Lay Followers
Dhanasar
धनसार · ધનસાર
The richest miser in Mathura, and the day his gold turned to coal
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A wealthy merchant who never gave a single coin loses everything, one disaster after another, and washes up on a strange shore where a monk is teaching.
What it teaches Charity Non-possessiveness Karma
The opening of the children's telling
In the city of Mathura there lived a very rich man named Dhanasar. He had piles and piles of gold. But he never shared any of it, not even one coin. He hid his gold under the ground.
One day he went to look at his gold. Oh no! It had turned into black coal! Then his ships sank in the sea, and his goods were lost on the road. Soon Dhanasar had almost nothing left.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
What we hold too tightly slips away; what we share stays with us.
To talk about together
Why do you think Dhanasar was happier at the end, even though he kept only a quarter of what he earned?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.