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BANERJEE : RŞABHADEVA
113
is represented as of golden or yellow complexion and the bull for his cognizance. In Somadeva's Yaśastilaka (10th cent. A.D.) "there are representations of most of the dreams of Rşabha Jina's mother, e.g., the Airāvata elephant, a bull, a lion, the goddess Lakşmi, the sun and the moon, a lotus pool, the ocean, flames, a heap of jewels, and an aerial car" (samnihitairāvatā.....äsina-saurabheyā.... nilinopakantha-kanthiravā...ramopa-sobhitā...etc.).? According to the commentator of Kalpa-sūtra, he was born at Vinītā (i.e. Ayodhyā) in the country of Kosala towards the end of the dvāpara age. Some say he was born in Kashmir.3
"He was the first king (prathama rājā), first anchorite (prathama bhikṣākara) and first saint (prathama jina) and prathama tīrthankara. His stature was 500 poles (dhanus)."4
He was married to Sumangalā and Sunandā. He had turns by each of his wives. Sunandā gave birth to a son Bāhubali (some say Gommala is another name of Bahubali) and a daughter Sundari, and Sumangalā gave birth to a son Bharata and a daughter Brāhmi. From the descendants of Bharata and Bāhubali the Surya and the Candra dynasties originated respectively, and the name of the country became Bhārata. Both Bharata and Bāhubali, though sons of Rşabha, the first Tīrthankara, were engaged in war for some years, and the incident is described in Vajrasena's Bharateśvara-Bāhubali-ghora (1170 A.D.) and sālibhadra's Bharateśvara-Bahubali-rāsa (1185 A.D.).
2. K.K. Handique, Yasastilaka and Indian Culture, Sholhapur,
1949, p. 121. 3. Burgess, ibid., p. 5. 4. Ibid., p. 5. 5. Winternitz, ibid., p. 585. 6. Majumdar, The Struggle for Empire, Vol. V, Bombay, 1957,
p. 393f.
