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Dravya Samgraha of battle) in a statuesque posture for one year and "the creepers, wreathing round the boughs of the trees on the bank clung to his neck and crowned his head with their canopy and the blades of kuša-grass grew between his feet, and he became in appearance like an ant-hill."** Subsequently, Bhujavali obtained absolute knowledge and became one of the Kevalîs.
In an inscription, however, we read that Puru was the father of Vâhuvali or Bhujavali and Bharata. Then the inscription goes on to say that “Bharata, the son of Puru Deva, surrounded by all the kings conquered by him, erected in glee an image, representing the victorious Vâhuvali Kevali, which was 525 bows in height, near Podanapura. After a long time, innumberable Kukkuta-sarpa (dragons having the body of a fowl and the head and neck of a snake), terrifying the world, grew up in the place surrounding (the image of) that Jina, for which the image became known as Kukkuteśvara.''t
In the light of these traditions, we shall be able to understand the significance of the sculptured anthills, from which serpents are issuing, and the climbing plant which twines round the legs and arms of the images of Gommateśvara at Śravaņa Belgola, Karkala and Yenur. “These details are identical in all three, and supposed to represent so rigid and complete an absorption in penance that ant-hills had been raised around his feet and plants had grown over his body, without disturbing the profoundness of the ascetic's abstraction from mundane affairs." I
The story of the establishing of the image of Gommateśvara by Châmunda Râya is thus described in a work, composed in Sanskrit verses, named Vahuvali Charitra :
In the city of Madhurâ (now known as Madura) in the Drâvida country there was a king, named Rajamalla, who encouraged the spread of Jaina tenets, and was the worshipper of Simhanandi, belonging to the Deśîya Gaņa. His minister was called Châmunda Râja. One day, when the king sat with his minister in the royal court, a travelling merchant came there and told them that in the north there is a town called Paudanapurî, where there is an image of Vahuvali, also called Gommata, established by Bharata. Hearing this, the devout Châmunda Râja resolved to visit the shrine of the image, and going home narrated the tale to his mother, Kâlika Devi whereupon she also wished to go with him to that sacred spot. Châmunda Raja then went to his spiritual preceptor, Ajitasena, who revered Simhanandi and made a vow before the latter that he will not drink milk till he sees the image of Vahuvali. Accompanied by Nemichandra, his mother and numerous soldiers and attendants, Châmunda Raja started on his pilgrimage and reached the Vindhyagiri (in Sravaņa Belgola). In the night, the Jaina Goddess Kuşmândi (the Yakşinî attendant on Neminátha, the twenty-second Tîrthankara) appeared in a dream to Châmunda Râja, Nemichandra and Kalika, and told them that it was very difficult to go to Paudanapurî but on that very hill there is an image of Vâhuvali, formerly established by Ravana, which will be visible if the hill
Tu:
* The Katha-koşa or Treasury of Stories, translated by C. H. Tawney, pages 192-195. † Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. II, page 67, Inscription No. 85.
Lewis Rice-'Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola'. Introduction, page 33,
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