Jain Journal 2006 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 23

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i.
steadfast
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iii.
JAIN JOURNAL VOL-XLI. NO. 1 JULY. 2006
drsti - yuddha, staring-contest: gazing at each other with eyes and whoever winked first being the looser.
jala - yuddha, a fight in water, and
malla-yuddha, boxing and wrestling contest.
Bahubali emerged victorious. Humiliated, Bharata set the cakraratna at his brother against fair rules of war. But cakra-ratna just went round Bahubali and returned to its master.
Bahubali, overcome by grief, contemplated on the evanescent mundane life, and allowed Bharata to rule as sovereign. He chose peace and strove for winning the spiritual empire. He engaged himself in deep meditation standing motionless in the kayotsarga posture for the full six seasons on stretch, without caring for the molehill growing over his limbs, snakes slithering freely, madhavi creeper spreading and entwining his legs and arms. Vidyadharas and other celestial nymphs appeared on the scene to revere the ascetic who fought and won a spiritual battle.
In his quest for happiness, Bharata tread a path that destroyed the inner good instincts and virtues. Craving for material wealth, possession and power begets greed, and greed leads to corruption. Bharata's passion for political power, fuelled by attachment to worldly pursuits disturbed his tranquility. Addiction to material attainments intoxicated Bharata's mind making it oblivious to truth and reality. Tied to mundane status, for a moment Bharata, one among the 12 universal emperors, forgot that attachment to the throne breeds hatred, as a result of which real happiness becomes a mirage. The moment Bahubali untied attachment to material power, it dispelled all worries. Dispassion guided him to the path of peace. Of course, Bahubali was first and quick to realize that the struggle for power and pelf was an act of stupidity. But when once wisdom dawned the remorseful Bharata, with all humility approached and worshipped Bahubali, and