Introduction
Bahubali defeated his elder brother who was puffed up with
pride, but at that very moment understood his life's aim. He gave back the
kingdom to his defeated brother and went away to meditate on God. He enriched
the lives of his fellowmen with the light he received. The magnificent figure
of Gommateshwara at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka State is that of Bahubali.
Bahubali
shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka State
is a sacred place of pilgrimage to Jains. There is a splendid and lofty statue
of stone on the top of a hillock there. When one stands at its foot and looks
up, one sees it against the vast sky; and one feels that the sky is the most
appropriate background for that statue. The figure is lofty like the sky, and
again, like the sky, has no equal. And the serenity of the face is unique.
This statue of Gommateshwara is carved out of a single stone.
It is fifty-seven feet high. There is no statue of this height anywhere in the
world, except in Egypt. In 981 A.D., Chavundaraya, the minister of the Ganga
King Rachamalla had this statue carved. Bahubali is another name for
Gommateshwara.
Bahubali is a great name in the Jain legends. His story is
an example of the inner strength of the entire culture of India. He won
everything from his brother and could have become an emperor; and yet, in utter
selflessness he returned everything to the brother. Bahubali is the ideal man
who conquers selfishness, jealousy, pride and anger. This is his story, the
story of a great soul.
Vrishabhanatha
Jain religion speaks of
twenty-four Theerthankaras. They were holy souls; they came to the earth in
human form with a purpose. When evil and injustice grew strong in the world,
they came to save men by their example and their preaching.
Vrishabhanatha was the first
of twenty-four such Theerthankaras. He was Bahubali's father.
Before becoming a
Theerthankara, Vrishabhanatha was a king. Ayodhya was his capital.
Vrishabhanatha had two queens, Yashaswathi Devi and Sunanda Devi. There was
peace, contentment and prosperity everywhere in his kingdom.
As time passed, the
elder queen Yashaswathi gave birth to a hundred sons. The eldest was Bharatha.
Later a daughter was born and she was called Sundari. The younger queen Sunanda
Devi had only one son, Bahubali, and a daughter by name Brahmi.
The joy of the king and
the queens, who had more than a hundred bonny children, knew no bounds.
Three or four years
passed. It was time for the royal children to begin their education. Not one or
two but a hundred of them were there, and so it was not easy to organize their
education. The king himself taught them. He taught Bharatha dramatics and
economics. Bahubali was taught medicine, weaponry, the lore of the horse and
the elephant and some other branches.
The king taught all his
sons like this, each according to his choice and aptitude.
Even as a boy Bharatha
showed signs of becoming a great emperor. Bahubali was an expert in wrestling.
His very name meant one with strong arms, that is, a man of great strength. He
had a keen interest in warfare. In wrestling or in any other kind of duel with
his companions, Bahubali was always the victor. He would forget himself in
playing with elephant cubs. He was very brave. He was not afraid of anything.
Great was the delight of
the parents as they watched the progress of their children.
Once it happened that
Devendra, the Lord of Heaven, arranged in Vrishabha-natha's royal court, a
dance by a nymph of his own court. The nymph's name was Neelanjane. Her
performance was superb.
But as the dance was in
progress, the nymph's life came to an end.
She was about to fall;
Devendra, with his divine power, made her continue, so that the king's
enjoyment might not end abruptly.
No one in that big
gathering understood what had happened. But the king recognized the change.
That very moment he
developed strong disgust towards life.
'So human life means
only this!' the king thought, 'Nothing in this world is permanent. All things
must die. Life is just like a bubble of water. Every thing is beautiful like a
rainbow to outward view. And man's life is just like the rainbow; life too
appears and then suddenly disappears. Nothing lasts forever.'
Vrishabhanatha decided
that he had had enough of this kind of life. He resolved to give up his
kingdom, his queens and his children, and go away to perform 'tapas', that is,
to meditate on God.
A small, unexpected
incident thus transformed the mind of King Vrishabhanatha.
The
Regime of the Sons
If the king gives up his
kingdom and goes away, others must take up his responsibilities.
Vrishabhanatha made his
eldest son Bharatha the King of Ayodhya. He decided that Bahubali was to rule
in Paudanapura. Vrishabhanatha gave smaller kingdoms to each of his other sons.
He gave them this advice : "Rule justly and righteously Look after the
welfare of your subjects with affection. And earn a good name." He blessed
them all, gave up everything and went away to begin his tapas or meditation for
the attainment of salvation.
His sons took up the
responsibilities of their several kingdoms. Hadn't they been trained by
Vrishabhanatha? So they ruled well and wisely. They lived in wealth and
grandeur. The subjects were happy, cheerful and contented.
Many years passed.
One day Bharatha was on
his throne in the royal court. Glad tidings came to him - that his father
Vrishabhanatha had received 'Kevala Jnana' (the supreme knowledge that can see
all and understand all). Just then another messenger ran in and gave another
bit of happy news - which a potent missile had appeared in the king's armory.
Bharatha was delighted and also astonished.
The discus or 'Chakra'
was an extraordinary weapon. The supernatural power of this 'Chakra-ratna'
would conquer any enemy, however strong. Its appearance was a good sign
indicating that Bharatha would become an emperor.
Along with it certain
other unique objects of great power also appeared in the royal armory. These
were the 'Chatra-ratna', a great umbrella which would give protection to the
army against ferocious storms, heavy rains and the burning sun; the
'Charmaratna' or the magic boat which would enable the army to cross rivers or
the ocean in its march for conquest; the 'Danda-ratna', a magic staff which
could easily make a road for the army through forests and hills ; and also the
'Kakini-ratna', the gem of gems, which could give very bright light even when
it was pitch dark. In addition the king received the fourteen 'bests', like the
best horse and the best elephant, each of unequalled excellence in its class.
He also received the nine treasures. His was indeed great fortune!
Even as the news of the
appearance of these great objects in his armory was brought to him, the king
received the happy news of the birth of a son. The King's joy was boundless.
Bharatha who had reached
the pinnacle of happiness, first went to visit his father who had acquired the
supreme knowledge. People had thronged in large numbers to worship
Vrishabhanatha. All the sons and daughters of Vrishabhanatha went there, and
worshipped him with devotion. He spoke to them of the path of virtue. They
listened to him in reverence and returned happily.
Soon after his return,
Bharatha celebrated the occasion of giving his son a name. Then he worshipped
with devotion the extraordinary and potent missile, the 'Chakra-ratna'.
Bharatha's
Quest of Victory
The celebrations all
ended, now. Bharatha resolved to march forth with his army to subdue other
kings. He was himself a mighty warrior. And now he had so many unique
acquisitions giving him tremendous power. Who could oppose him? Victory was
just in the palm of his hand. All preparations were completed for the
conquests. His entire army consisting of the infantry, the cavalry, the
chariots and the elephants got ready. Before he set out, Bharatha worshipped
the Lord and received blessings. The sound of the war-drums rent the air.
The King ascended his
mighty chariot and set out to defeat all the kings. The army was huge like the
ocean, and seemed to occupy all the earth. And all faces were bright with
enthusiasm.
The 'Chakra-ratna'
rolled on and the army followed it. The army first marched towards the east.
Bharatha's march was a
garland of victories. Powerful kings like Magadha, Vijayardhakumara and
Kritamala were defeated and they surrendered. Bharatha knew no defeat. All the
monarchs who opposed him had to accept defeat, and to surrender, and offer
Bharatha precious stones and other gifts and. tributes. The huge army marched
on and on with resounding cries of victory.
Bharatha, who conquered
all other monarchs of the world, became an emperor. Thus, with the help of the
great 'Chakraratna', he marched from victory to victory and was now near the
end of his journey. The victorious army with its joyful shouts proceeded
towards Ayodhya.
And Bharatha thought
'Never before had there been a powerful king like me. There is none now to
equal me, and there will never be one. Who can oppose me? I am verily the
unquestioned emperor of all the earth!’
This thought gave rise
to another: 'my name should live eternally in the minds of men. I must
therefore have it carved on Mount Vrishabhachala. People of all ages should
know that there was never another monarch like me.'
On the way he came to
Mount Vrishabhachala. He wanted to have his name carved on it; but Bharatha
found that there was no blank space at all on that huge and lofty mountain;
Before him had come and
gone many thousands of emperors in this world. All of them had their histories
recorded on this mount, each thinking that he was an unequalled king. The
entire mountain was full of the stories of their conquests.
Bharatha had thought
that there never had been, and there could never be another emperor as
powerful, valiant and as great as he was. But he now saw that numberless were
the emperors who had lived and paraded their glory like him! Vrishabhachala
stood a witness to all their empty vanities. Bharatha now felt ashamed of his
earlier pride and arrogance.
Still the desire to have
his history carved persisted in him. So he had some of the earlier writings
erased by means of his potent staff, the 'Danda-ratna', and using the great
diamond 'Kakini-ratna' had the grand story of his conquests recorded in that space.
Then he went to his
father Vrishabhanatha. He worshipped him and obtained his blessings. Finally he
returned to the capital with all the gaiety of victory.
But Why So?
Great was the joy and
excitement of Bharatha's subjects. The citizens made befitting preparations to
welcome the victorious king and awaited his return. The sound of musical
instruments filled the air.
Bharatha and his army
were about to enter the portals of the city. But lo! The 'Chakra-ratna' which
had all along been moving in advance, suddenly stopped!
Everyone was stunned.
Princes and kings had trembled before this matchless weapon. It had so easily
vanquished so many heroes unequalled till then. But now all of a sudden it had
came to a dead stop! Everybody was bewildered. And Bharatha's mind was filled
with anxiety and worry.
It was clear that there
was still a rival whom he had not conquered. 'I have conquered the whole world;
who then is this unknown foe? He asked himself perplexed. The Emperor who had
known no defeat was stunned.
Bharatha had defeated
all the enemies outside his kingdom. Still if the Chakra stopped outside the
city, it naturally meant that there were enemies within.
Bharatha at once sent
for the priest of his royal court and asked him, "Why has this
'Chakra-ratna' stopped at the gates of the city, though I have conquered all my
foes in the world? Who is this enemy in my own kingdom?"
The priest pondered for
a while and replied, "0 great King, with this all powerful wheel, any
enemy can be subdued. No enemy has survived outside your kingdom. If there are
any, they must be your own brothers. They think, 'We got our kingdom from our
father just as Bharatha got his. We are in our kingdom. Why then should we bow
to him?’ And of all of them, Bahubali has a strong sense of self-respect. He
thinks that though you have become the emperor, he need not care, and is
proud."
Hearing this, Bharatha
could not contain his wrath. He shouted, "They must all come and surrender
to me. Or else I shall show my strength in war." At once he had royal
commandments written and sent to all his brothers. 'Everyone should come and
surrender to me. Any one who fails should be prepared to fight' - so read the
royal order.
All the one hundred
brothers of Bharatha received his writ. Ninety-nine of them thought -'Of
course, we can salute our eldest brother, who is like our father. But we cannot
accept him as an emperor and be his vassals.' But the thought also came to
them:
'Why fight with our own
eldest brother for the sake of a kingdom?' They became disgusted with life.
They gave up everything and went away to perform tapas with their father.
The news reached
Bharatha. He was surprised. But in his heart he was full of admiration for
their self-respect and their greatness. But there was one thought, which
brought anxiety also. If these other brothers acted so, what about Bahubali ?
He was strong, and had a strong sense of selfrespect. Would he surrender? Most
certainly he would choose to fight!
Bharatha's expectation
was not belied.
The messenger who went
to Paundanapura met Bahubali. Bahubali's raidance surpassed that of Bharatha.
With wonder and pleasure, the messenger prostrated before him, and then gave
him Bharatha's message.
Until then Bahubali had
been hearing of the valiant deeds of his brother Bharatha, and had been very
happy. Bull the royal command brought by the messenger filled him with anger.
He said to the
messenger, "Even if Bharatha is the Emperor of the entire world, he is not
my overlord. Being in my kingdom, given to me by my father, I am not obliged to
him. I can never be his humble vassal. I am ready for a war, if a war is forced
on me."
The messenger carried
the reply Bharatha.
Bharatha ordered his
army to get ready for war. His entire army with its four wings marched on
Paudanapura. As the huge army advanced with the potent 'Chakra' in the
forefront the very sky was totally covered with the dust it raised.
The news of Bharatha's
march reached Paudanapura. Bahuball also stood ready for war with his army. The
two armies seemed poised to pounce on each other for mutual destruction.
The fight was about to
commence. But meanwhile the wise and farsighted ministers of both sides met and
had consultations. Bharatha and Bahubali were both unequalled heroes. If there
was a war, neither could win until both the armies were entirely destroyed. If
only the two brothers fought a duel accepting the outcome as decisive a
terrible tragedy could be averted.
The
Duel between the Brothers
The two ministers went
first to Bharatha. They described the horrors of war. They appealed to him,
"The two of you must agree to fight a duel, and prevent this
tragedy." Bharatha was not happy – because this course would not give any
chance to display the might of his great army. But he concealed his thought and
agreed to the suggestion of the ministers.
The ministers then went
to Bahubali and made the same request. Bahubali said, "Bharatha is proud
that nobody in this world can defeat his army. So first his army has to be
defeated, and then there can be any kind of duel."
The ministers would not
leave it at that. They described the deaths of thousands and the suffering and
the agony that would result if the two powerful armies clashed. "In a
duel, victory and defeat will be decided without sorrow and death. Bharatha has
already agreed to this suggestion. You must also be pleased to agree,"
they appealed to him again. Unable to disregard the words of the elders,
Bahubali also agreed.
Bharatha and Bahubali
were mighty heroes, and each seemed to excel the other. What a fight would this
be-this duel between them!
Bharatha was confident
thinking, 'I have conquered the entire world. Will it be difficult for me to
overcome Bahubali T And Bahubali proudly thought, 'Defeating me is not as easy
as defeating others.'
The trumpets of war blared.
And the duel began.
This kind of fight is
called 'Dharma -Yuddha' or moral war, because it prevents death and suffering
on large scale.
In such a duel, first
there is a battle of eyes. The two have to stare hard at each other without
moving their eyeballs or bating the eyelids. The one whose eye moves first is
taken as vanquished.
When the duel began
between Bharatha and Bahubali, it looked as if each would suck the other
through the eyes. Each glared at the other as if he would burn him. Finally
Bahubali won.
The second stage was the
water fight. In this, each had to splash water against the other with his
hands. Bharatha and Bahubali entered a lake like two angry elephants. Bahubali
was much taller than Bharatha. In the anger of defeat Bharatha threw the water
with all his strength but the water would reach only Bahubali's chest. But the
water splashed by Bahubali beat upon the face and head of Bharatha and
increased his anger. Unable to bear the force of the splashes, Bharatha had
again to accept defeat. He became more incensed.
Only one stage remained
- a wrestling match. The desire to defeat Bahubali at least in this match raged
in Bharatha.
The wrestling began.
Both were masters of the art of wrestling. And both were determined and
unyielding. It looked as if neither could be defeated. At last Bahubali once
lifted up Bharatha high in the air. The onlookers trembled - would Bharatha
dash the Emperor to the ground?
But Bahubali gently set
his elder brother on the ground. As he touched the earth, Bharatha's body was
trembling with anger at his own fate.
He, Bharatha, had
subdued the whole world and had become the emperor; but now, as two armies
looked on, he had been defeated by his own younger brother ! The shame of this
defeat was intolerable. At once he turned to his powerful 'Chakraratna' and
commanded: "Go forth and kill Bahubali!"
The blazing wheel flew
towards Bahubali.
The two armies and the
citizens shuddered. ' What has Bharatha done?' they thought, 'is this
"Dharma-Yuddha"? After he has been defeated is it fair to use the
"Chakra" against his brother? It will certainly kill Bahubali now.
What injustice!' Wide - eyed and breathless, they looked on in terror.
The 'Chakra' approached
Bahubali. It went round
him once, and came to a halt on his right side.
The people shouted in
joy. The angels showered flowers from above.
Bharatha stood with his
head bent.
Bahubali looked at him.
This was Bharatha, the son of Vrishabhanatha, and the lord of the great
'Chakra-ratna', one who became Emperor by conquering many kings; and now he
stood with his head bowed in shame, before the two armies. Pity welled up in
Bahubali at his condition. All his anger melted away.
Bahubali reflected
further. Bharatha and he were brothers, were brought up together, and had lived
in afffection. But now they had fought with each other. Bharatha had made up
his mind even to kill his younger brother. What was the cause of all this? For
the sake of a kingdom men even forget that they are brothers, and also not
hesitate to kill each other. beside, he felt, is evil. He grew weary of life.
'Keep
the Kingdom'
Bahubali thought, 'I do
not want this position. I do not want this desire. The best step is to give up
everything and go to perform tapas.'
He prostrated before his
elder brother Bharatha and said, "Kindly pardon me, brother. I did wrong
to fight with you. I also put you to shame. I do not want this kingdom. Let it
be yours. I shall go away to perform tapas, and wash off my sins. Please permit
me."
Bharatha's desire to be
the emperor, his anger and his obduracy - all evaporated.
He saw the nobility of
his brother and he was filled with pain that he was going away to perform
tapas. Tears rolled down his eyes and he raised his prostrating brother, and
said, "Brother, I have sinned. Because of my pride and rashness, all the
other brothers went away to perform tapas. If you also now go away, who will be
with me? You are the only brother left to me. How can I live if you also go
away? What do I do with this kingdom? I beg of you, do not go away from
me." He held Bahubali's hands and implored him.
But Bahubali's mind was
unmoved, in spite of the entreaties of many. He renounced everything and went
to perform tapas.
Bahubali went to
Vrishabhanatha and got initiated for tapas. He gave up even his clothing and
stood completely naked in rigorous meditation. Many days rolled by. But he did
not move from where he stood. He had no food or sleep. Big anthills grew around
him and covered his entire body. Snakes crawled all over him. Various creepers
entwined his limbs. Birds made their nests in the creepers. Bahubali's hair became
matted. But Bahubali did not flinch. He stood firm, his naked body exposed to
storm and rain, to lightning and thunder. With a will of iron he continued his
severe meditation.
Many years passed but
Bahubali did not receive the supreme and ultimate knowledge.
'Brother,
Give Up Self-love'
Bharatha was now very
perplexed that despite such severe tapas, Bahubali did not receive
enlightenment. He went to his father Vrishabhanatha and asked him why it was
so.
Vrishabhahatha said,
"True it is that Bahubali ' has been performing the most exacting type of
tapas. But he has not given up his self-love. He still has this thought - that
he is standing on ground, which belongs to his brother, because he gave the
entire kingdom to you, his elder brother. This sorrow haunts him. If he does
not give up this pride, how can he get enlightenment?"
Bharatha then went to
Bahubali. He prostrated before him and said, "Dear brother, give up this
feeling that you are in my kingdom. Such a thought, too, is a kind of
attachment. This kingdom is not mined. It is what you, the victor, gave back to
me liberally. In a way this earth does not belong to anybody; it is nobody's
property. Please renounce this thought of prestige, and continue the
tapas."
Then, even the little
thought of self in Bahubali's mind disappeared.
Once, earlier, the
younger brother had destroyed the pride in the elder brother's mind. Now the
elder cleansed the mind of the younger.
Bahubali continued his
meditation without this thought of self. Then he got enlightenment. There was
the glad sound of celestial drums. The people all praised Bahubali's greatness.
They worshipped him with devotion. Listening to his teachings, they felt happy.
Bahubali went to many
lands and taught people the way of righteousness. He showed them the way to
lead meaningful lives. Finally, this ideal man attained salvation earlier than
his father.
Bahubali, who was very
valiant and full of self-love, could have himself become the emperor, having
crushed his elder brother's pride. But he returned the kingdom to his brother.
And he found out the true path for himself. He became a splendid soul,
attaining salvation. He illumined the darkness in the minds of men with the
light of his knowledge. He became a great saint praised by the whole world.
Emperor Bharatha wished
that such a brother's fame should last for all time; he had a statue of
Bahubali made of emerald in Paudanapura. It was worshipped with great grandeur.
It is said that the
statue has sunk in the sea. There are statues of Bahubali now at
Shravanabelagola,Venooru, Karkala, Shravanagudda, Bastihalli and Dharmasthala.
The tallest and the most important is the magnificent statue at
Shravanabelagola.The story of the installation of this image is interesting.
The
Dream and the Image
Rachamalla of Ganga
Dynasty was the King of Talavanapura.
Chavundaraya, his Prime
Minister, was very intelligent, very brave and heroic, and devoted to God.
His mother was Kalaladevi
and fat Mahabalaiah.
Once Kalaladevi heard
from the priest a discourse on Sharatha and Bahubali. From the discourse it
seemed that the emerald image of Bahubali which was got made by Emperor
Bharatha was perhaps still in Paudanapura. She felt a keen desire to see that
image. She vowed that she would not drink even a cup of milk until she saw the
image.
Thousands of years had
passed since Bharatha had that icon sculptured. Both the icon and Paudanapura
had disappeared.
Even if they existed,
there was no one who had seen them. People Said that they had become
submerged in the sea or were perthaps in the midst of thick jungles full of
fierce animals, where no human being could go. How could he get at that idol?
Chavundaraya was worried. But Kalaladevi would not listen. Whatever the
difficulties, she was determined to see that idol.
At last, Chavundaraya
started with his mother and a few followers to find Paudanapura and satisfy his
mother’s desire. There seemed no end to their journey. They could not find Paudanapura.
After a long journey,
they came across a hill by name Chandragiri. They halted at the foot of the
hill, and lay down to rest.
That night Chavundaraya
had a dream.
A supernatural being by
the name of Kushmandinidevi appeared to him in the dream. She said to him,
"Human beings cannot see again the Bahubali idol got prepared by Bharatha,
however hard they may try. Even Paudanapura will not be found. Instead of all
this, if you stand just here on the hill and shoot a golden arrow at the peak of
the Indragiri hill opposite, you can see Lord Bahubali."
At once Chavundraya did
as he was asked to. He picked up his bow and arrow, aimed straight at the top
boulder on Indragiri and shot the arrow. With a terrible sound, the huge stone
split into two. Between the parts was a magnificent figure of Bahubali.
And what a beautiful
statue!
But at that moment
Chavundaraya woke up. When he opened his eyes there was nothing before him. He
rubbed his eyes, and looked all round.
No, there was nothing.
There was no Goddess, and no statue. It had all been a dream. Chavundaraya
became very sad. ‘How nice it would have been if the dream were a
reality!' he thought.
He narrated everything
to his mother in the morning. All of them looked at Indragiri. There on the
peak was a huge boulder, as in his dream. 'How wonderful it would be if I shot
an arrow and the Lord appeard!' he thought. But how was it possible?
But soon the meaning of
the dream was clear - that the figure of Lord Bahubali should ' be carved out
of that same huge stone.
But, how could one go
near that boulder? All around was the thickest forest. The place was full of
pits and ravines, stones and thorny shrubs. How to cross all these? It looked
impossible. But Chavundaraya did not lose heart. He determined that his
mother's wish should be fulfilled at any cost. He resolved that whatever the
difficulties, a statue of Bahubali should be sculptured there.
The people around came
forward to help, and the work began. The pits and ravines were closed. Stones
and shrubs were removed. Thus with great difficulty a path was cut to go upto
the top of Indragiri.
And then, the statue had
to be carved out of that boulder. Hundreds of sculptors from different parts of
the country were invited by Chavundaraya. The boulder was piously worshipped by
one and all. The work of sculpturing began at an auspicious time. Everyone
worked day and night. It was extremely difficult to carry on the work in that
jungle and amidst wild rocks. However, God's blessings strengthened human
effort and a figure, such as Chavundaraya had seen in his dream, finally took
shape.
A lofty and majestic
statue of great beauty, fifty-seven feet high. A gentle smile on the face, and
broad shoulders. Creepers with blossoms encircling the hands and feet. Tall
ant-hills around the feet, and snakes peeping out of them. Such was the
matchless statue, which took shape.
Chavunclaraya was proud
that he had got such a beautiful figure carved. Kalaladevi was very happy that
her wish was fulfilled. People gazed and gazed on the statue but could never
feel satisfied. They danced with joy.
Chavundaraya's dream had
come true. Lord Bahubali whom he had seen in his dream now stood before his
eyes.
Millions of people
gathered to see that magnificent figure. Every one praised that great wonder.
Chavunclaraya now felt proud that he had accomplished what no one had been able
to do before him.
A
Cup of Milk
The statue was not be
consecrated according to religious rites.
Chavundaraya performed
the prescribed rites and ceremonies for the installation of the image. He also
arranged the first ritual of the great ablution.
There is an interesting
story about that. Hundreds of vessels full of milk were brought for the
ablution of the statue. Vessel after vessel of milk was poured on the head of
the lord's idol. The head was bathed, the face became wet, and the neck and
chest also. But - No matter how much milk they poured on the head, the figure
was not completely bathed. They poured more milk, and still more milk, but all
that milk was absorbed at the navel.
A thousand years have
passed since this image was installed. And the majestic and benevolent figure
still stands atop the hill, with the vast sky as its background -reminding
generations of human beings of the heights which man can reach if he gives up
selfishness, desire and pride.
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