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was known for his exceptional arm strength. Brahmi was a very educated girl. She evolved the art of writing and developed the Brahmi script in which most of the scriptures were written. Her sister, Sundari, cultivated an exceptional talent in mathematics.
Rishabha was married to Sumangala and he was also married to another woman named Sunanda who had lost her husband. Rishabha sanctified the system of marriage and institutionalized family life. Thus, a social order was evolved and Rishabha, as the first acknowledged ruler of human society, came to be known as King Rishabhadev. He ruled for a very long time and laid down equitable rules and regulations for ensuring peace and safety within his realm. People of the kingdom loved Rishabhadev for providing peace and happiness.
Rishabhadev had every reason to be proud and happy with his achievements. However, one incident occurred to make him change his way of thinking. Once while he was watching a dance, the dancer suddenly collapsed and died. Rishabhadev became very disturbed by this incident. He started pondering over the death of the dancer and realized that every phenomenon and every situation in the universe undergoes changes and that no situation remains permanent. He decided to renounce worldly life in search of lasting happiness and distributed his kingdom among his children. He gave Bharat the city of Vinita and entrusted the city of Takshashila to Bahubali. To the remaining 98 sons, he distributed other parts of his vast kingdom. Then, he renounced all his possessions and became a monk in search of the ultimate truth. Four thousand of his associates and followers also joined him in renunciation.
KAROLINE
Rishabhadev had 100 sons. The eldest two, Bharat and Bahubali, were well known. He also had two daughters, Brahmi and Sundari. These four children were experts in different arts and crafts. Bharat became a brave warrior and a capable ruler. Jain literature indicates that India was named *Bharat' after him. Bahubali, true to his name (Bahu means arm and Bali means mighty),
As a monk, Rishabhadev traveled from place to place. He remained in a state of continuous meditation and did not think of food or water. Since Rishabhadev remained deeply immersed in meditation he could
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LIFE SKETCH OF TIRTHANKARAS
