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Gommatesvara Commemoration Volume
the sect to improve their lives and follow the right path for crossing across successfully the worldly life to achieve the supreme goal. These great. men were therefore called, Tirthankaras.
In the stories of these great divinised men, five stages were, in course of time, recognised as the most eventful as they were for the good of the mankind and therefore auspicious. They are: the sacred conception (garbhavataraṇa kalyāṇa), the divine birth celebration of the birth (janmābhişēka kalyāṇa), renunciation (parinişkramana kalyana), the divine enlightenment (kevalajnāna kalyāṇa) and attainment of mōkṣa (mōkşa kalyana). They are religiously described as Pañca Kalyānas (the five auspicious events) and ceremoniously observed by the faithful on the occasion of the consecration of the images of the Tirthankaras
Historically speaking, there are hardly any records speaking about the performance of the Pacha Kalyāņas to such images of the Tirthankaras as and when Jaina basadis were founded. Luckily, there is but one such inscription" mentioning about the performance of the Pañcha Kalyāṇas to Gommatesvara at Sravanabelgola. It is therefore particularly worthwhile to note it on this spectaclur occasion of the celebration of 1000th year of the consecration of the most imposing colossus of Gommatesvara Bahubali on the peak of the Dodda Betta here.
Bahubali before his absolute negation of the worldly ties, he is traditionally believed to have been ruling over the part of South India later called Karnataka," his elder brother Bharata being the ruler of northern India. The latter in order to be supreme sovereign wanted his brother to submit to him. Really Bahubali, handsome and impressive, was mighty and powerful. In the duel that followed Bahubali defeated his elder brother who was greedy of emperorship. Bharata being completely overcome with human passions, unjustly used the divine cakra he was possessing, against his brother. But the divine wheel just circumambulated Bahubali and returned to him. Then, Bahubali realised that it was the greed that led even the brothers to fight each other for the short-lived worldly power and made his elder brother to resort to unjust means. Although victorious he therefore being disgusted with such worldly things breeding ill-feeling, greed, etc, he gave up even his kingdom to his defeated brother and discarded all wordly attachments, and began penance standing alone and aloft. His brother being utterly ashamed of his own misconduct and touched by his brother's magnanimity, be with his sisters Brahmi and Sundari, prayed, appealed and persuaded him to give up penance and to continue as monarch but in vain. Bahubali continued his penance austerely unmindful of the growth of anthills, creepers, snakes moving round him and attained the supreme salvation. Bharata with utmost reverence to his great brother got an image of 'Bahubali Kevali' about 525 bows' height, made near Paudanapura. When Bahubali could have become the sole monarch he displayed magnanimity towards his brother, gave up even his own kingdom and preferred to
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