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86: Śramaņa, Vol 62, No. 4, Oct.-Dec. 2011 During zthe course of preparing a research paper for international symposium on Jainism held at Voctoria and Albert Museum, London in November 1995, I came accross some such images of Bāhubalī, which had not, till then, been properly studied. Some very significant iconographic features which they revealed led me to believe that in art, particularly so of the Digambara Jain tradition, a gradual process of elevating Bāhubalī in rank, started in the late sixth or early seventh century AD. The procress culminated in bringing Bāhubalī almost at par with the Jinas who were the highest in Jaina worship. Through the lengends and images of Gommateśvara Bāhubali, virtually a new ideal was introduced into Jainism to seggest that even an ordinary person, through the observance of aparigraha and sādhanā, can attain the most exalted position of the highest veneration. It was not a coincidence that the tallest Jaina image ever carved was that of Gommațeśvara Bāhubalī, who was not a Jina. The culmination of the process of this elevation was that in the Karkal (Karnataka) inscription of 1432 AD, he is referred to as Gommata Jinapati. In the sculptures of the ninth and twelfth century AD (found in Deogarh, UP) and Ellorā (Maharastra) Bharata Cakravartin, the symbol of highest worldly power and royalty is shown sitting in the attitude of supplication at the feet of Gommațeśvara Bāhubali. This juxtapositon of Bharata and Bāhubali represents the very soul of Indian culture which has held the values of aparigraha and ahimsā always at the summit of moral excellence. Even today, one expects the highest political dignitary to bow before spiritual stages. The images of Gommateśvara Bāhubalī thus carry important and relevant socio-cultural messages. Bharata Muni- He occupies an exalted position in the tradition of both the Jaina sects. His name was included in the list of the sixty three great men, Salākāpuruṣas of the Jaina pantheon, in the early centuries of the Christian era, or even earlier. Bharata, the first of the twelve cakravartins, or universal rulers, was the elder son of the first Jina, Rşabhanātha. He became cakravartin succeeding his father, and ruled from Vinitā. Bharata owned the nine treasures, navanidhis,
