Bahubali - Poem

 My poem on the great Jain monk, Bahubali!  

Bahubali  

A Tribute to the Jain monk, Bahubali

O Bahubali! Vajrarsabhanaracasamhanana*,

Master of Vindhyagiri*,

I have come to worship you,

I have come to see you.

With my eyes fixed upon your glowing face,

And my soul bent with humility and compassion,

To see one who has attained kayotsarga*,

The realised one,

I have come.

Who has mastered Kevala Gnana*,

Son of Rishabhanatha and Sunanda,

Brother of Bharatha,

The most respected of Theerthankaras*,

Protagonist of Adi Purana*,

Praised by mahakavi* Pampa,

O Gommateshwara* built by Chavundaraya,

An illustrious commander of the dynasty Ganga,

You who were born in holy Ayodhya,

I have come to you,

To meet you at your temporary abode at Shravanabelagola,

Before you left for the eternal abode of Mount Kailasha,

I have come to see you.

Blessings from the heavens,

This holy ordainment, 

To write about you,

Human redemption from forces destroying innocence,

With your eternal benign presence 

Today as I witnessed you a year after mahamastabhisheka*,

An event of great magnificence,

I found you in the arts, in the pillars atop the hill of Belagola*

In the granite monolith espousing jnana*,

In the cool water, cool air,

In the fragrance of nature,

With great prowess of omniscience,

Breathing life into even the dead,

Great father of Mahabala,

This monk Digambara,

Is our redemption,

He will grant us deliverance,

The true nirgrantha*

The one who has achieved digvijaya*.

Dr.S.Padmapriya

 *Vajrarsabhanaracasamhanana: sanskrit word for one with the final and superior body of extraordinary sturdiness and strength.

*Vindhyagiri: hills at Shravanabelagola, a town in South India

*kayotsarga: sanskrit word for one with perfect control over the body and senses

*Kevala gnana: sanskrit word for omniscience

*Theerthankara: sanskrit word for saviour of dharma

* Adi Purana: An ancient literary work

*Mahakavi: Great poet

*Gommateshwara: another name for Bahubali

 *mahamastabhisheka: grand anointment of the 57 feet statue of Bahubali, which takes place every 12 years

*jnana: Sanskrit word for knowledge

*digambara: one of the two branches of Jainism

* nirgrantha: Sanskrit word for one without any bonds  * Digvijaya: Sanskrit word for conqueror of the earth.