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The Story of Bharata and Bahubali*
DALSUKH MALVANIA
I Introductory
The colossal Bahubali (Gomatesvara, 983 A.D.) at Sravana Belgola in South India is one of the wonders of the world. Generally the Jainas worship the idols of Tirthankaras but the worship of Bahubali is an exception. Though Bahubali is not a Tirthankara he is not only worshiped but also gets an abhişeka with grand celebrations just like Kumbha celebrations at Prayaga, after each period of twelve years. In South India there are many idols of Bahubali but in the North India idols of Bahubali are rare.
Though he was able to conquer Cakravarti Bharata in his physical fights, he renounced the world and became an ascetic. This may be the reason of his worship. Rama is worshipped by the Hindus as Maryada Purusottama, (comp. tato bhanati bāhubali-jai tumam koguttamasuo hoüņam majjāyamatikkamasi pihujane kā ganaņā ? VH, p. 187) who as the greatest hero established the limits of morality and propriety. So is Bahubali for the Jainas in establishing the fact that to conquer the physical world or the Cakravarti, the conqueror of the physical world, is not enough. One should conquer his spiritual world, his pride, the inner vices and his soul.1 Other important point also may be mentioned for his worship. When Bharata asked him to surrender his kingdom or have a battle with him, he asked for a duel so as to avoid the horrors of violence and unnecessary killings of the innocent people and destruction of the cities etc. In this manner he was the pioneer to establish the theory of no-war in this world. According to the Jainas Bahubali's father Rsabha was the first Tirthankara, his elder brother Bharata was the first Cakravarti and in the same manner Bahubali was the first man to establish no-war policy in this world, and hence there should be no surprize if he is given importance and worshiped just like a Tirthankara.
* Paper read at the Third International Sanskrit Conference held at Paris in 1977. 1 mottum kasayajujjbham samjamajujjena jujjhimo inhim parisahabhad ehi samayam
java thio uttamatthemmi/PC, 451.
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