Monks and Acharyas
Story of Kalakacharya
कालकाचार्य की कथा · કાલકાચાર્યની કથા
A prince turned monk, a sister in danger, and help from beyond the Indus
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
Prince Kalak gives up his kingdom to become a monk, and his sister Saraswati becomes a nun beside him. When a cruel king seizes her and will listen to no one, the gentle Acharya must find a way to set her free.
What it teaches Duty Courage Protecting the innocent Renunciation
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there lived a prince called Kalak and his sister, Princess Saraswati. They loved each other very much.
One day Kalak heard a wise monk speaking in a garden. The monk talked about how to be truly free and happy. Kalak listened and thought, This is what I want. He became a monk. Saraswati felt the same, so she became a nun.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A gentle heart can still be brave enough to protect someone in need.
To talk about together
Kalakacharya asked politely many times before he did anything else. Why do you think that mattered?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.