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BOXING
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Stories preceding an
MAHAVIR
BHARAT & BAHUBALI
L was
ord Rishabhadev or Adinath was known as King Rishabhadev before his renunciation of worldly life. He had two wives, Sumangala and Sunanda. By Sumangala, he had 99 sons, of whom Bharat was the eldest and the best known, and one daughter named Brahmi. By the second wife, Sunanda, he had one son named Bahubali and a daughter named Sundari. All of them were given proper training in different arts and crafts. Bharat became a great warrior and a politician. Bahubali was tall, well built, and strong and hence was called Bahubali. In Sanskrit, Bahu means arm and Bali means mighty.
Brahmi attained a very high level of literary proficiency. She developed the first known script known as Brahmi script. Sundari was very proficient in mathematics. After Lord Rishabhadev attained omniscience, both girls renounced their worldly lives and became his disciples.
As a King, Rishabhadev had the responsibility of a large kingdom. At the time of his renunciation, he handed over the city of Vinita, also known as Ayodhya, to Bharat; and the city of Takshashila to Bahubali. To the remaining ninety-eight sons he gave different parts of his vast kingdom.
Bharat quickly established control over Vinita. He was an ambitious ruler
STORIES PRECEDING BHAGWAN MAHAVIR
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