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Bahubali in Prakrit Literature
a life of a mendicant. It may be noted that although there have been used many a motif in Prakrit stories yet assailing with Cokra is a new one and thereby it puts the incident completely on a different footing. At this juncture the thoughts given. vent to by Bahubali are indeed precious enough and they can very well be regarded as the jewels of Indian literature.1 It, as a matter of fact, opens up multifaceted nature of man's personality. Bahubali overtakes materialistic victory considering it negligible and advances further with a keen aspiration to reap spiritual one. It should be noted that one who strives for the protection and preservation of the traditional values is greater than the one who destroys it. Bahubali, this way, certainly surpasses Bharata.
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4. Prakrit texts describe at length the penance undertaken by Bahubali. Paumacariyam makes no mention of any hindrance in Bahubali's Kevalajñāna attainment. But later on some of the authors have mentioned the presence of Mana-kaşaya in Bahubali's mind, with a view to further purify his soul. It was used as a motif in order to conceal his Mana. According to the Prakrit texts Bahubali did not approach Ṛsabhadeva for initiation because of the point that he would have to bow down to his own younger brothers who have already undergone initiation.20 This pride (Māna-kaṣāya) played the role of a villian and obstructed the coveted Kevalajñāna to Bahubali. The Jain Puranas record still different reason. Bahubali did not want to practise penance on the land of Bharata". This stubborness was responsible for the delay of Kevalajhana. Thus Bahubali has become a symbol for Mana-kaşaya in Prakrit stories. Malayaprabhasūris commentary on Jayanticarita records as many Prakrit stories as fifty six". Herein one notices Bahuali's story as an illustration of pride. Prakrit-Katha-Koşa too includes it on the same point of Mana-kaşaya." Bhavapahuda again refers Bahubalis story just to illustrate Mäna-kaşaya"
One clearly learns that though Bahubali had reacted on the high point of developed personality yet he failed to attain Kevalajñana because of the presence of Māna-kaşaya in him. In order to remove this vice, one Jaina tradition introduces Rşabhadeva's daughter Brähml, who advises Bahubli to get rid of his pride. She says "You are not bowing down to your younger brother but actually bowing down to the virtues. Without overcoming the ego how will you be able to attain the height of the order of Atman" In another tradition of the story Bharata himself requests Bahubali to shed ego and transcend it. Consequently Bahubali is said to have shed his ego and with the result he obtains the desired object. He becomes Kevalajani.
Bahubali's life-story is one of those stories in Jain literature" which are universal and directly linked with the day to day life of the people. Though Bahubali was not a Tirthankara yet he got highest respect in literature for he stood for certain virtues. If Bharata is famous by dint of his being Emperor,
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