The Fast of Chandanbala

Princess Vasumati was the daughter of King Dadhivahana. During a war, her city was conquered, and she was captured by an enemy soldier. She was sold in the slave market to a wealthy merchant named Dhanavaha, who renamed her Chandanbala and treated her like a daughter.

However, the merchant's wife grew fiercely jealous of Chandanbala's beauty. One day, when the merchant was away, the wife shaved Chandanbala's head, chained her feet, locked her in a dark cellar, and gave her no food.

When the merchant returned days later and found her, he was horrified. He immediately brought her some dry lentil husks (bakula) to eat before he went to fetch a blacksmith to cut her heavy iron chains.

At that exact time, Lord Mahavira was passing by. He had taken a very difficult vow: he would only break his six-month fast if he received food from a chained, shaven, starving princess who offered it with tears of joy.

Seeing the Lord, Chandanbala forgot her own intense hunger and suffering. Filled with ecstatic devotion, she offered the dry lentil husks to Mahavira. As she did, tears of sheer joy streamed down her face, fulfilling all the impossible conditions of Mahavira's vow.

As Mahavira accepted the food, a miracle occurred. The heavy iron chains fell from Chandanbala's body, her hair grew back, and she was clothed in divine garments. She later became the head of the Jain order of nuns (Sadhvis).