Monks and Acharyas
The Priest's Two Sons
पुरोहित के दो बेटे · પુરોહિતના બે દીકરા
Four shepherd boys helped a lost monk with a little water, and that kindness travelled with them across many lives
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
A thirsty monk lost in the forest is helped by four shepherd boys. Many lives later, two of them are born as the sons of a priest who has been told to keep them far away from Jain monks, and one afternoon in a banyan tree they discover the truth for themselves.
What it teaches Kindness Seeing for yourself Renunciation
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, a monk named Munichandra got lost in a big forest. The sun was hot and he was very thirsty.
Four shepherd boys were looking after their animals nearby. They saw the tired monk and ran to help. They gave him cool water and showed him the way back to the road. The monk thanked them and told them about being kind to every living thing. The boys listened carefully and remembered.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Look for yourself before you believe what you fear.
To talk about together
The boys' parents told them something untrue because they were afraid of losing them. Has fear ever made you believe something that was not true?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.