Court of Magadh
Abhaykumar's Four Wishes
अभयकुमार के चार वरदान · અભયકુમારનાં ચાર વરદાન
A prisoner saves a king four times, and asks for nothing until the very end
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Abhaykumar is held captive in the palace of King Chandapradyot of Ujjain. Again and again the king's greatest treasures fall into danger, and again and again it is his prisoner who saves them.
What it teaches Patience Wisdom Returning good for harm
The opening of the children's telling
Abhaykumar was the cleverest boy in the kingdom of Magadh. One day a king called Pradyot played a trick on him and carried him away to his own city, Ujjain. Abhay had to stay in the king's palace, far from home.
Abhay did not cry or get angry. He was patient. He waited, and he watched.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Help freely and wait calmly; a good heart does not keep accounts.
To talk about together
Why do you think Abhaykumar kept helping the king who had made him a prisoner?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.