Monks and Acharyas
Pundarik and Kandarik
पुंडरीक और कंडरीक · પુંડરીક અને કંડરીક
Two brothers, two choices, and the last few days that mattered most
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
One brother becomes a monk while the other stays on the throne. Many years later they trade places, and the story shows that what lies in the heart matters more than how long we have walked the path.
What it teaches Steadfastness Inner attitude Renunciation
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time there were two princes, brothers named Pundarik and Kandarik. Pundarik became king. Kandarik, the younger one, became a monk.
Kandarik lived as a monk for a very long time. He walked from village to village and ate only simple food. One day he became very ill. His brother, the king, looked after him in the palace with soft beds and good food, and he got better.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
The path is measured not by years but by the state of the heart.
To talk about together
Why do you think Pundarik could stay calm, even when life as a monk was so hard for him?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.