The Tirthankaras
Bharat and Bahubali
भरत और बाहुबली · ભરત અને બાહુબલી
Two brothers, one raised fist, and the elephant no one could see
- 4 min full story
- 3 min children's telling
- For all ages
Emperor Bharat has conquered the whole world except one kingdom, ruled by his own brother, and the contest between them leads somewhere neither expected.
What it teaches Humility Renunciation Forgiveness
The opening of the children's telling
Long, long ago, Bhagwan Rishabhdev was a king before he became a monk. He had a hundred sons. Before he left for the forest, he shared his lands among them. Bharat, the eldest, got the city of Ayodhya. Bahubali, who had very strong arms, got a kingdom of his own.
Bharat became a great emperor. A shining wheel led his armies, and every king bowed to him. But when he came home, the wheel stopped at the city gate. It will not go in, said his ministers, until all your brothers bow to you too.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
The hardest thing to step down from is our own pride.
To talk about together
Bahubali's sisters spoke to him in a riddle instead of scolding him. Why do you think that helped him understand?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.