Lay Followers
Subhadra Sati
सुभद्रा सती · સુભદ્રા સતી
A sieve, a cotton thread, and the gates of a whole city
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
Subhadra marries into a family that scorns her faith, and one act of kindness to a monk brings a cruel charge against her. When the gates of Champa will not open, the whole city must find a woman pure enough to open them.
What it teaches Purity Patience Faith
The opening of the children's telling
In a city long ago lived a girl named Subhadra. She loved to sit very still each morning and pray. It made her heart calm and kind.
Subhadra married a young man and went to live with his family in the city of Champa. But her new family did not like her prayers. Her mother-in-law was often cross with her. Subhadra stayed gentle and patient, every single day.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
The truth is patient; it does not need me to shout.
To talk about together
Subhadra stayed calm even when people believed something untrue about her. What helps you stay calm when someone misunderstands you?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.