The Tirthankaras
Marudevi Mata
मरुदेवी माता · મરુદેવી માતા
A grandmother on an elephant goes to see her son, and finds freedom instead
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Marudevi has wept for years for her son Rishabh, who left the palace to become a wandering monk, until her grandson Bharat takes her to see him.
What it teaches Mother's love Detachment Inner change
The opening of the children's telling
Long, long ago there lived a queen named Marudevi. Her son was Rishabh, who became Bhagwan Rishabhdev, the very first Tirthankar.
One day Rishabh left the palace to become a monk. He gave away everything and walked barefoot from village to village. His mother Marudevi missed him so much. She cried every day. She worried, Is my son hungry? Is he cold?
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Love that understands lets go, and in letting go it is set free.
To talk about together
Why do you think Marudevi's sorrow turned into peace when she saw her son?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.