Monks and Acharyas
Hiravijaysuri and Akbar
हीरविजयसूरि और अकबर · હીરવિજયસૂરિ અને અકબર
A barefoot monk walks hundreds of miles to speak to an emperor about kindness
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
The great emperor Akbar sees a Jain woman who has fasted for six months and wants to meet her teacher. A humble monk walks all the way from Gujarat to his court, and their friendship changes the lives of countless animals.
What it teaches Ahimsa Courage Compassion Simplicity
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a great emperor named Akbar. He lived in a big palace and had many soldiers, horses and elephants.
One day Akbar saw a happy parade. In the middle was a kind lady named Champa. She had kept a very long fast. Akbar asked her, How are you so strong? Champa smiled and said, My teacher shows me the way. His name is Hiravijaysuri.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A humble heart can speak for those who have no voice.
To talk about together
If you could ask a powerful person for one gift for others, what would you ask for?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.