Lay Followers
Punia Shravak
पुणिया श्रावक · પુણિયા શ્રાવક
The poor spinner whose samayik a king could not buy
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Punia and his wife live on the few coins he earns spinning cotton, yet Bhagwan Mahavir praises his samayik above all. Then King Shrenik arrives at his door with an offer.
What it teaches Samayik Contentment Honesty
The opening of the children's telling
In the city of Rajgruhi, in a little hut of mud and grass, lived a man named Punia and his wife. Punia spun cotton into yarn and sold it in the market. He had promised to earn only twelve dokda a day, just a tiny amount, and never more.
That was barely enough for two people. But every day they wanted to share a meal with a fellow Jain who came to their door. So they took turns. One day Punia did not eat, and the next day his wife did not eat. That way there was always food for a guest.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Peace of mind cannot be bought; it is earned, one honest day at a time.
To talk about together
Why did a small thing like picking up dried cow dung disturb Punia's samayik?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.