Vijyanandsuri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth

Author(s): Navinchandra Vijaymuni, Ramanlal C Shah, Shripal Jain
Publisher: Vijayanand Suri Sahitya Prakashan Foundation Pavagadh

Page 871

Commander-in-Chief stepped into the Durbar Hall and reported to the Emperor that the Discus, the cakra, was still outside the city gates.
harata was dismayed. He was at a loss to know the reason why the discus had not entered the armoury. He asked the Minister for war if there was any king still unconquered by him. The lists of kings, who had become his vassals, was scrutinized. It was found that the name of Bahubali, the King of Paudanapura, was not in them. He was still independent and he was to be brought under the sway of Bharata.
It was suggested that that might be the reason why the cakra-ratna was still outside the gates of Ayodhya. Immediately swift ambassadors were sent to Paudanapura to demand from Bahubali recongnition of the suzerainty of Bharata and submission to his rule. The ambassadors respectfully received at the court of Bahubali. But on hearing the demands from Bharata, Bahubali got enraged. Bahubali was no less a son of Lord Rsabha than Bharata himself. So Bahubali said, "The kingdom was portioned out and allotted to us by our father the Lord, If he asks me to handover my kingdom to Bharata, I will do so most willingly. But if your king wants to take it from me, let him do so after conquering me in war". The ambassadors returned disappointed and reported to Bharata all that had happened at Paudanapura.
After the departure of the ambassadors, Bahubali gathered his army and was prepared to meet his brother in the battle. On hearing the reply of Bahubali, Bharata grew furious and summoning his entire army he marched towards Paudanapura. Both the armies came closer together at a particular place. Conchs were blown; kettle-drums were beaten, pipes, horns and trumpets blared forth making a tumultuous sound. They were about to attack one another. But the ministers of both the brothers stepped forward and prayed to their Lords not to fight and said, "O Lords, both of you are divine personalities. You are in your last births now. At the end of this life you will be attaining salvation. Your bodies are invulnerable. Why should these innocent soldiers be thrown to the jaws of death ? You may kindly decide your superiority by a duel combat".
Both the contending brothers were naturally averse to any form of injury to any life and they readily agreed to decide this question by methods of righteous fight, namely drsti-yoddha (looking at each other without winking), jalayuddha (throwing water at each other's face) and
98
Shri Vijyanand Suri Swargarohan Shatabdi Granth