Lay Followers
Gyan Panchami: Varadatta and Gunamanjari
ज्ञान पंचमी: वरदत्त और गुणमंजरी · જ્ઞાન પંચમી: વરદત્ત અને ગુણમંજરી
A prince who could not learn, a girl who could not speak, and a vow on the fifth day
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
In the city of Padmapur, a prince cannot learn a single letter and a merchant's daughter cannot say a single word, and both fall ill. A wise acharya tells them what happened in their past lives, and gives them a vow for the fifth day of Kartik.
What it teaches Respect for Knowledge Karma Repentance
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time, a prince named Varadatta could not learn his letters. His teachers tried and tried, but nothing stayed in his head. Then he became very ill.
In the same city lived a girl named Gunamanjari. She could not speak at all. She was ill too. Their families were very sad.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Respect for learning, for books and for teachers is a seed that grows into wisdom.
To talk about together
Sundari threw her sons' books away because she was angry at their teacher. What could she have done instead?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.