Books with title Bahubali

Bharata, king of Ayodhya, had an overriding ambition to become king of kings. He set about subduing every kingdom possible including those of his brothers. The only person to oppose his arrogance was his half-brother, Bahubali, who defeated Bharata in single combat. However, Bahubali abdicated all claims to the throne and left for the forests to meditate. Centuries later Chavundaraya, a commander-in-chief of the Ganga dynasty built a 57 feet high statue of Bahubali at Shravana Belagola. This story has been taken from Pampa's Adi Purana and Panchabana's Bhujabali Charita.

Bahubali's is a two-fold story: of the son of the first of 24 prophets of the Jains and of his statue of ten times man's height sculpted in granite. The first prophet was a king who made Bahubali's brother Bharata his successor to the throne and renounced the world. Bahubali's brother, driven by the ambition to be the supreme ruler, subdued all kings including his brothers other than Bahubali. Bahubali had also renounced the world but faced by his brother for a combat, agreed to a one-on-one wrestling match. Bahubali won but he gave the kingdom won as trophy, back to his brother. This supreme renunciation has won for Bahubali eternal praise and a place among the worshipped. In the 10th century, an old Jain lady expressed the wish to see Bahubali in physical form. Her son Chavundaraya, the general of a king got made the huge statue on a hill in Karnataka. The vine that entwines the body of the statue symbolically depicts the number of years that Bahubali meditated.

Bali is the Grandson of Prahlada, devotee of Vishnu. Though a king of Rakshasas, he ruled with righteousness and the welfare of the subjects at heart. Having agreed to give in charity three paces of land to Vishnu, who came in the form of a young 'Vatu' (bachelor-boy) to beg for charity, Bali kept his promise by offering his head on which Vishnu could put his third step. Hindus believe that Bali is immortal.