The Tirthankaras
Life of Bhagwan Munisuvrat Swami
भगवान मुनिसुव्रत स्वामी का जीवन · ભગવાન મુનિસુવ્રત સ્વામીનું જીવન
A Tirthankar who came to Bharuch for the sake of one listening horse
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
The twentieth Tirthankar is born in Rajgriha to a mother who kept vows like a nun. Years later, in the port city of Bharuch, he notices that out of a whole crowd, only one listener has truly understood him, and it is not a person.
What it teaches Compassion Ahimsa Every soul matters
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in the city of Rajgriha, a queen named Padmavati was waiting for a baby. While she waited, she became very gentle and calm, almost like a nun. So when her baby boy was born, he was named Munisuvrat, which means the one with good vows.
Munisuvrat grew up and became a kind king. Later he gave up his kingdom and became a monk. After a long time of quiet meditation, he gained perfect knowledge, and he began to teach people how to live with kindness.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
No soul is too small to be worth a long journey.
To talk about together
Why do you think the horse understood the teaching when so many people did not?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.