Bahubali (, ) was the son of

Rishabhanatha Rishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), also Rishabhadeva (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव, ), Rishabha (Devanagari: ऋषभ, ) or Ikshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु, ''Ikṣvāku''), is the first (Supreme preacher) ...

(the first ''

tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...

'' of

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

) and the brother of the ''

chakravartin A ''chakravarti'' (, ) is an ideal (or idealized) universal ruler, in the history, and religion of India. The concept is present in Indian subcontinent cultural traditions, narrative myths and lore. There are three types of chakravarti: ''c ...

'' Bharata. He is a revered figure in Jainism. He is said to have meditated motionless for 12 years in a standing posture (''

kayotsarga Kayotsarga ( , ) 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 kayotsarga posture. ''Kayotsarga' ...

''), with climbing plants having grown around his legs. After his 12 years of meditation, he is said to have attained omniscience ('' kevala jnana''). Bahubali's other names are Kammateshwara and Gommateshwara, the namesake of the

Gommateshwara statue The Gommateshwara statue is a high monolithic statue on Vindhyagiri, also known as ''Indra-giri'' 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 ...

dedicated to him.

Legends

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

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

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

'',

and his two sons Bharata and Bahubali. It was composed by

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

, a ''

Digambara monk A Digambara monk or Digambara Sādhu (also ''muni'', ''sādhu'') is a Sādhu in the Digambar tradition of Jainism, and as such an occupant of the highest limb of the four-fold ''sangha''. Digambar Sādhus have 28 primary attributes which inc ...

''.

Family life

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

Ikshvaku dynasty The Solar dynasty or (; ), also called the Ikshvaku dynasty, is a legendary Indian dynasty said to have been founded by Ikshvaku. In Hindu literature, it ruled the Kosala Kingdom, with its capital at Ayodhya, and later at Shravasti. They ...

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

. He is said to have excelled in studying

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

floriculture Floriculture (from ) is the study of the efficient production of the plants that produce showy, colorful flowers and foliage for human enjoyment in human environments. It is a commercially successful branch of horticulture and agriculture found ...

, 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 Aśmaka or Assaka was a Mahajanapada in ancient South Asia which existed between 700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts and ''Puranas''. It included areas in present-day Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in south-c ...

from

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

, 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 ''

'' 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)(''drishti-yuddha''), water-fight (''jala-yuddha''), and wrestling (''

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

''). 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 jnana''). He 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 the Jain text ''

Ādi purāṇa Ādi purāṇa is a 9th-century CE 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 pr ...

'', on the last day of Bahubali's one year long fast, Bharata came in all humility to Bahubali and worshipped 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 Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

'', including the knowledge obscuring karma, and he attained omniscience (''kevala jnana''). He was now revered as an omniscient being ('' Kevali''). Bahubali finally attained liberation (''

moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

'') at

Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part ...

a 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 ascen ...

'').

Statues

Karnataka

There are five

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...

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

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

: * 17.4 m (57 feet) at

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola (pronunciation: ) 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 ...

Hassan District Hassan is one of the districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan, Karnataka, Hassan. It was part of ''Manjarabad Faujdari'' between 1832-81 (Mysore Commission, Commissioner's Rule of Mysore). In ...

in 981 CE * 12.8 m (42 feet) at

Karkala Karkala ( ) ( ) is a town and the headquarters of eponymous Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka state in India. It lies near the foothills of the Western Ghats, Karkala has a number of natural and historical landmarks, and is a m ...

Udupi District Udupi district (also Udipi () in Kannada 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 old north Malabar c ...

in 1430 * 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 taluk of Belthangady of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India. The town is known for its centuries-old Dharmastha ...

Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is located in the states and territories of India, state of Karnataka in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangaluru. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east and the ...

District in 1973 * 10.7 m (35 feet) at

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

District in 1604 * 6 m (17.5 feet) at Gommatagiri in Mysore District in 14th century CE

Maharashtra

* 8m (28 feet) at

Kumbhoj Kumbhoj (pronounced as ''kum'bho'j'') is the name of an ancient town located in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. The town is about eight kilometers from Hatkanangale, about twenty seven kilometers from Kolhapur and currently, also is the Taluka ...

in Kolhapur district in 1963 * 8m (28 feet) a
Mumbra
in

Thane district Thane district (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, �ʰaːɳe previously named Taana or Thana) is a districts of Maharashtra, district in the Konkan Division of Maharashtra, India. At the 2011 Census it was the most populated district in the c ...

in 1965

Tamil Nadu

* 7.3 m (24 feet) at Ponnur in

Tiruvannamalai District Thiruvannamalai District (previously known as Central Arcot, Tiruvannamalai Sambhuvarayar District) is the second largest district in Tamil Nadu by area after Dindigul District and one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts in the state o ...

in 2023.

Shravanabelagola

The monolithic statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola, located from

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

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

Chavundaraya ''Cāmuṇḍarāya'' or Chavundaraya (Kannada ''Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya'', 940–989) was an Indian people, Indian Jain ruler. He served in the court of the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad (in modern Karnataka, India). A perso ...

; it is tall and is situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola, in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It was built in and around 981 CE 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 The Gurupura River (also known as Pachamagaru River, Phalguni River or Kulur River) is a river in the Karnataka state of India. It originates in the Western Ghats and is a distributary of the Netravati River, which empties into the Arabian Sea ...

. Thimmanna Ajila built a colossus of Gommateshwara there in 1604. 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.They were mostly in Tamil Nadu region.It is believed that the founder of this community was named Ajila A Abhilashmanzil.It is also the ...

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 ''Māhāmastakābhiṣeka'' ("Grand Consecration") refers to the ''abhiṣeka'' (anointment) of the Jain idols when held on a large scale. The most famous of such consecrations is the anointment of the Bahubali Gommateshwara statue loc ...

'' 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

is the name of an ancient town located in Kolhapur district,

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. 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 Mandya was carved out of larger Mysore district in the year 1939. Mandya is the main town in Mandya district. As of 2011, the district population was 1,808,680 ...

. 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 Alexander ...

(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 one of the taluks of 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. Madduru ...

, Karnataka, that is wide and tall.

Uttar Pradesh

Greater Noida

The Bahubaleshwar Temple in village Gharbhara has a 23 ft (7.0 m) high Statue of Bahubali in granite. Built with sustainability in mind, the temple boasts a Miyawaki forest with 5,000 trees, a pond, fountains, mud cottages, and 90% green coverage.

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

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

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

Prakrit

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

Nemichandra Nemichandra (fl. c. 975), also known by his epithet Siddhanta Chakravarty, was a Jain acharya from present-day India. He wrote several works including '' Dravyasamgraha'', '' Gommatsāra'' (''Jivakanda'' and ''Karmakanda''), ''Trilokasara'', '' ...

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 () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

text based on the Sanskrit text was written by the poet

Adikavi Pampa Pampa (), also referred to by the honorific Ādikavi ("First Poet"), was a Kannada-language Jain poet whose works reflected his philosophical beliefs. He was a court poet of Vemulavada Chalukya king Arikesari II, who was a feudatory of the ...

. * ''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

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'', ; ) is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. ...

s 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:Bahubaliji.jpg, Bahubali at Shree Pragat Prabhavi Parshwanatha Temple,

Dabhoi Dabhoi is a town and a municipality in the Vadodara district in the state of Gujarat, India. Dabhoi has a big popular sunni masjid (mosque) named Kaziwad Masjid. History Dabhoi was historically known as Darbhavati, Darbikagrama, Darbhavat ...

File:MET DP216814 - Bahubali 6th century.jpg, Bahubali,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

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

Ellora Caves The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 AD, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves., Quote: "The ...

(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 Dwārasamudra (also Dorasamudra), 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 Rawan Urf Bada Gaon is a village near Khekra, a town in the district of Bagpat, Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for Maa Mansa Devi Temple, This Temple was established by Ravana. It is historic and one of the oldest temple in baghpat. It is also fa ...

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 ...

, 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