________________
The story of Bharata and Bahubali
7
Rṣabha is accepted by both the Puranas as an incarnation of God as a naked ascetic. The purpose of the incarnation is mentioned as the establishment of the heretical Arhaddharma (Jainism) opposing the Vedas in order to conquer the Asuras who could not be conquered by the Suras (gods) because of their faith in Vedas. The Asuras followed the Arhaddharma propounded by Rsabha and opposed the Vedas and so were conquered by the Suras. (VP. 3.17, 18; BP 5. 3.17 ff).
The story of Bharata as a son of Rṣabha is also found in both the Puranas. Bharata first becomes a king but due to his extreme devotion to God he renounced the kingdom and became a Parivrajaka and resided at Pulahaśrama (Hariharakṣetra) and due to his attachment to a deer which was saved by him from drowning in the river he took his next birth as a deer, also devoted to the God. And in his next birth he became a Brahmin who in order to devote himself to God and nothing else behaved like a mad, foolish, blind and deaf man (Atmanam unmatta-jaḍa-andha-badhirasvarūpeṇa darśayamasa -BP. 5.9.3.; Atmanam darśayamasa jadonmattakṛtim jane VP. 2. 13. 44). And so he had to suffer hardship as Paramahamsa and at last he was liberated (VP. 2. 13-16; BP. 5. 7-15).
Here we can mark that the version of VP is the base for BP version. The occurrence of the Rsabha story in the Puranas in the context of the origin of Jainism and Buddhism, both of them opposing the validity of the Vedas, proves that these Puranas have adopted the story from the Jaina sources.
Both of these Puranas though against Jainism and Buddhism are unanimous in praising an unattached way of life and they adopt the theory of nonviolence, non-attachment and equanimity as is preached by the Jaina Tirrthankaras. They are opposed to the Jainism and Buddhism only for their non-acceptance of the validity of the Vedas.
At and the
There was no way but to accept Rsabha and Buddha as an incarna. tion of God because nothing in this world happens without the will of God and none can deny the fact that they were great persons held in high esteem by the general public and so they were accepted as incarnations of God.
V Comparison of Paumacariya of Vimala (PC) and Avasyaka Niryakti (AN)
In the next stage we find the sectarian bias of Svetambara and Digambra in the story So it is proper that before we discuss those books. pregnant with bias Paumacariya of Vimala should be discussed and compared with AN as it is certainly earlier than those books and also it
•
