Parables of Wisdom
The King's Beard
राजा की दाढ़ी · રાજાની દાઢી
Who would dare to pull a king's beard, and what should be done to him?
- 3 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A king puts a strange riddle to his court: someone pulled his beard and stamped on his chest that very morning. His ministers race to suggest punishments, but one quiet young clerk sees the question from another side.
What it teaches Wisdom Thinking before judging Anekantavada
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time there was a king with a long, curly grey beard. He combed it every morning. One day he wanted to find out which of his helpers was truly wise, and which ones just said the first thing that came into their heads.
He said to them, "This morning, someone climbed on top of me, pulled my beard and stood on my chest! What should we do to him?"
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Before you judge, ask: is there another side to this?
To talk about together
Can you remember a time when something looked bad at first, but was not bad at all?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.