Life of Mahavir
Nayasar: Mahavir's First Step
नयसार: महावीर का पहला कदम · નયસાર: મહાવીરનું પહેલું પગલું
A woodcutter shares his lunch, and a long journey to light begins
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Long before he was born as Mahavir, his soul lived as Nayasar, a village chief who cut timber for his king. One hot afternoon in the forest, a simple meal and a kind heart changed the direction of his soul forever.
What it teaches Generosity Right Faith Service
The opening of the children's telling
Long, long ago, before he was Bhagwan Mahavir, his soul lived as a man named Nayasar. Nayasar was a village chief. He worked for a king, and his job was to bring wood from the forest.
One hot day, Nayasar and his workers were cutting wood. At noon they stopped to eat. Nayasar sat under a big tree and opened his lunch. He thought, "I wish a guest would come. Then I could share my food first."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A small kindness offered with a full heart can be the first step of a very long journey.
To talk about together
Nayasar wished for a guest before he ate. Is there someone you could share something with tomorrow?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.