Lay Followers
Kalavati
कलावती · કલાવતી
A brother's gift, a king's mistake, and a queen who would not hate
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
Queen Kalavati wears the beautiful bracelets her brother sends her, and a few loving words overheard by her husband lead to a terrible misunderstanding. Alone in the forest, she must find a way to live without anger.
What it teaches Forgiveness Karma Purity
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a princess named Kalavati. She was kind and wise. She married a king named Shankh, and they were very happy. Soon they were waiting for a baby.
Kalavati's brother loved her very much. He sent her a present: two shining bracelets. Kalavati put them on and smiled. Her friends asked, "Who sent these?" She said, "Someone I love with all my heart."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Before I believe the worst, I can stop and ask.
To talk about together
The king made a big mistake because he did not ask a question first. Can you think of a time when asking first would have helped?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.