Neminath and the Cries of the Animals

Prince Neminath (the 22nd Tirthankara, and cousin of Lord Krishna) was on his way to his grand royal wedding. He was dressed in magnificent jewels, riding a decorated chariot toward the palace of his beautiful bride-to-be, Princess Rajul. The air was filled with joyous music and celebration.

As the chariot approached the wedding pavilion, Neminath heard a chaotic, terrifying sound. It was the desperate, fearful bleating and crying of hundreds of animals—sheep, goats, deer, and birds.

He asked his charioteer, 'Why are all these animals penned up here, crying in such terror?'

The charioteer replied, 'My Lord, these animals have been gathered for your wedding feast. They will be slaughtered to feed the royal guests.'

A profound sorrow pierced Neminath's heart. 'For the joy of my one wedding day, hundreds of innocent beings will be brutally killed? If my happiness requires the bloodshed and terror of others, it is not happiness. It is a curse.'

Instantly, the prince ordered his chariot to turn around. He stripped off his royal wedding garments and jewels, handed them to his charioteer, and walked away from his own wedding toward the Girnar mountains to become an ascetic.

Hearing this, Princess Rajul did not mourn her lost marriage. Inspired by his supreme compassion, she also renounced the world and followed his path of non-violence, becoming a Jain nun. The animals were freed, and Neminath's compassion became a legendary pillar of Jain Ahimsa.