Monks and Acharyas
Muni Kulvaluk
मुनि कुलवालुक · મુનિ કુલવાલુક
Great penance without humility, and the city that fell because of it
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
Kulvaluk is a monk who can fast for months, but his heart is full of pride and he resents his teacher. When a war between Magadh and Vaishali needs a holy man's help, his hidden weakness is put to the test.
What it teaches Pride Humility Respect for the Guru
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a monk named Kulvaluk. He could go without food for a very long time, and he could stand still for hours and hours. But inside his heart there was a big bubble of pride.
His teacher said kindly, "Your body is strong, but your heart is not yet gentle." Kulvaluk did not like hearing this. He became cross with his teacher. One day, in his anger, he even tried to hurt him, but his teacher was safe.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Hard penance without a humble heart is like a lamp with no oil: it looks bright but cannot give light.
To talk about together
Kulvaluk was very strong at fasting. What was he missing?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.