| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Combat | ATK 10 DEF 5 SPR 9 SPD 1 INT 8 |
Ascetic Hero | Jain
Son of the first tirthankar Rishabhanatha, Bahubali defeated his brother Bharata in three ritual contests for their father’s kingdom — staring, water-fighting, and wrestling — then renounced the victory in the moment he had won it, pulled out his own hair, and stood in motionless meditation so long that vines grew up his legs, anthills rose at his feet, and birds nested in his hair. The last particle of karma holding him back was pride — his own field beneath his feet — and when his sister-saints showed him this, liberation came. The 57-foot monolithic granite statue at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka, carved in 984 CE, is the largest monolithic statue in the world and draws three million pilgrims at each 12-year Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony.
Parallels: Odin hanging on Yggdrasil nine days for the runes (voluntary ordeal for ultimate knowledge); Simeon Stylites on his pillar (extreme stillness as spiritual practice); Achilles who chose glory over long life — but Bahubali chose renunciation over glory. See also: Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), [The 24 Tirthankaras](#the-24-tirthankaras----the-complete-lineage)
1 min read
Combat Radar