Lay Followers
Gunadhar the Caravan Leader
गुणधर सार्थवाह · ગુણધર સાર્થવાહ
A ring in the grass, gold under the hoof, and water no one was watching
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A rich caravan leader takes a vow never to take anything that has not been given to him. On his very next journey, a heavenly being sets out to see whether such a vow can survive the open road.
What it teaches Non-stealing Keeping a vow Contentment
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a merchant named Gunadhar. He led a long line of carts to faraway towns to buy and sell. He was kind, and he shared what he had with people in need.
One day Gunadhar heard a monk speak. The monk said, "Never take anything unless its owner gives it to you." Gunadhar liked this very much. He made a promise: "I will never take what is not given to me."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
What is not given to me is not mine, even when no one is watching.
To talk about together
Why do you think Gunadhar would not drink the water, even when the parrot said no one would know?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.