Dhanna and the Field of Karma

Dhanna (also known as Dhanna Sarthavaha) was Shalibhadra's brother-in-law. When Shalibhadra decided to renounce the world by leaving one wife per day, Dhanna laughed and said, 'A coward leaves slowly. A hero leaves the battlefield of Samsara in one stride.'

Shalibhadra challenged him, 'If you are a hero, why are you still sitting here in luxury?' Dhanna immediately stood up, leaving his own wealth, his wives, and his entire royal life behind without a second thought. He took initiation as a monk under Lord Mahavira.

As a monk, Dhanna undertook incredibly severe austerities. He fasted for months at a time, meditating in the scorching sun and freezing cold, showing absolute indifference to his physical body.

His body became completely emaciated, resembling a skeleton covered with thin skin. Lord Mahavira himself praised Dhanna's severe penance to his other disciples, calling it unparalleled.

Despite the unimaginable physical hardship, Dhanna's mind remained perfectly balanced, immersed in spiritual joy. Through this extreme internal and external purification, he shattered his karmic bonds, attained Keval Gyan (omniscience), and was ultimately liberated.