Nandisen – a short story

Summary

Ganesh Lalwani’s short story retells the legend of Nandisen, a young prince who chooses the path of renunciation despite worldly temptation. Having obtained his father’s permission to seek initiation from Bhagavān Mahāvīra, Nandisen leaves the palace at dawn filled with joy. On the way to the Gunasilā Caitya he repeatedly hears an admonishing voice urging him to satisfy his desires before taking monastic vows. Initially he resists, but at a stream he encounters the courtesan Ruchirā, whose beauty captivates him. She offers him her youth and love and he lives with her in blissful attachment for six years, forgetting the passage of time. Eventually the spell breaks and he recognises the emptiness of sensual pleasure. As he prepares to depart, Ruchirā grasps him tightly, but Nandisen explains that he has seen Mahāvīra’s compassionate eyes in a dream and must respond to the call. Realising that their bond was one of desire rather than true love, she releases him with tears. Nandisen returns to the stream, contemplates the unyielding stone slab beneath the water and asks whether his heart is as hard. Feeling kindness and sublime love, he goes to the gate of Gunasilā Caitya resolved to fast unto death unless accepted by the master. A heavenly voice affirms his purity and sincerity, and Nandisen gains initiation. The story dramatizes the internal struggle between passion and renunciation and illustrates the Jain ideal that true freedom comes when one relinquishes attachments to wealth, beauty and family. Lalwani’s narrative evokes vivid imagery of dawn, forests and rivers and conveys a poignant moral about listening to the inner call of conscience.