Bharat Ane Bahubali - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Bharat ane Bahubali" in English:

Book Title: Bharat ane Bahubali Author(s): JAINA Education Committee Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

This text recounts the story of Bharat and Bahubali, two prominent figures in Jain tradition, focusing on their lives, their conflicts, and their eventual spiritual paths.

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The Royal Family: The story begins by introducing King Rishabhdev (also known as Prabhu Dev before renouncing the world), the first Tirthankara. He had two queens: Sumangala, who bore him 99 sons, with Bharat being the eldest and most famous, and one daughter, Brahmi. His second queen, Sunanda, bore him a son named Bahubali and a daughter named Sundari. All the children received comprehensive training in various arts and professions.
Bharat and Bahubali's Talents: Bharat became a great warrior and a skilled politician. Bahubali, whose name signifies immense strength in his arms, was a tall, strong, and cultured youth. Brahmi was proficient in literary arts and is credited with popularizing the Brahmi script. Sundari was skilled in the art of movement. Both daughters eventually renounced the world to become disciples of Lord Rishabhdev after he attained omniscience.
The Kingdom Divided: After becoming omniscient, Lord Rishabhdev abdicated his throne. He gave the city of Vinita (later known as Ayodhya) to Bharat and Taxila (known as Pothanpur in Digambar manuscripts) to Bahubali. The remaining 98 sons were given other territories within the vast kingdom.

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Bharat's Ambition and Conquests: Bharat was highly ambitious and desired to become the emperor of the entire world. He developed a strong army and advanced weaponry, including the celestial weapon called the Chakra-ratna, which never missed its target. He easily conquered the surrounding kingdoms and persuaded his 98 brothers to accept his supremacy.
Seeking Guidance: Bharat's brothers, seeking counsel, approached Lord Rishabhdev. The Lord advised them that conquering external enemies is meaningless; true victory lies in conquering internal enemies. He explained that true empire resides in liberation. Understanding the futility of fighting their brother, they surrendered their kingdoms to Bharat and became disciples of Lord Rishabhdev, renouncing worldly life.
The Challenge of Bahubali: Only Bahubali remained unconquered. He was unwilling to submit to Bharat and had his own principles for governing his kingdom. Possessing immense strength and power, he refused Bharat's demand to be a subordinate ruler and prepared for war.
The Impending Duel: The advisors of both brothers, fearing a prolonged and bloody conflict due to their immense strength, attempted to prevent the battle. When neither brother would back down, they suggested a one-on-one duel to determine the victor without unnecessary bloodshed. Both Bharat and Bahubali agreed to this plan.
The Duel and Bharat's Desperation: The duel commenced. Bharat used various weapons to defeat Bahubali but failed. Bharat, proud of his valor, was deeply concerned about the shame of defeat and the potential end of his ambition to rule the world. In his desperation, he resorted to using the Chakra-ratna, deliberately breaking the rules of combat. However, the weapon's limitation was that it could not harm a relative. Thus, the released Chakra returned to Bharat, and Bahubali was saved.

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Bahubali's Anger and Renunciation: Enraged by Bharat's rule-breaking, Bahubali considered crushing his elder brother with a powerful fist. Seeing his raised fist, the onlookers feared for Bharat's life. As Bahubali was about to strike, he had a profound realization: "Why am I doing this? Have I gone mad to kill my elder brother for a kingdom that our father abandoned and our other brothers relinquished?" Shuddering at the thought of his brother's potential death, he immediately changed his mind. Instead of striking Bharat, he pulled out his hair, signifying his renunciation of worldly life and his decision to become a monk.
Bahubali's Lingering Pride and Path to Omniscience: Despite renouncing the world, Bahubali's ego and pride persisted. He felt he could not bow to his 98 younger brothers who had become monks before him. He thought that if he attained Kevaljnana (omniscience) first, he wouldn't need to bow to anyone. Therefore, Bahubali stood in meditation at the same spot, striving to attain Kevaljnana on his own. He became so engrossed in his meditation that he lost track of time, and vines began to grow on his legs.
Guidance from Brahmi and Sundari: After a year passed, Bahubali still had not attained Kevaljnana because his pride remained. To guide him onto the right path, Lord Rishabhdev sent Brahmi and Sundari. They found Bahubali standing motionless like a rock in meditation. The sisters gently explained that Kevaljnana is not attained by riding an elephant (a metaphor for pride), but by dismounting from it. Bahubali, hearing his sisters' familiar voices, opened his eyes. He realized they were speaking metaphorically about the "elephant of pride." He immediately shed his ego, decided to bow to his 98 brothers before Lord Rishabhdev, and with humility, attained Kevaljnana and became omniscient. According to the Digambar tradition, Bahubali was the first to achieve liberation in this epoch. (The Shvetambar tradition states that Marudevidevi, Rishabhdev's mother, was the first to achieve liberation.)

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The Mahamastakabhisheka and Bharat's Reign: In commemoration of this event, a massive 57-foot-tall statue of Bahubali was erected in Shravan Belgola, near Bangalore, South India. Every 12 years, thousands of Jains from around the world gather there for a grand consecration ceremony. This sculpture, carved from a single rock and approximately 1000 years old, stands under the open sky in pristine condition.
Bharat Becomes Chakravarti: During this time, Bharat became the Chakravarti (universal emperor) of the world, the first in this ascending cycle of time. His reign was marked by the happiness of his subjects, and India became known as Bharatvarsha. Bharat himself was prosperous.
Bharat's Renunciation and Kevaljnana: One day, a ring slipped off Bharat's finger. Without the ring, his finger looked incomplete. This led him to remove all his ornaments and royal crown, only to find that without them, he no longer appeared as beautiful. This sparked a chain of thoughts: "I consider myself beautiful and powerful, but that beauty comes from these ornaments, which are not part of my body. My body is merely flesh and bone. Why then this attachment to it? This body is impermanent; everything must be left behind. Only the soul is eternal." He made a significant decision: "Why not worship the eternal soul, like my father, by renouncing these fleeting, perishable things?" This brought about a sense of detachment towards worldly pleasures.
- According to the Shvetambar tradition, as his thoughts purified, Bharat attained true knowledge, and Kevaljnana occurred in the Arisabhvan.
- According to the Digambar tradition, he renounced the world, became a monk, immediately attained Kevaljnana, and achieved liberation upon the completion of his lifespan.
Lessons on Ego and Self-Realization: The story highlights the destructive consequences of ego and pride, showing how they lead to negative karma and destructive behavior. Ego breeds ignorance and impels one to irrational actions. Achieving self-realization and universal consciousness requires overcoming ego and pride. The fundamental principle of Jainism is that everyone should cultivate the virtue of humility.