405 Jain stories · one for every night
JainStory: Jain stories for kids, told gently enough for bedtime
Jain stories for kids, one for every night of the year: 405 bedtime stories of Bhagwan Mahavir, the Tirthankaras and the great souls of our tradition. Not one more thing to watch: a story to read aloud, with the lights low and your child close.
- Three stories free
- English · हिन्दी · ગુજરાતી
- No videos, no autoplay, no ads
- iPhone and Android app
Why we are different
Bedtime, not screen time
There are thousands of videos for children, a tap away. They are bright and fast and they never end. But a child does not fall asleep to a feed. A child falls asleep to a voice they love.
We did not make JainStory to give your child one more thing to watch. We made it for the last twenty minutes of the day: the lights low, the phone turned face down, your child warm beside you, and a story from our own tradition in your own voice. The story is only the reason. The gift is you.
Your voice, not a screen
Read it, then put the phone down
Open tonight's story and read it aloud. The pages are calm and dark, made for a dim room. Your child does not need to look at anything. They only need to listen, and to know you are there.
One story, then sleep
No endless feed
No videos, no autoplay, no "watch next", no ads. Each night has one story, and it ends. A small lamp lights for that night, and the day is done. Nothing is pulling at your child to stay awake.
What stays with them
Values, held close
Ahimsa, forgiveness, courage and truth, in the stories our grandparents told us. Years from now, your child will not remember a video. They will remember your voice telling them about Bhagwan Mahavir and the angry serpent.
Every story is also narrated in English, Hindi and Gujarati. The narration plays with the screen switched off, and a sleep timer stops it at the end of the story.
For every age
Jain stories told for every age
Children's tellings
Short, gentle, made for bedtime
Three to five minutes, simple words and a calm ending, so children drift off instead of waking up. Set the app for a child and it shows only stories for young listeners.
Adult tellings
The fuller story, as tradition tells it
Every name, place and lesson, in full. For parents, grandparents and anyone who wants more.
One story, two tellings
One Jain story, two tellings: for children and for adults
For children · ages 4 to 9
King Shrenik and Queen Dharini were waiting for a baby. Before he was born, the queen wished to walk under dark rain clouds, and wise Prince Abhaykumar found a way to make her wish come true. So when the baby boy came, they named him Meghakumar, the prince of the clouds.
The full story
King Shrenik of Magadh had a queen named Dharini. One night she dreamt of a great white elephant, and soon she was expecting a child. During those months a strange longing came over her. She wished to walk in the rain under dark monsoon clouds, though it was not the rainy season at all. The wise prince Abhaykumar found a way to fulfil her wish, and when the baby boy was born, he was named Meghakumar, the prince of the clouds.
What children learn
What Jain stories teach children: the true colours of Jain dharma
No lectures. Children see ahimsa in Bhagwan Mahavir's calm before Chandkaushik, forgiveness in Gajsukumal's last night and contentment in Punia's samayik. Then they carry those lessons into their own day.
Harm no living being, in action, word or thought. Even the ant on the path matters.
Speak the truth, and speak it kindly. A small lie grows; an honest word steadies the heart.
Forgive, and ask forgiveness. Michhami Dukkadam is a whole way of living, not one day a year.
Need little, share much. Things we cling to cling to us.
Truth has many sides. Listen before you judge; the other person may be holding a different part of the elephant.
Steady effort, quiet patience and self-control: the strength of Chandanbala and Bahubali.
Why JainStory
A new Jain bedtime story every night
Children ask for a new story every night. JainStory gives you one from our own tradition, so they fall asleep to stories of ahimsa, courage and compassion.
Every night
A new story waits
Start a 365-day path of stories. Finish a story and a lamp lights for that night.
Read or listen
Your voice, or ours
Read aloud from pages as easy as a book, or play the narration: every story is narrated in English, Hindi and Gujarati, with a sleep timer that stops at the end of the story.
Giving back
10% to Jain causes
10% of every subscription goes to Jain causes. Every year of bedtime stories also gives back to the tradition the stories come from.
The stories
Jain stories from Bhagwan Mahavir's childhood to the court of Magadh
- Life of Bhagwan Mahavir: the fourteen dreams, the fearless prince, Chandkaushik, Chandanbala
- The Tirthankaras: Parshvanath, Neminath and Rajul, Bharat and Bahubali
- Court of Magadh: Shalibhadra, Meghakumar, Abhaykumar and Rohineya
- Monks and acharyas, lay followers and parables of wisdom
Every story ends with a thought for tomorrow and a question to talk about together. We add new stories through the year.
The library
Six collections of Jain stories for kids
Plans
One yearly plan: every story to read and to hear
Reader + Audio costs less than ₹3 a night. Three stories are free to read and to hear.
Reader + Audio
₹999 / year, incl. GST
About ₹83 a month
- All 405 stories to read
- Narration of every story in English, Hindi and Gujarati
- Children's and adult tellings
- Sleep timer and lock-screen play
10% of every subscription goes to Jain causes.
Choose Reader + AudioPay once through Razorpay by UPI, card, netbanking or wallet. Your plan lasts a year and never renews by itself. Not right for your family? Full refund within 7 days.
Letters from JainStory
A new Jain story in your inbox, now and then
A festival story before Paryushan. A new story when one is ready. A small idea for bedtime. We write rarely, and you can unsubscribe with one click.
Questions
Before you begin
Who is JainStory for?
Jain families who want a new story from our own tradition for their children every night, on a 365-night path of stories.
Which ages is it for?
The children's tellings are for ages 4 to 9: short and calm, made for bedtime. The full tellings are for older children and grown-ups. Set the app for a child and it shows only stories for young listeners.
What will my child learn?
The heart of Jain dharma: ahimsa, truth, forgiveness, non-possessiveness, many-sided thinking and patient effort. They learn it through the lives of Bhagwan Mahavir, the Tirthankaras, great monks and nuns, and ordinary families. Every story ends with a thought for tomorrow and a question to talk about.
Are the stories accurate?
Each story is a new retelling, checked against published Jain sources such as the Kalpa Sutra, the Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Charitra and Pathshala books. Where tellings differ, we follow the one most widely told.
Shvetambar or Digambar?
Both. Where the two traditions tell a story differently, the story says which telling it follows.
Are the stories in Hindi and Gujarati?
Yes. Every story is in English, Hindi and Gujarati. Choose your language, and switch any time while reading or listening.
Can I listen instead of reading?
Yes. Every story is narrated in English, Hindi and Gujarati, and the Reader + Audio plan includes all of it, with a sleep timer that stops at the end of the story. The three free stories can be heard with no plan at all.
Is any of it free?
Yes. Three stories are free to read and to hear, with no account and no payment: Chandkaushik, Elephant and the Blind Men and Four Daughters-in-law.
Can I read on the website?
Yes. Open jainstory.com/app in any browser. A free account keeps your reading places, lamps and plan on every device.
Is there a JainStory app for iPhone and Android?
Yes. The iPhone and Android apps are on their way to the App Store and Google Play. The same stories, narration and languages are in the app, and a plan bought on jainstory.com opens every story there when you sign in with the same account. See the JainStory app.
How do I pay, and can I get a refund?
One plan, Reader + Audio, at ₹999 a year with GST included: every story to read, and narration of every story in English, Hindi and Gujarati. Pay once through Razorpay by UPI, card, netbanking or wallet. Your plan lasts a year and never renews by itself. 10% of every subscription goes to Jain causes. If it is not right for your family, write to us within 7 days for a full refund. See refunds.