The Ardhakathanaka ( Half A Life ) - 992 Words

In the 17th century, Jainism was among the few religions that existed in India. One of the few principles that Jains followed strictly is to be a non-violent human. Thus, their jobs also reflected this principle. Men whose occupations is a merchant, he was obligated to travel to many cities to sell his goods to support himself and his family. Merchants were often away from their family and thus the friends and acquaintances that they meet during their travels became prominent encounters. Some aspects of friendships that are often encountered include, brotherhood, companionship and selflessness. These three elements were all greatly exemplified throughout the autobiography The Ardhakathanaka (Half a Life). In the autobiography, Half a life, friendship is depicted as a very special and timid relationship that people encounter on a daily basis. The different levels of human kinship become very obvious as the Jains encounter friends and acquaintances during their travels because every in teraction that the people had are depicted very organically. The autobiography begins the story with the narrator (known as Banarasidas) introducing his family members who are part of the merchant and goods industry. Banarasidas first encounters positive friendship at a very young age when his father, Kharagsen, and the family needed to flee to a nearby city. Kharagsen and his family had no shelter after arriving at a new city and he was filled with despair. A man, by the name of Karamchand