Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India

encyclopedia

RELIGIONS

SAINTS, SAGES AND GURUS

BAHUBALI

The legend of Bahubali occupies a central place in the sacred

lore of Jainism. The town of Shravanabelgola in Karnataka where a

massive 17.07 metre high monolithic image of the saint was carved

in A.D. 981 from the top of the Vindhyagiri hill is the subject of a

spectacular anointing ceremony that is held once in 12 to 14 years.

The last ceremony was held in December 1993.

Bahubali was born many aeons

ago as the youngest son of Adi-

natha Rishabha, the first of the

twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras, the

founders of Jainism. Rishabha was

the king of Ayodhya. When after

many years Rishabha renounced

his kingdom and retired to the for-

est to meditate and perform pen-

ance, he appointed his elder son

Bharata as the ruler of Ayodhya and gave Bahubali the principality of

Podanapura.

But Bahubali refused to accept Bharata as his suzerain. A

battle ensued between the armies of the two brothers, resulting in

much carnage and bloodshed. The elder statesmen of both sides

unable to bear the sight suggested that since the dispute for su-

premacy was between the two brothers, it could be settled over a

duel with one another.

Accordingly, the two brothers went through

drishti yuddha

(the

fight of staring each other down),

jala-yuddha,

(fighting in water)

and lastly

malla-yuddha

(a wrestling bout). Bahubali emerged the

victor.

But in his moment of triumph, Bahubali realised the futility of

worldly success. He gave his kingdom and all his worldly posses-

sions to Bharata and retired to the forest to begin his penance.

In the forest Bahubali pulled out his hair and stood still in total

meditation. Creepers wound themselves around his arms and legs,

anthills sprang up at his feet and birds nested in his hair and beard. But

in spite of all his severe self-mortification, he did not attain

Keve-

lajnana.

Perturbed over Bahubali's condition, Bharata and his two

sisters went to their Tirthankara father who told them that the reason

was the thought that he had to stand on Bharata's land. This rankled

within him. Adinatha said to Bharata, "Go and offer homage to the

meditating muni." Thereupon Bharata and his two sisters went to the

forest and whispered to Bahubali," Dismount from the elephant, oh

revered brother!" In a flash he understood that the elephant alluded to

was the elephant of pride. And when Bharata paid obeisance to him, his

act of affection and humility dissolved all resentment within Bahubali.

He immediately attained

Kevalajnana

and thereafter

moksha.

The statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola was commissioned by

Chavundaraya, the Prime Minister and commander-in-chief of the

Ganga King Rachamalla. The Gangas ruled the southern part of

Karnataka between the 4th and 10th centuries. They were greatly

devoted to the Jain faith. Chauvndaraya had the statue of Gommata

sculpted. It was customary in South India to name the shrine and the

main image after the king or chief who commissioned it. Since

Chauvndaraya was hailed as Gommata the image is also known as

Gommateshwara (Lord of Gommata).

The consecration rites of the image were conducted by Chamunda-

raya in A.D. 981. The first

Mahamastakabhisheka

or head anointing

ceremony of which there is a written record took place in AD 1398.

Since then it has been held at certain conjunction of the heavenly bodies

at intervals of 12 to 14 years. The ritual bathing of the statue consists

of pouring over it holy water from 1008 ornamental vessels. This is

followed by anointing it with sugarcane juice, milk, sandalwood paste

and showering it with flowers.

ZARATHUSTHRA (or ZOROASTER) (628 B.C. - 551 B.C.)

(Zarathusthra means He of the

Golden Light) was born near

Teheran. He turned away from

all worldly pleasures and de-

voted himself day and night to

the worship of Ahura Mazda

when he was fifteen. When he

was twenty, he bade farewell to

his parents and went to meditate

in a cave. Like Gautama Bud-

dha and Mahavir, Zarathusthra

wanted to know the meaning of

the mystery of life. For ten

years he lived alone in a cave on Mount Ushidaren eating roots and

berries. A she-goat came daily to give him milk. On Mount Ushidaren

which means "bestowing awareness" Zarathusthra acquired enlighten-

ment when he received a vision of Ahura Mazda. His first follower was

the ruler of Bactria in eastern Iran, King Vishtaspa, who in a dream saw

Zarathusthra. He was followed by his son and his wife. Although

Zarathusthra could have lived a life of ease he continued his mission-

ary labours for thirty years travelling as far afield as Tibet and China

after which he settled at Balkh, the capital of Bactria (Afghanistan).

According to tradition, Zarathusthra's death was sudden and tragic.

When he was seventy-seven years, he was praying in the Fire Temple

at Balkh when a hostile tribe entered the city. Their leader, Tur-bara-

Tur, sought out the Prophet and stabbed him in the back when he was

lost in prayer.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA (566 B.C. - 486 B.C.)

The Great Renunciation of Siddhartha Gautama took place at the

age of twenty-nine when the sight of old age, disease, and death made

him realise the uselessness of pleasure and he left his wife and newly-

born son to lead a life of asceticism. For six years he led the life of an

ascetic but decided that asceticism was not the path to salvation and dis-

carded it. He then resolved to discover the means of salvation through

meditation. He attained enlighten-

ment at the age of thirty-five beneath

a large pipal tree, on the outskirts of

the town of Bodhgaya in Bihar, where

he sat and meditated for forty-nine

days. He had become the Buddha,

the Enlightened One. For another

seven weeks he remained under the

Tree of Wisdom meditating on the

great truths he had found. He then

proceeded to the deer park near Sar-

nath, close to modem Varanasi

The founder of Zoroastrianism,