Monks and Acharyas
Hastimitra and Hunger
हस्तिमित्र और भूख · હસ્તિમિત્ર અને ભૂખ
A father and son alone in a forest, and a banyan tree that shared its food
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
An old monk and his young son become monks together, but on a journey through a wild forest the father can walk no further. The son refuses to leave him, and the two of them face hunger in a place where no one can bring them food.
What it teaches Endurance Love Kshudha Parishah
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago in the city of Ujjayini lived a man named Hastimitra and his son. They both became monks, and they walked from town to town with other monks. They were always gentle and kind, and they never took more than they needed.
One day, in a big forest, a sharp thorn went into Hastimitra's foot. It hurt very much, and he could not walk any more.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Hunger borne with a peaceful mind is a quiet kind of courage.
To talk about together
Why do you think the son walked back to his father, even though the forest was dangerous?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.