The Story of Bharata and Bahubali (Part 2)
Summary
The concluding half of Malvania’s paper extends his survey to later Jain texts, inscriptions and historical literature. He reviews the Avasyaka‑niryukti and its commentaries, Ravisenḍa’s Padmacarita, Nemicandra’s Gommatṣāra and other works, noting how they embellish the basic legend of Bahubali and Bharata. These texts introduce variations: some locate Bahubali’s meditation on the battlefield, others at Taksasila or Mount Kailasa; some emphasise the role of the nuns Brahmi and Sundari, while others attribute Bahubali’s enlightenment to Bharata’s humility. Malvania then turns to art and epigraphy. He describes unique tri‑tirthika reliefs where Bahubali stands alongside two Jinas, as well as bronze images and wooden book‑covers from western India. He discusses the proportions and iconography of later colossi at Karkala (1432) and Venur (1604) and contrasts them with the elegance of the Shravanabelagola statue. Epigraphic evidence from inscriptions at the base of the monolith shows that it was created under the patronage of the Ganga minister Chamundaraya between about 978 and 983 CE. Malvania quotes travellers and historians who describe the statue’s exquisite modelling, its lotus pedestal, broad shoulders and serene expression and who note that it dominates the landscape for miles. He explains that the Mahamastakabhisheka festival, held every twelve years, continues to draw thousands of pilgrims who bathe the 17‑m statue with milk, curds and saffron. Through these examples, Malvania shows how the story of Bahubali and Bharata became intertwined with the monumental sculpture and how later authors and sculptors used the legend to promote non‑violence, humility and devotion.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
In the second half of his survey Malvania situates the Bharata–Bahubali legend within a broader historical and artistic context. By analysing commentaries, sculptures and inscriptions, he illustrates how the narrative was elaborated and how the cult of Bahubali became centred on the Shravanabelagola colossus. He emphasises that Chamundaraya’s 10th‑century patronage produced a masterpiece whose technical brilliance and symbolic resonance have never been surpassed and that the twelve‑yearly Mahamastakabhisheka festival keeps Bahubali’s message of humility alive.