Bahubali (), a much revered figure among

Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first ''

tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the '' dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable pass ...

'' of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (''

kayotsarga Kayotsarga ( , pka, काउस्सग्ग ) is a yogic posture which is an important part of the Jain meditation. It literally means "dismissing the body". A tirthankara is represented either seated in yoga posture or standing in the kayo ...

'') and that during this time, climbing plants grew around his legs. After his one year of meditation, Bahubali is said to have attained omniscience ('' Kevala Gyana''). Bahubali's other names are Kammateswara, Gommateshwara because of the

Gommateshwara statue The Gommateshwara statue is a high monolithic statue on Vindhyagiri Hill in the town of Shravanbelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Carved of a single block of granite, it is one of the tallest monolithic statues in the world second on ...

dedicated to him.

Legends

The '' Adipurana'', a 9th-century

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

poem, deals with the ten lives of the first ''

'', Rishabhanatha and his two sons Bharata and Bahubali. It was composed by

Jinasena Jinasena (c. 9th century CE) was a monk and scholar in the ''Digambara'' tradition of Jainism. He was patronized by the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha I. He was the author of ''Adipurana'' and '' Mahapurana''.Digambara monk''.

Family life

According to Jain texts, Bahubali was born to Rishabhanatha and Sunanda during the Ikshvaku dynasty in

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...

. He is said to have excelled in studying

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, archery,

floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...

, and the knowledge of precious gems. Bahubali had a son named Somakirti (also known as Mahabala). When Rishabhanatha decided to become a monk, he distributed his kingdom among his 100 sons. Bharata was gifted the kingdom of Vinita (

) and Bahubali got the kingdom of

Asmaka Ashmaka (Sanskrit: ) or Assaka (Pali: ) was a Mahajanapadas, Mahajanapada in ancient India which existed between 700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts ''Aṅguttara Nikāya, Anguttara Nikaya'' and ''Puranas''. It was loc ...

from

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

, having Podanapur as its capital. After winning six divisions of earth in all directions (''digvijaya''), Bharata proceeded to his capital Ayodhyapuri with a huge army and divine ''chakra-ratna''—spinning, disk-like super weapon with serrated edges. But the ''chakra-ratna'' stopped on its own at the entrance of Ayodhyapuri, signalling to the emperor that his 99 brothers have yet not submitted to his authority. Bharata's 98 brothers became

Jain monk Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the '' Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the ...

s and submitted their kingdoms to him. Bahubali was endowed with the final and superior body of extraordinary sturdiness and strength (''vajra-ṛṣabhanārācasaṃhanana'') like Bharata. He hurled open defiance at the ''

chakravartin A ''chakravarti'' ( sa, चक्रवर्तिन्, ''cakravartin''; pi, cakkavatti; zh, 轉輪王, ''Zhuǎnlúnwáng'', "Wheel-Turning King"; , ''Zhuǎnlún Shèngwáng'', "Wheel-Turning Sacred King"; ja, 転輪王, ''Tenrin'ō'' ...

'' and challenged him to a fight. The ministers on both sides gave the following argument to prevent war; "The brothers themselves, cannot be killed by any means; they are in their last incarnations in transmigration, and possess bodies which no weapon may mortally wound in warfare! Let them fight out the issue by themselves in other ways." It was then decided that to settle the dispute, three kinds of contests between Bharata and Bahubali would be held. These were eye-fight (staring at each other), water-fight (''jala-yuddha''), and wrestling (''

malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...

''). Bahubali won all the three contests over his elder brother, Bharata.

Renunciation

After the fight, Bahubali was filled with disgust at the world and developed a desire for renunciation. Bahubali abandoned all possessions-kingdom, clothes, ornaments-to become a monk and began meditating with great resolve to attain omniscience ('' Kevala Gyana''). He nanda is said to have meditated motionless in a standing posture (''

'') for a year, during which time climbing plants grew around his legs. However, he was adamant and continued his practice unmindful of the vines, ants, and dust that enveloped his body. According to Jain text ''Ādi purāṇa'', on the last day of Bahubali's one year long fast, Bharata came in all humility to Bahubali and worshiped him with veneration and respect. A painful regret that he had been the cause of his elder brother's humiliation had been disturbing Bahubali's meditation; this was dispersed when Bharata worshipped him. Bahubali was then able to destroy the four kinds of inimical '' karmas'', including the knowledge obscuring karma, and he attained omniscience (''kevala gyana''). He was now revered as an omniscient being ('' Kevali''). Bahubali finally attained liberation (''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

'') at Mount Kailasa and became a pure, liberated soul (''siddha''). As per texts, he was one of the first ''Digambara'' monks to have attained ''moksha'' in the present half-cycle of time.(''

Avasarpiṇī ''Avasarpiṇī'' is the descending half of the cosmic time cycle in Jainism and the one in which the world is said to be at present. According to Jain texts the ''Avasarpiṇī'' is marked by a decline in goodness and religion. The ascending ...

'').

Statues

There are five

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...

ic statues of Bahubali measuring more than 6 m (20 feet) in height in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

: * 17.4 m (57 feet) at

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage de ...

in Hassan District in 981 AD * 12.8 m (42 feet) at

Karkala ''Karkala'' also known as Karla in Tulu language, is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 60 km from Mangalore in the Tulu Nadu region of the state,it lies near the foothill ...

Udupi District Udupi district (also Udipi or Odipu in Tulu language) is an administrative subdivision in the Karnataka state of India, with the district headquarters in the city of Udupi. It is situated in the Canara coastal region, there are seven talu ...

in 1430 AD * 11.9 m (39 feet) at

Dharmasthala Dharmasthala (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India. The town is known for its centuries old Dharmasthala Te ...

in Dakshina Kannada District in 1973 AD * 10.7 m (35 feet) at

Venur Venur or Venoor is a small village on the banks of the Phalguni river in Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, India. It was once the seat of Jainism and the capital of the Ajila Dynasty. It is on the Dharmasthala-Moodabidri-Karkala ...

in Dakshina Kannada District in 1604 AD * 6 m (20 feet) at Gommatagiri in

Mysore District Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the origi ...

in 12th Century AD

Shravanabelagola

The monolithic statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola, located from

Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...

, was carved from a single block of granite. The statue was commissioned by the Ganga dynasty minister and commander

Chavundaraya Chavundraya or Chamundaraya (Kannada ''Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya'', 940–989) was an Indian military commander, architect, poet and minister. He served in the court of the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad (in modern Karnataka, In ...

; it is tall and is situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola, in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It was built in and around 981 A.D. and is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world. The statue is visible from away. Shravanabelagola has remained a centre of pilgrimage ('' tirtha'') for the Jains. The statue is bathed at an interval of every 12 years and this event is celebrated as ''Mahamastakabhisheka''.

Karkala

Karkala is known for its monolithic statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali, which is believed to have been built around 1432 and is the second-tallest statue in the State. The statue is built on an elevated platform on top of a rocky hill. It was consecrated on 13 February 1432 by Veera Pandya Bhair Arasa Wodeyar, scion of the Bhair Arasa dynasty , feudatory of the Vijayanagar Ruler.

Dharmastala

A high statue with a pedestal that weighs about is installed at Dharmasthala in Karnataka.

Venur

Venur is a small town in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka state, situated on the bank of the Gurupura River. Thimmanna Ajila built a colossus of Gommateshwara there in 1604 AD. The statue at Venur is the shortest of the three Gommateshwaras within around it. It stands in an enclosure on the same pattern as that of the statue at Shravanabelagola. The Kings of

Ajila Ajila is a common surname of the Bunt people, the landed gentry of Tulu Nadu region in the south west of India. It is also the name of the Jain Bunt Dynasty who ruled the principality of Venur for several centuries(1154 to 1786 C.E). The most not ...

Dynasty ruled here from 1154 to 1786.

Gommatagiri

Gommatagiri is an acclaimed Jain centre. The 12th-century granite statue of Bahubali, also known as Gomateshwara, is erected atop a tall hillock called 'Shravana Gudda'. The Jain centre attracts many pilgrims during the annual ''

Mahamastakabhisheka The ''Mahamastakabhisheka'' ("Grand Consecration", "The Great Indian Festival") refers to the '' abhiṣeka'' (anointment) of the Jain images when held on a large scale. The most famous of such consecrations is the anointment of the Bahubali ...

'' in September. The statue at Gommatagiri is very similar to the Gommateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola, except that it is smaller. Historians attribute the statue to an early Vijayanagar period.

Kumbhoj

Kumbhoj is the name of an ancient town located in

Kolhapur district Kolhapur district (Marathi pronunciation: olʱaːpuɾ is a district in the Maharashtra state of India. The city of Kolhapur is its district headquarter. It is situated near Panchaganga river. It is bordered by the Sangli district to the Nor ...

, Maharashtra. The town is about eight kilometers from Hatkanangale, about twenty seven kilometers from Kolhapur. The famous Jain pilgrimage centre where a -high statue of Bahubali is installed is from the Kumbhoj city.

Aretipur

There is a -high statue of Bahubali at Aretipur, Near Kokrebellur Village of Madur Taluk

Mandya district Mandya District is an administrative district of Karnataka, India. The district is bordered on the south by Mysore and Chamarajangar districts, on the west by Hassan District, on the north by Tumkur District and on the east by Ramanagara di ...

. In 2016, the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...

(ASI) excavated another -high statue of Bahubali made in the 3rd – 9th centuries in Aretipur. ASI has also excavated an 8th-century statue of Bahubali in Aretipur,

Maddur, Mandya Maddur (also pronounced as Maddūru) is a town in Mandya district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It lies on the banks of the river Shimsha. It is 82 kilometers from the state capital Bangalore and 60 kilometers from Mysore. Derived from Mad ...

, Karnataka, that is wide and tall.

In literature

Poetic old Kannada inscription of Bopanna dated 1180 CE at Shravanabelagola

The life-story of Bahubali has been discussed in many works.

Sanskrit

* The

Ādi purāṇa Ādi purāṇa is a 9th century Sanskrit poem composed by Jinasena, a Digambara monk. It deals with the life of Rishabhanatha, the first ''Tirthankara''. History Adi Purana was composed by Jinasena (a Digambara monk) as a Sanskrit poem praising ...

composed by ''Āchārya'' Jinasena. The Gommateshvara statue built by

was influenced by description in this book. * ''Bahubali charitra'' written in the 9th century A.D.

Prakrit

* ''Gommatesha-thudi'', a religious hymn in praise to Bahubali, was composed by

Nemichandra Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarty (fl. 10th century) was the author of ''Dravyasamgraha'', '' Gommatsāra'' (''Jivakanda'' and ''Karmakanda''), ''Trilokasara'', ''Labdhisara'' and ''Kshapanasara''. He was among the most distinguished of the Jai ...

in 10th century CE. * ''Gommatasa-sara'', composed by

, mentions the story of construction of the ''Gommateshwara statue'' by Chavundaraya.

Kannada

* A 10th-century

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

text based on the Sanskrit text was written by the poet Adikavi Pampa. * ''Gommata-stuti'' is a poem dated 1180 was composed by a Jain poet named Boppanna (also known as Sujanottamsa), in praise of Bahubali. * ''Karkala Gommatesvara Charitre'', composed by Chadura Chandrama in 1686 CE, is poem describing the mahamastakabhisheka at Karkala.

Rajasthani

* Bharateshwara Bahubali Ghora composed by ''Vajrasena Suri'' in 1168, is a poem with 48 verses describing the battle between Bharata and Bahubali.

Gujarati

* Bharateshwara Bahubaliras composed by Shalibhadra Suri in 1184, is a poem with 203 stanzas describing the struggle of power between Bharata and Bahubali.

Images

Pictured below are some of the images depicting Bahubali that are located at various places in India. File:MET DP216814 - Bahubali 6th century.jpg, Bahubali,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

(6th CE) File:Gomateswara at Ellora Cave 32.jpg, Indra Sabha,

Ellora Caves Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 mo ...

(9th CE) File:Bahubali monolith at Halebidu.jpg, Bahubali monolith at

Halebidu Halebidu ( IAST: Haḷēbīḍ, literally "old capital, city, encampment" or "ruined city") is a town located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Historically known as Dorasamudra (also Dwarasamudra), Halebidu became the regal capital of the ...

(12th CE) File:Shravanbelgola Gomateshvara miniature.jpg, Miniature version of the Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola File:YSR_State_arch_museum_-_bahubaludu_at_patan_cheru.jpg, Bahubali statue at YSR state Archaeology Museum, Hyderabad, 12th century File:Bahubali Statue at Bada Gaon (2).jpg, statue of Bahubali at

Bada Gaon Bada Gaon is a village near Khekra, a town in the district of Bagpat, Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for Shri Parshwanath Atishaya Kshetra Prachin Digambar Jain Mandir that houses an idol of Lord Parshvanath, the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism a ...

File:Gommaṭeśvara.JPG, Gomateshwara at

Kalugumalai Jain Beds Kalugumalai Jain beds in Kalugumalai, a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, are dedicated to the Jain religious figures. Constructed in rock cut architecture, the unfinished temple is believed to have b ...

, 8th century File:Cholapandiyapuram andimalai Bahubali.jpg, Bahubali at Andimalai Caves, 10th century File:Bahubali statue atop Shravanabetta.jpg, Bahubali at Aretipur

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Shri Bahubali
{{Authority control Jain saints Solar dynasty Ascetics People in Jain texts God in Jainism