Monks and Acharyas
Anathimuni
अनाथी मुनि · અનાથી મુનિ
The young monk who told a king that he, too, had no protector
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
King Shrenik meets a radiant young monk in a garden and offers to be his protector. The monk's quiet answer turns the king's idea of power upside down.
What it teaches Asharan Bhavana Dharma as Refuge Humility
The opening of the children's telling
One sunny morning, King Shrenik went walking in a garden full of flowers and singing birds. Under a tree he saw a young monk sitting very still in meditation. His face was so calm and gentle that it seemed to shine.
The king wondered, why would someone so young give up all the fun things of the world? When the monk opened his eyes, the king bowed and asked him. The monk said, O king, I was anath. That means I had no protector. That is why I became a monk.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Love and wealth can comfort us, but only our own inner strength and dharma can truly shelter the soul.
To talk about together
What do you think the monk meant when he said that he became his own protector?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.