The Tirthankaras
Life of Bhagwan Sambhavnath
भगवान संभवनाथ का जीवन · ભગવાન સંભવનાથનું જીવન
A king who ate last in a famine, and the rain that came with his next birth
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
In a past life, King Vipulvahan opened his granaries to his hungry people and served himself last. The story of Bhagwan Sambhavnath, the third Tirthankar, shows how that compassion ripened, and why green fields welcomed his birth.
What it teaches Compassion Sharing Impermanence
The opening of the children's telling
Long, long ago, there was a kind king called Vipulvahan. He loved the people of his kingdom very much.
One year, no rain fell. The fields became dry, and there was not enough food. The people were hungry. So the king opened his big storehouses and said, 'Come, everyone, take food!' He told his cooks, 'Give food to all our guests first. I will eat whatever is left.' Some days there was nothing left, but the king did not mind. He was happy that his people could eat.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Kindness shared in hard times grows across lifetimes, like rain on green fields.
To talk about together
What is one thing we could share with someone else this week?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.