Monks and Acharyas
Jambu Swami
जंबूस्वामी · જંબૂસ્વામી
The wedding night that turned a thief into a monk
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
Young Jambu has decided to become a monk, but agrees to marry first to please his parents. On his wedding night, a famous thief creeps into the house, and the night ends in a way nobody expected.
What it teaches Renunciation Detachment Transformation
The opening of the children's telling
In the city of Rajgruhi lived a kind and clever young man named Jambu. His parents planned for him to marry eight young women from good families. But one day Jambu heard Sudharma Swami, a great disciple of Mahavir, speak about the soul. Something woke up inside him. "I want to become a monk," he thought.
His parents were very sad. "At least get married first," they begged, hoping he would change his mind. Jambu agreed, but he said, "The very next morning, I will take diksha." The eight brides were told, and each of them still chose to marry him.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A life lived with clear purpose can change the hearts of everyone who comes near it.
To talk about together
What do you think Prabhav saw in Jambu that made him give up stealing?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.