Life of Mahavir
Shulapani Yaksha
शूलपाणि यक्ष · શૂલપાણિ યક્ષ
One night in a haunted temple, and ten dreams before dawn
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
The villagers of Asthikgram warn Mahavir never to spend the night in the temple of an angry spirit. He stays anyway, and by morning both the spirit and the village are changed.
What it teaches Fearlessness Compassion Equanimity
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in a village by a river, there was a temple where an angry spirit lived. His name was Shulapani. The villagers were afraid of him, and they told every traveller, Never sleep in that temple at night!
One evening, Mahavir came to the village. He was a gentle monk who was never afraid. He said kindly, I will stay in the temple tonight. The villagers were worried, but Mahavir went in and stood very still, thinking peaceful thoughts.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Calm and compassion can soften even the fiercest anger.
To talk about together
When someone is angry with you, what helps you stay calm and kind?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.