Lay Followers
Sulasa
सुलसा · સુલસા
The laywoman whose faith no disguise could shake
- 4 min full story
- 3 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Sulasa of Rajgruhi lived through joy and deep sorrow without losing her calm. One day a wandering ascetic arrives with a blessing from Bhagwan Mahavir, but first he decides to test her.
What it teaches Samyak Darshan Unshakable Faith Equanimity
The opening of the children's telling
In the city of Rajgruhi lived a kind woman named Sulasa and her husband Nag. They loved each other very much, but they had no children. Sulasa told Nag gently that our good deeds shape our future. And she spent more and more time in prayer.
Her faith was so pure that even Indra praised her. One god came to her door dressed as a Jain monk and asked for a special healing oil. Sulasa happily brought a jar, but it slipped and broke. She calmly brought another, and that broke too. Again and again the jars broke, and still she was not upset. She only wanted to help. The god was amazed and blessed her, and in time she became the mother of thirty two sons.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
True faith is calm and clear-eyed; it does not run after every wonder.
To talk about together
Why do you think Sulasa did not even go to look at the shows that Ambad created?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.