OM-ARHAM

Note 2:

See Ācārya Jinasena’s Ādipurāṇa, part-2, ch. 34-36; see particularly ch. 36, p. 200-217.

The detailed story of Bāhubalī from Ādīśvaracaritra by Hemachandrācārya is rendered in

‘Saṁvara [part 2145-2174]’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/692614454130155/permalink/1719782838079973.

Note 1:

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Following is a highly abridged account of the story of one-year severe austerities (tapa) of Bāhubalī [note 2]:

After winning the six divisions of earth in all directions (digvijaya), humbling numerous kings, possessors of supernatural powers (vidyādhara), and celestial beings (deva), and acquiring nine-fold most precious treasures (nidhi) and fourteen jewels (ratna), Emperor Bharata cakravartī proceeded for his capital Ayodhyāpurī with his vast ocean of army and the all-powerful, divine cakraratna (spinning, disk-like super weapon with serrated edges). But the cakraratna, surprisingly, stopped on its own at the entrance of Ayodhyāpurī signalling to the Emperor that there still remained individuals who have refused submission to his supreme authority. The Emperor found out that they were no other but his own younger brothers – ninety-nine of them, all extremely virtuous, full of self-esteem, and not easy to win over. The Emperor sent them an appropriate message through an envoy. On receiving the message, highly courteous but essentially commanding them to submit before his authority, they all decided to approach, with a strong urge for world renunciation, their Father, the World Teacher (Tīrthaṅkara) Lord Ṛṣabha Deva, who, after attaining omniscience, was gloriously seated in the heavenly Pavilion (samavaśaraṇa) erected by the celestial beings at Mount Kailāśa. The World Teacher, in his divine discourse, set them firmly on the path to liberation; he preached that for anyone who had great self-esteem, magnificent body, in the prime of his youth, extreme strength, and also noble virtues, it was not commendable to be subservient to a worldly power; it is like the majestic elephant tamed for use as a carrier. All the brothers, realizing the transitory nature of the world and determined to salute and adore no one but Lord Ṛṣabha Deva, who is worshipped even by the Indras, embraced the most extraordinary Jaina ordination (muni dīkṣā). They all, endowed with the final and superior bodies of extraordinary sturdiness and strength (vajraṛṣabhanārācasaṃhanana), became truly independent, followed the most demanding conduct prescribed for a muni to the letter, and finally attained the supreme status that is liberation.

The Emperor’s yet another brother Bāhubalī, also endowed with the final and superior body of extraordinary sturdiness and strength (vajraṛṣabhanārācasaṃhanana), hurled open defiance at the Emperor and challenged him to a fight. When the two armies were ready for a face to face confrontation, the ministers on both sides deliberated that the war would unnecessarily result in the massacre of innocent people and that it was useless to proceed with it in an ordinary manner.

Neither Bharata nor Bāhubalī, both having the final and superior bodies, could be overwhelmed by any weapon and, therefore, let the two brothers fight out the issue by themselves in other ways. It was decided that they should settle their dispute by means of three kinds of contests, namely, eye-fight (constant staring at each other), water-fight, and wrestling. Bāhubalī won all the three contests but instead of throwing Bharata down on the ground in the last fight (wrestling), he lifted him up on his shoulder and then gently placed him on the ground, out of an affectionate regard for him. Humiliated and infuriated, Bharata called for his irresistible, all-powerful and divine cakraratna. Instead of harming Bāhubalī, it merely circled around him and descended in his vicinity. This had happened because such divine weapons lose their effectiveness when confronted with the master’s close relations. While the assembled kings and courtiers were praising Bāhubalī on his extraordinary prowess, he himself was contemplating the folly of fighting with his own brother for the sake of pride and kingdom. He quickly realized that all sense objects although look attractive in the beginning, end up giving very painful results. He begged for Bharata’s pardon, gave his kingdom to son Mahābalī, and worshipping the Holy Feet of his Father, Lord Ṛṣabha Deva, entered the order of homeless, naked monks. Bāhubalī performed severest of austerities, standing motionless in ‘pratimāyoga’, and immersed in contemplation for one whole year. The thought, ‘I have caused angst to Bharata, or, Bharata has suffered angst due to me,’ remained persistently in the heart of Bāhubalī. On completion of one year, Emperor Bharata came and worshipped the pious feet of his younger brother Bāhubalī. Soon after, Bāhubalī attained indestructible and supremely glorious omniscience; it seemed that to spring forth, omniscience had demanded such adoration from Bharata.