Parables of Wisdom
Halik the Farmer
हालिक किसान · હાલિક ખેડૂત
Why a poor farmer loved Gautam Swami but ran from Mahavir
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Gautam Swami wins the heart of a poor farmer in a field and makes him a monk. But the moment the farmer sees Bhagwan Mahavir, he throws off his robe and runs.
What it teaches Right faith Past lives Gentle speech
The opening of the children's telling
One day Bhagwan Mahavir said to Gautam Swami, "There is a poor farmer in the field ahead. Go and talk to him. It will help him."
Gautam Swami found the farmer. He was very tired, working in the hot sun with two thin bullocks. Gautam Swami spoke to him very kindly. The farmer felt so happy. "You are like my brother!" he said. He decided to become a monk too. He told Gautam Swami all about his worries, and Gautam Swami listened to every word.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Kind words and hard deeds both travel with us across many lives.
To talk about together
Why do you think the farmer felt so happy when Gautam Swami spoke to him?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.