Monks and Acharyas
Sukoshal Muni and the Tigress
सुकोशल मुनि और बाघिन · સુકોશલ મુનિ અને વાઘણ
A mother tried to hold on to her son so tightly that she lost him, and found him again in a strange and sorrowful way
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
Queen Sahadevi has already lost her husband Kirtidhar to the monk's life, and she is determined not to lose her son Sukoshal too. Her fear leads her to drive a holy monk out of the city, and that single act sets father, son and mother on paths that meet again on a mountain road.
What it teaches Attachment Forgiveness Equanimity
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in the city of Ayodhya, there lived a king named Kirtidhar and a queen named Sahadevi. They had a baby boy named Sukoshal.
When Sukoshal was still a baby, King Kirtidhar chose to become a monk. The queen felt very sad. "I have lost my husband," she thought. "I must never lose my son too."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Love that tries to hold too tightly can turn into something it never meant to be.
To talk about together
Sahadevi loved her son very much. What is the difference between loving someone and trying to keep them for yourself?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.