Lay Followers
The Navkar Mantra and the Thief
नवकार मंत्र और चोर · નવકાર મંત્ર અને ચોર
A thirsty man, a kind stranger, and the few words he held on to
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
A thief of Mathura has been condemned by the king, and in his last hours no one dares give him even a sip of water. Then a Jain merchant named Jindas stops beside him and offers him something more precious first.
What it teaches Navkar Mantra Compassion Faith
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in the city of Mathura, lived a man named Hundik. He was a thief. He took things that did not belong to him.
One day the king's guards caught him. The king was very cross. He tied Hundik up outside the city as a punishment, and he said, "Nobody may help this thief." Hundik sat in the hot sun all day. He was so thirsty! "Water, please," he called. But everyone was afraid of the king, and they walked past.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Even a few words held with a whole heart can change the direction of a soul.
To talk about together
Jindas was not afraid to be kind to someone everyone else turned away from. Why do you think he stopped?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.