Monks and Acharyas
Dharmaruchi Muni and the Bitter Gourd
धर्मरुचि मुनि और कड़वी तुंबी · ધર્મરુચિ મુનિ અને કડવી તુંબડી
One bowl of poison, a line of ants, and the monk who chose to save them
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
A monk breaking a month-long fast is given a dish that the cook knows is spoiled. His guru tells him to throw it away, but the monk finds he cannot do it without harming others.
What it teaches Ahimsa Compassion Selflessness
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago in the city of Champa lived a lady named Nagashri. One day she cooked a big pot of gourd curry. But when she tasted it, it was very bitter and bad. It was not safe to eat. She did not want anyone to know, so she hid it.
That morning a kind monk named Dharmaruchi came to her door for food. He had not eaten for a whole month. Nagashri quickly poured the bad curry into his bowl.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Real compassion thinks of the smallest beings, even when it costs us something.
To talk about together
Nagashri wanted to hide her mistake. What could she have done instead?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.