Parables of Wisdom
Vankchool
वंकचूल · વંકચૂલ
A runaway prince, four small promises, and four times they saved him
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
Prince Pushpachool goes so far astray that he is banished and becomes a robber chief called Vankchool. Before some monks leave his forest, he agrees to four promises that seem too small to matter.
What it teaches Keeping Vows Self-Control Gratitude
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time there was a prince named Pushpachool. He made many bad choices, and his father sent him away from the kingdom. People started calling him Vankchool. He went to live in the forest as the leader of a band of robbers.
One rainy season, some gentle monks came to stay in his forest. When they left, their teacher said, "Will you make four small promises?" Vankchool said yes. He promised: I will not eat a fruit if I do not know its name. I will step back before I hit anyone. I will not take another man's wife. I will not eat crow. They seemed so easy!
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A promise that looks small today may be the one that saves us tomorrow.
To talk about together
Which of Vankchool's four promises do you think was the hardest to keep, and why?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.