry and asked the girl, “Who are you ?” (Chandan thought to herself, if I tell this woman the truth, the king of Kaushambi, her uncle, will be very angry and kill the charioteer. So she decided to keep her identity a secret. “Oh mother,” Chandan replied, “The charioteer has adopted me as his daughter and brought me here to live with you.”
The wife could not believe that her husband could be so foolish as to bring a girl with him instead of riches. However, she started to think, may be the charioteer has fallen for the girl’s beauty and someday soon this girl might become his wife and then he will discard me.
Chandan began to live with them. Her stepmother ill-treated her and made her do all the household chores. One day, the charioteer said to Chandan, “Daughter, this is your house. Why do you work like a slave ? Eat well and be happy here.”
When his wife heard this she got angry and said, “Oh yes ! Now I know that she is going to become your new wife soon ! The rich city of Champa was looted; but you, you could not bring anything. I had high hopes that you would at least bring 100 pieces of gold. Instead of wealth you brought me this girl, a big problem, to make me miserable forever. Even now you can sell this girl as a slave and get me 100 pieces of gold. Get me wealth or I will spread the rumor around the own that my husband got himself a new wife and then I will commit suicide.”
The charioteer was angry when he heard this and said. “Do as you please ! You can’t hurt my good name by your false rumors.” Everyday there were heated arguments between the two. Chandan started thinking, “Because of me my adopted parents are so miserable !” She said to her father, “Oh father, why are you talking to my mother with such harsh words. I can’t bear to see you both so unhappy. I want to go and be sold in the market so you can get the money to make my mother happy.” With these words Chandan left the house, and the charioteer with a heavy heart, had no choice but to follow her.
This beautiful princess stood on a platform in the center of the marketplace and began to shout. “Oh people of Kaushambi, I wish to be sold as a slave to any man who is willing to give my father 100 pieces of gold. I can do all the work that could be expected of a slave.” Seeing a beautiful girl in the middle of the marketplace, thousands of people gathered around. Many came forward to strike a deal but none could afford the high price of 100 pieces of gold.
In the afternoon a prostitute who had heard that a beautiful girl was selling herself accepted the offer and started to take the girl home. Chandan asked the prostitute, “Madam, what kind of work will I have to do at your place !” The prostitute said, “Oh my pretty girl, all you have to do is adorn yourself in beautiful clothes and entertain men.” Chandan exclaimed, “Oh madam, please forgive me, but I cannot come with you because I have a religious vow of staying a virgin all my life !” The prostitute was angry and said, “The deal is already made. You have to come with me.” Then she told her maids, “Drag this girl home !”
Chandan started worshipping God and asking for his help. Seeing this the charioteer pulled his sword out of the case and told the maids to leave her. All of a sudden from nowhere came a whole army of monkeys who attacked the prostitute. The monkeys started scratching the prostitute’s whole body with their nails. She was screaming for help but no one wanted to get in the midst of these monkeys.
Suddenly Chandan opened her eyes after meditation and said to the monkeys, “Oh monkeys stop hurting this lady !” The monkeys obeyed and disappeared. The prostitute was surprised to see the girl’s power of worship and strength. She thought, “This girl is a real saint,” and fell at Chandan’s feet and said, “Oh Mahasati ! Please forgive me.” At this time Chandan gave her a sermon on the importance of chastity and the power of worship and meditation. The prostitute was so impressed that she gave up her business of ill-repute forever.
After this incident, Chandan was again shouting “Someone please come forward and buy me.” As she was shouting, the charioteer was weeping and saying to himself. “Oh how unfortunate I am that this pure angel, who was in my home, is moving out today !”
It so happened that in the evening a millionaire by the name of Sheth Dhanna was passing by. When he saw this beautiful angel, he knew right away from her appearance that this was no ordinary girl, but a pure angel. He was willing to buy her, but as he started to pay, Chandan asked, “You are buying me but first let me know what kind of work I will have to do at your house.” Dhanna Sheth said, “Oh daughter, all you will have to do is practice your religion and meditation. When some holy men pass by, please serve them meals at my house so you and my family will both have the opportunity to be blessed.”
Shethji gave 100 pieces of gold to the charioteer. When the charioteer refused to accept the money, Chandan tried to force him to accept it for her mother’s sake. She said, “Oh father if you go home without the pieces of gold my mother will be miserable, and as long as she is miserable you will not have peace. Therefore, you must take it.” Chandan told Shethji to send the gold to the charioteer’s house in a cart. When the charioteer’s wife saw the gold, she was very very happy !
The problem that Chandan tried to get rid of, arose here again. Shethji’s wife, Moola, was extremely jealous of Chandan’s beauty. Though Chandan always addressed Moola as ‘mother’, Moola was still jealous and constantly harassed Chandan. She cursed her and called her names. One of the maids tried to reason with Moola and told her “Oh madam, this girl has a pure and good character. Dispel all your doubts about an affair between your husband and this girl. It is just not true.” Moola became angry and twisted the ear of the maid and threw her out of her house.
One day Chandan had just washed her long beautiful hair and was drying it in the sun. At that moment, Shethji came from work and asked for water to wash his feet. As Chandan was pouring the water on Shethji’s feet, her long hair covered her face and hindered her vision. The simple hearted Shethji held her hair back as she was pouring the water.
When Moola saw this, she was convinced that Shethji had plans to marry Chandan and make her his bride. Shethji suspected that his wife was ill-treating Chandan so he always made sure that Chandan had everything and was not ill-treated.
However, one day Shethji had to leave to tend to business in another town. Moola seized this opportunity and began to beat Chandan. Chandan begged Moola to believe her and told her to put her to test. Moola was angry and said, “OK, now I will test you.” Moola cut Chandan’s beautiful long hair, tied chains on her hands and feet, and locked her in a dark cellar of the house. After locking Chandan in the cellar, Moola went to visit her mother who lived in the same town.
It was four full days and Chandan was still tied up in the dark cellar. Despite her predicament, she was neither unhappy nor angry. She considered this an opportunity for self-perception and meditation.
In the afternoon of the fourth day, Shethji arrived from his trip. He found the house locked so he got his keys and opened the door and started to call, “Is someone home ? Chandan where are you ?” When Chandan heard his voice she said, “Oh father, I am here in the cellar.”
When Shethji saw Chandan chained up, he was so shocked that he fainted. After sometime he regained consciousness and began to cry like a child. She tried to get him up on his feet by saying, “Oh father, I have been hungry for the past three days. Please get up and give me some food.”
Shethji got up and wiped his tears and started looking for food in the kitchen. The only food he found was lentils which had been cooked three days earlier. He could not find a dish or bowl so he made a cone from dried leaves and gave her the lentils. As Chandan got the food, she went on aspiring herself, “Oh, I wish I could share this food with some person.” Shethji had left the house to get a blacksmith to unlock Chandan’s chains.
At this auspicious moment, Lord Mahavir suddenly appeared at the threshold. He was in the twelfth year of penance. He had taken a vow of having thirteen requirements met as a precondition for accepting his alms from any lady at any house meaning that if any of these requirements was missing, he would not take food. The thirteen requirements were:
(1) Good character
(2) Princess
(3) Should have been bought from somewhere
(4) Should have a shaven head
(5) Should be wearing only one cloth
(6) Have chains on her feet
(7) Have handcuffs on her hands
(8) Should be hungry and thirsty for the past three days
(9) Should have one foot inside and one foot outside the threshold
(10) Should be carrying boiled lentils in a cone made from a dried leaf
(11) Should be happy
(12) Should have tears in her eyes
(13) The time should be the third part of the day
Chandan immediately knew that a saint was at her doorstep. She was so happy and excited that she ran up the steps to greet the Lord. Her chains suddenly broke and she was free ! When the Lord looked at her, he thought that twelve of the conditions of my vow are being met here, but I need all thirteen of them to be fulfilled.
So he started to walk away without accepting the alms. As he walked away, Chandan was disappointed and tears began to flow from her eyes. “Oh Lord, if you can’t be with me today, then who will be on my side ? Oh no ! It is not possible ! If God himself walks away from his worshippers, then who will worship him ?”
As soon as the Lord saw tears in the eyes of the girl, all of his conditions were fulfilled and he returned to accept the food. At this moment, the air was filled with songs of Chandan’s praise. “Oh blessed is the daughter of king Dadhivahan and queen Dharini; princess Chandan is a “Mahasati” who has blessed this world by offering the Lord his meal after a fast of more than five months.”
Suddenly, her hair grew back and her beauty was restored. There was a golden throne on which Chandan was seated. There was a shower of gold coins, flowers and other such heavenly objects from heaven.
At this time Moola heard of the shower of gold and came and began to collect the coins. A voice from heaven said “No one should touch those coins ! They are for auspicious celebrations and are to be used when Mahasati renounces the world to become a nun.” Moola was disappointed and returned home where she found the beautiful princess seated on a golden throne.
Chandan stepped down from her throne and said “Oh mother, please come and be seated on the throne.” At this moment, Shethji arrived with the locksmith and was overjoyed to see this scene. Chandan explained the whole story and invited her father to sit on the throne next to her mother.
The news spread far and wide. The charioteer and his wife came to worship her. Even the prostitute who had already given up her trade came to worship the Mahasati. King Shatnik and his queen, Mrigavati, heard the news and came to worship her. They begged for her forgiveness for their ruthless attack on her father’s kingdom and begged her to return with them and live in their palace.
Chandan seized this opportunity to preach to the king and said, “Those palaces, where for the greed of power, people are slaughtered, where unjust greedy people like you live - are you asking me to come there ? Persons like you who forced my father to leave his kingdom, my mother to commit suicide and me to be sold as a commodity in the market ? Now why are you asking me to go to those palaces ?”
Shatnik was very ashamed and begged her to come to his palace so he could wash all the impurity and sins of his palace with the footprints of this holy princess. When he insisted, she sought permission of her father and begged him to let her go. After her first meal, she went to Shatnik’s palace and inquired about her natural father, king Dadhivahan.
People went in search of him in the forest and when they found him they insisted that he must come home for his daughter’s sake. King Shatnik welcomed him, begged for forgiveness and returned Champa to Dadhivahan. Chandan was very happy and they both talked about their lives in the past few years.
After twelve years, Lord Mahavir was enlightened. Indrabhuti and other Brahmins embraced the monkshood with the blessing of Lord Mahavir.
Chandan heard the news and wanted to become a nun. Her family tried to persuade her to marry a prince but she refused and went to Lord Mahavir. All the royal families got together and gave her permission and had a great celebration for her.
Chandan became the leader of the nuns. 36,000 nuns accepted her supervision and obeyed her. After deep meditation, she was enlightened. All the people gathered and shouted: “Victory to the liberated soul of Mahasati Chandanbala !”