Lay Followers
Sumitra
सुमित्र · સુમિત્ર
A minister who would not break his vow, even for a king
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
A devoted minister makes a vow to stay at home in prayer through the night, and then the king's messenger knocks at his door with an angry summons.
What it teaches Keeping vows Faith Steadfastness
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a kind minister named Sumitra. Every day he sat quietly to pray and think good thoughts. The king laughed at him. "Why do you waste time praying?" he asked. Sumitra smiled. "Good deeds always help us," he said.
One holy day, Sumitra came home late from work. He made a promise: "Tonight I will not go out of my house. I will stay home and pray until morning."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A vow kept quietly can be a shelter we do not see.
To talk about together
Sumitra could have lost his job by keeping his promise. Why do you think he kept it anyway?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.