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him fearlessly with tongues that were dreadful from their rough surfaces like saws. He was surrounded completely by creepers with a hundred branches shooting up, like a drum with leather thongs. Dense clusters of reeds grew up and around him, which had the appearance of quivers with arrows that had come from the power of former affection. Abundant darbha-grass filled with moving centipedes grew up around his feet buried in the mud of the rainy season. Hawks, sparrows, etc., in harmony with each other, made nests on his body covered with creepers. Thousands of serpents hid in the thickets of creepers, terrified by the call of the forest peacocks. Bahubali looked as if he had a thousand arms from hanging serpents fastened to his body. His feet were surrounded by serpents, like anklets that had left the ant-hill near his feet. As he stood thus in meditation, a year passed without food ..."9
When the year was nearing its end, Rsabha realized that it was pride which kept enlightenment from his son, so he sent his daughters, the nuns Brahmi and Sundari, to point out the fact to him. When the women arrived at the spot of his penance, they could not discover where he was, so completely had the creepers covrerd him, like dust a jewel. When they finally found him, they said, cryptically: “Enlightenment does not arise in those seated on an elephant's shoulder”, and off they went. Bahubali realized that by “elephant” they meant "pride". He then decided to go and pay homage to his father and brothers. He had but taken a step, when full enlightenment possessed him, and his destructive karmas snapped like a row of creepers. 10
from Monolithic Jinas/pp. 46-54 courtesy : Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi
• 10
Ibid., pp. 324-325. Ibid., pp. 325-326.
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