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Gommatesvara-Bahubali,
the Great Saint
The colossal image of Bahubali (Gommatesvara) installed at Sravana Belgola in 983 A.D., is one of the wonders of the world. Generally the Jainas worship images of the Tirthankaras, who obtain highest respect, and all other deities in the Jaina shrines are of secondary importance. But, though not a Tirthankara himself, Bahubali, who became a Siddha, obtained kevala-jñāna after practising very severe austerities, receives very high respect,1 almost as much as the Tirthankaras, especially amongst the Digambaras and grand celebration of the Mahāmastakābhişeka of the Gommatesvara statue at Sravana Belgola is held every twelve years attended by pious Jainas from all over India. In February 1981, this ceremony was performed at Sravana Belgola.
U. P. SHAH
Worship and images of Bahubali are more popular in South India, though they are not unknown in North India. Amongst the Svetambaras, Bahubali generally figures amongst miniatures of the Kalpa Sutra, depicting incidents from the life of Rsabhanatha.
It would be interesting to look into all literary sources regarding the life of Bahubali, before we refer to some well-known representations in stone, metals or in miniatures.
Bahubali, born of queen Sunanda, was the second son of the first Tirthankara Rsabhanatha. While his elder step-brother, Bharata, succeeded his father, and became a Cakravartin ruling from Vinita, Bahubali had his capital at Taksasila, in the country of Bahali.2
1
In some early Jaina bronzes from the South, in tri-tirthika images, there is central figure of Jina in padmasana, a smaller standing Jina figure on one side, and a standing Bahubali on the other side (in place of another Jina).
* Avasyaka Niryukti, 322, and Haribhadra's Avasyaka Vrtti on it, p. 147, Avasyaka Curni (on the same AN gatha), p. 180, expressly says that Taksasila was in the Bahalivisaya.
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