Monks and Acharyas
Kalakacharya and King Datta
कालकाचार्य और राजा दत्त · કાલકાચાર્ય અને રાજા દત્ત
A proud king asked a monk a dangerous question, and the monk would not tell a lie to save himself
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
A cruel man seizes the throne of Turamani and fills the city with animal sacrifices. When his own uncle, the monk Kalakacharya, comes to the city, the king demands to know what his sacrifices will bring him, and the monk must choose between a pleasing answer and the truth.
What it teaches Truthfulness Fearlessness Ahimsa
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in a city called Turamani, there was a kind king named Jitashatru. But a proud man named Datta tricked the people and took the king's throne for himself.
Datta did something very sad. He began to hurt animals in big fire ceremonies, because he thought this would bring him good luck. The whole city felt unhappy.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
The truth spoken calmly is stronger than any threat.
To talk about together
Kalakacharya could have given a sweet answer and stayed safe. Why do you think he chose to tell the truth?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.