Monks and Acharyas
Dhanasharma Muni and Thirst
धनशर्मा मुनि और प्यास · ધનશર્મા મુનિ અને તરસ
A thirsty young monk held river water in his hands, and thought of the tiny lives inside it
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
A father and his young son become monks together in Ujjain. On a long summer walk the boy grows desperately thirsty, and his loving father tells him to drink from a river, which a monk's vow does not allow. Alone on the bank, the young monk must decide.
What it teaches Ahimsa Keeping a vow Love and its limits
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in the city of Ujjain, a father named Dhanmitra and his son Dhanasharma both became monks. They walked together everywhere.
One summer they went on a long walk. The sun was very hot. Young Dhanasharma became very, very thirsty. His throat felt dry and his feet felt tired.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Real love helps someone keep their promises, not break them.
To talk about together
Dhanmitra told his son to break his vow because he loved him. Was that real kindness? What would you have said?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.