Candana

Summary

Puran Chand Samsookha’s short story “Candana” retells the well‑known legend of Chandanbala (Candana), the slave girl who played a pivotal role in the life of Mahāvīra. The narrative is set during Mahāvīra’s twelve‑year period of extreme asceticism when he practised fasting and renunciation. According to Jain tradition, during his twelfth year he vowed to break his fast only if offered boiled pulses (gotto) by a noble woman who was in bondage, had a shaved head and had not eaten herself. The vow, known as abhigraha, meant that Mahāvīra would not accept food unless these specific conditions were met. For months the conditions were not fulfilled, and Mahāvīra continued to fast. In the city of Kaushāmbī lived Candana, a princess who had been abducted and sold into slavery. She was kept in chains by the merchant Dhanavīra’s cruel wife. One day Candana decided to cook boiled pulses to feed travellers returning from pilgrimage. She distributed her food to a group of ascetics and was left with only a single boiled pea (gram). At that moment Mahāvīra arrived at her door. Though she had nothing more to offer, Candana humbly placed the lone pulse in Mahāvīra’s folded palms and prayed that he accept it. The story describes how supernatural beings—gods and guardian spirits—intervened to ensure that the conditions of Mahāvīra’s vow were satisfied. A celestial being disguised as a poor man shackled Candana’s foot, another removed her hair and yet another prevented her from eating until after she had offered the food. When she placed the single pulse in Mahāvīra’s hands, it miraculously became a dish of boiled pulses, fulfilling the vow. Mahāvīra accepted the offering and broke his prolonged fast. The chains binding Candana fell off, symbolising the breaking of her karmic fetters. Moved by her devotion and purity, Mahāvīra instructed King Śreṇika to free Candana and to atone for the injustice she had suffered. Subsequently she joined the order of nuns and eventually became its head, overseeing thousands of female ascetics. The story’s underlying message is that even a humble offering, when made with sincerity and compassion, is meritorious and leads to spiritual liberation. It highlights Jain values such as non‑violence, generosity, self‑restraint and the equality of souls irrespective of social status.