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When We Remember Gommatesvara the Lord of Purity and Harmony
P. C. DASGUPTA
As a colossus that bespeaks the glory of purity and harmony beyond time and space and the majesty of a personality that is not affected by the manifold conditions of the universe seen or unseen the image of Gommatesvara on the Indrabetta hill at Sravana Belgola in Mysore provokes and epitomises a symbolism in its totality. This statue of Bahubali, a son of Rsabhanatha will recall the legend of a prince of truest valour and nobility who at the moment of his personal victory in a contest over his warlike elder brother Bharata suddenly decided to abandon the material world and ultimately became a Kevalin. While ancient annals refer to this singular drama of duel and renunciation, the colossus of the prince as Gommatesvara at Sravana Belgola will ever remain as a monument of eternity. Here Bahubali stands in a kayotsarga attitude absorbed in his meditation that remained constant in his spiritual calm despite the growth of creepers around his legs and emergence of ant-hills with snakes at the very place where he stood. Aside other examples a masterpiece in its own dimension envisaging Bahubali standing in the same meditative pose may also be noticed in a cave of Ellora in Maharastra. As the story of Bahubali is told, he attained his final knowledge and liberation in the spiritual plane during the endless hours of his contemplation when his sisters Brahmi and Sundari awakened him by a murmuring song to the truth that he should give up his last sentimental consciousness of the self by paying obeisance to Rsabhadeva. Emotionally hurt by his elder brother who even wanted to take his life by an unfair means to become a Cakravarti i.e. a political overlord Bahubali could perhaps regard the indifference of his father, a Tirthankara with a measure of inexplicable grief. In the perspective of his personal experience and realisation Bahubali understood the deep undertone of the words sung by his sisters that told the perfection of knowledge could never come for the one who rode an elephant, a symbol of pride. So, the master of purity, equanimity and determination raised a foot to walk and was liberated instantly. His knowledge identified him with the ultimate truth beyond the manifold aspects of time, energy and space as also rebirth and mortal experiences. Thus, the statue of Bahubali at Sravana Belgola stands as an emblem of a realisation that
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