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A STORY OF SHRAVANA BELGOLA
By Saryu Doshi
Shravana Belgola, a small village in Karnataka not far from Mysore, is situated at the base of two hills, one bigger than the other, separated by a large pond with embankments around it. It is an important pilgrimage place of the Digambara Jains.
Legends and historical information take the story of this place back to the the 4th century B.C to the time of the Jain Acharya Shrutkevali Bhadrabahu. He was the last in the line of Jain pontiffs who knew the Jain canon in its entirety. From the various events that occurred around him, Bhadrabahu could foretell that a dreadful famine would devastate the land. To escape its ravages Bhadrabahu, accompanied by his royal disciple Chandragupta Maurya, and 16000 followers migrated to the south. While on their journey, they stopped at this scenic spot with its two wooded hills and a large pond. The monk and his followers camped on the small hill.
During their stay, it became evident to Bhadrabahu that his health was failing and his end was near. He summoned his followers and asked them to proceed further to propagate the message of Jainism in the region. Only Chandragupta Maurya stayed back to tend to his teacher who undertook the vow of sallekhana (gradual withdrawal from all forms of sustenance until death). After Bhadrabahu's death, Chandragupta Maurya lived and meditated on the small hill for some years and died by performing sallekhana.
Because of its association with these holy personages, the hill assumed a sacred character and over the centuries numerous Jain monks as well as devout persons came to meditate and seek salvation through sallekhana.
Hundreds of years later, in the 10th century, Chamundaraya a general in the army of the Ganga kings who ruled over the region --- stopped for the night at this site. He was traveling with his mother to Podanpura where, according to the Digambara Jain lore Bharata, the eldest son of Tirthankar Rishabha, had erected a colossal statue of his brother Bahubali --- the first soul to attain moksha in this cosmic cycle. That night, Devi Ambika appeared in Chamundaraya's dream and advised him to abandon his journey to distant Podanpura as it was overrun by kukkutasarpas (mythical birds having the body of a cock and the head of a serpent). She informed him that if he stood at the foot of the small hill and shot an arrow at the summit of the big hill, Lord Bahubali would reveal himself.
Early next morning, when Chamundaraya's arrow hit the top of the hill, layers of stone fell away, and Chamundaraya could see the image of Lord Bahubali. Immediately, he summoned a master-sculptor, and commissioned him to chip away
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