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Mula got the opportunity. She gave leave to all the household servants and sent them away. When they were alone, Mula shaved Vasumati's head, exchanged her good dress with tattered cloths, shackled her hands and feet, put her into a cellar, locked the house and went to her parents place with the keys.
On the third day when Dhanava returned home he was surprised to find the house locked. Somehow he got the keys from Mula. When he did not find Vasumati he shouted her name. At this he heard Chandana's weak voice. Dhanva brought her out from the cellar. Seeing her pitiable condition Dhanava started weeping. He took a little dried pulsebran, meant for cow, in a basket and gave it to Chandana to eat. He himself went out to fetch a blacksmith to cut the shackles.
Hungry and thirsty for last three days, Chandan sat on the threshold of the house with the basket of pulse balls and thought, “If some detached ascetic or a sage or Shraman comes I will give this pulse-bran as alms and feel honoured."
Around that time Bhagavan Mahavir had made an almost impossible resolution
I will accept alms only from—(1) a princess, (2) who has been sold and (3) is with a shaven head, (4) who is handcuffed and (5) shackled, (6) is hungry for three days, (7) has wounds on the head and (8) tears in her eyes, (9) it is past two quarters of the day, (10, 11) one of her legs is outside the threshold and the other is inside, (12) she has a basket in her hands with, (13) stale pulse-bran in it-otherwise I will observe fast for six months.
Bhagavan moved around Kaushambi to seek alms but as his 13 point resolution was not met he returned without alms every day. 5 months and 25 days passed.
At last the conditions were fulfilled by Chandanbala and Bhagavan accepted alms. Sky was filled with divine applaud-Great alms giving....... The gods showered five divine things and 125 million gold coins. The courtyard of Dhanava merchant was filled with gold coins.
The shackles of Chandanbaia were broken and her hair grew again. Her beauty enhanced manifold.
Seeing this miracle Dhanava merchant was filled with joy and Mula was dumbfounded.
The townspeople danced with joy. Knowing about Bhagavan breaking his fast, everyone praised Chandanbala.
When king Shatanik got to know the real identity of Chandanbala he repented for his territorial ambitions. He resolved not to attack any kingdom in future.
Chandanbala lead a austere and detached life. Later, when she heard that Bhagavan Mahavir has acquired omniscience and was going to establish the religious ford, she went to his Samavasaran and got initiated.
She was the first female ascetic disciple of Bhagavan Mahavir and the head of the organization of 36,000 female ascetics, She acquired Keval-inana and got liberateci.
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Antakriddasha Mahima
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