Lay Followers
The Sunday Vow (Aditya Vrat Katha)
रविव्रत कथा · રવિવ્રત કથા
A forgotten sickle, a coiled snake, and a promise kept with a true heart
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Digambar telling
A merchant's family in Banaras laughs at a vow given by a monk, and hard times follow. Far away in Ayodhya, the youngest son goes back into the evening forest to fetch a sickle he left behind.
What it teaches Vows Faith Devotion
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, in the city of Banaras, lived a merchant named Matisagar, his wife Gunsundari and their seven sons. The youngest son was called Gunadhar.
One day a kind monk came to the forest. Gunsundari asked him for a good promise she could keep. The monk said, "On nine Sundays, eat very simply, pray to Bhagwan Parshvanath, and keep your heart calm and kind." Gunsundari was happy. But when she told her family, they laughed at the promise.
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To carry into the day
A promise made with faith deserves respect, both from the one who keeps it and from those around them.
To talk about together
Why do you think laughing at someone's good promise could hurt them, and hurt us too?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.