The Tirthankaras
Ashtapad
अष्टापद · અષ્ટાપદ
A temple of jewels, and a monk who climbed on the rays of the sun
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
On the mountain where Rishabhdev left the world, his son Bharat built a temple of jewels that no ordinary person could reach. Ages later, Gautam Swami sets out to climb it, while fifteen hundred tired ascetics watch from below.
What it teaches Devotion Humility Spiritual Power
The opening of the children's telling
Long, long ago, Rishabhdev, the first great teacher, went up a tall mountain called Ashtapad. There he sat very still and became perfectly free.
His son was King Bharat. Bharat missed his father very much. So on top of the mountain he built a beautiful temple made of shining jewels. Inside, he placed images of all twenty four Tirthankaras.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Kindness can fill a small bowl for many, and humility can climb where pride cannot.
To talk about together
Gautam Swami was happy that his students went ahead of him. How do you feel when a friend does better than you?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.