The Story of the First King About the Author Acharya Mahapragya was the tenth Acharya of the Jain Swetambar Terapanth sect and one of the most widely respected Jain thinkers in the world. He got his education under the guidance of Acharya Shree Tulsi, who launched the Anuvrat movement in 1949 to rid the world of violence and hatred and free religion from sectarianism. A multidimensional personality and a renowned scholar of Indian and Western philosophy and religion, Acharya Mahapragya walked more than 100,000 km on foot over his lifetime and visited 10,000 villages to spread the message of non-violence. He recently passed away at the age of eighty-nine. He is the author of numerous books, including Understanding Joy and Sorrow, Transform Your Self, The Happy and Harmonious Family, and The Family and the Nation with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Sudhamahi Regunathan is a writer who has traversed the world of classical Indian dance, education, literature, religion and philosophy. She was Vice-Chancellor, Jain Vishva Bharati University, Ladnun, Rajasthan, and is currently Member Secretary, Foundation for Understanding of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship. She has authored and translated several books.