According to Jain tradition, Rishabh, regarded as the first Tirthankar of the present era, played a central role in shaping early human civilization. He is said to have established sixty-four skills for women and seventy-two for men. His daughters, Sundari and Brahmi, became associated with mathematics and writing, while his hundred sons were entrusted with different kingdoms established by their father.
Eventually, Rishabh renounced his worldly responsibilities. Leaving behind his kingdom and family, he chose the life of a hermit in search of spiritual truth and liberation.
After Rishabh’s departure, his eldest son Bharat aspired to become a Chakravarti—the universal emperor. He expected his brothers to accept his authority, but they refused. Ninety-eight of them chose to surrender their kingdoms and follow their father into a life of renunciation.
Bahubali, however, chose a different path. He remained a king and refused to submit to Bharat. Their disagreement eventually led to a confrontation. To avoid a large-scale war and unnecessary loss of life, the brothers agreed to settle the matter through a series of contests.
Bahubali proved stronger and defeated Bharat in the contests. Yet, when he was finally expected to strike his elder brother, he could not bring himself to do it. With his hand already raised, he chose instead to pull out his own hair and renounce worldly life.
This decision created another dilemma. His younger brothers had become monks before him, which meant that Bahubali, despite being their elder brother and a former king, was expected to bow before them according to the hierarchy of monastic life. His pride prevented him from doing so, leaving him caught between his former royal identity and his new spiritual life.
His sisters eventually called out to him, urging him to “get off your elephant.” Bahubali understood that they were speaking metaphorically. The elephant represented his ego—powerful, self-absorbed and capable of causing harm when uncontrolled. Bahubali realized that true victory did not mean defeating another person; it meant conquering oneself. In Jain philosophy, the person who conquers inner passions and ego becomes a Jina, a spiritual victor.
This symbolism is also reflected in Indian temple art, where an elephant is sometimes shown being subdued by a lion, representing the triumph of spiritual strength over pride and attachment.
Rishabh had already discovered this spiritual path. He is described as a Tirthankar because he found a “ford,” or tirtha, through which beings can cross from the world of material attachment and social hierarchy toward spiritual liberation. As the first Tirthankar of the present era, he is also known as Rishabh-dev and Adi-nath, meaning the first teacher or the teacher of teachers. Jain tradition holds that twenty-three other Tirthankars followed him.
For Bahubali, the journey toward liberation was an inward one. Rather than searching for an external path, he remained still and turned his attention toward conquering his own mind and attachments. He stood in meditation for such a long period that creepers were said to grow around his legs. His unwavering determination became a symbol of the Shraman—the spiritual seeker who undertakes strenuous effort to follow the path of the Jina.
Bharat’s journey was different but ultimately led to a similar realization. Having gained control over a hundred kingdoms, he wanted to establish his greatness by carving his name on Mount Meru, the mythical centre of the universe. When he reached the mountain, however, he found countless names already engraved there. Many rulers before him had believed themselves to be the greatest conquerors, only to become part of history.
The experience made Bharat recognize the temporary nature of worldly power and the illusion created by social hierarchies. He humbled himself before his father and brothers and began honouring Rishabh and Bahubali. In Jain tradition, Bharat consequently became an early example of the Shravak—the householder who respects the teachings of the Jina and helps preserve and share them.
The final Tirthankar of the present era was Mahavir, who lived approximately 2,500 years ago, around the period of Gautam Buddha. His teachings were transmitted orally for generations. Although many teachings were eventually recorded, the loss and interpretation of texts contributed to disagreements and the development of different Jain traditions and sects.
Maru-devi and the Shwetambar Tradition
The Shwetambar tradition, associated with white-robed Jain monks and nuns, presents another important account of liberation. According to this tradition, Maru-devi, the mother of Rishabh, was the first person to attain liberation through the Jain path.
Her liberation is described as occurring when she saw her enlightened son Bahubali-like in meditative spiritual imagery while she was travelling on an elephant. Because of this story, representations of Maru-devi seated on an elephant and looking toward her enlightened son hold particular significance in Shwetambar Jain tradition.
Digambar Tradition and Bahubali
The Digambar, or “sky-clad,” tradition gives particular importance to Bahubali. Large statues of him can be found at several Jain pilgrimage centres. Unlike images of Tirthankars, Bahubali is commonly represented standing in meditation, with creepers growing around his legs—an artistic reminder of his extraordinary stillness and determination.
The Digambar tradition places particular emphasis on renunciation and the ideal of complete detachment from material possessions. Its understanding of monastic discipline and liberation differs in important ways from that of the Shwetambar tradition.
Diversity Within Jainism
Jainism contains several traditions and communities with differences in ritual practice, religious imagery and interpretation.
Dera-vasi Jains, for example, traditionally worship and decorate images of the Tirthankars. Sthanak-vasi Jains generally reject image worship and place greater emphasis on meditation, spiritual practice and religious teachings.
Other Jain traditions may differ in their approach to rituals, teachers, sacred texts and the worship of yakshas and yakshis, who are regarded as attendant deities associated with the Jinas.
Despite these differences, Jain communities share several fundamental principles. Jain philosophy does not centre on an all-powerful creator God to whom humanity must surrender. Instead, it emphasizes individual responsibility, spiritual discipline and liberation through self-conquest.
Three principles are particularly important: ahimsa, or non-violence; anekantavada, the recognition that truth can be understood from multiple perspectives; and aparigraha, or non-attachment and non-hoarding.
The name Bharat is also connected in Jain tradition with Bharat, the illustrious son of Rishabh. The story emphasizes how even a powerful ruler must ultimately recognize the limitations of worldly achievement.
Jainism and the Modern World
Jain ideas were presented internationally by Virchand Raghavji Gandhi at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, the same historic gathering at which Swami Vivekananda spoke about Hinduism.
At the time, Jainism was still relatively unfamiliar to many Western observers. The Jain community has remained a small minority in India, yet it has historically had a significant presence in business, education, philanthropy and intellectual life.
Despite its long history, Jainism is sometimes misunderstood or confused with other Indian religious traditions. Its distinctive emphasis on non-violence, multiple perspectives, self-discipline and liberation makes it a unique philosophical and religious tradition.
Why Sixty-Three?
The tradition of sixty-three great beings provides another framework for understanding Jain stories. Jain lore describes sixty-three illustrious figures, known as the Maha-Shalaka-purush, appearing during each era of human civilization.
These include twenty-four Tirthankars, twelve Chakravartis or universal rulers, and groups of heroic figures known as Vasudevas, Baladevas and Prati-Vasudevas. Jain versions of famous Indian epics also reinterpret figures such as Rama and Krishna through this framework.
Rishabh represents the teacher of teachers, while Bharat represents the powerful ruler who eventually learns to overcome his attachment to worldly glory. Bahubali represents the spiritual seeker who must conquer his ego before achieving true victory.
Together, these stories illustrate a central Jain idea: the greatest conquest is not the conquest of another person or kingdom, but the conquest of oneself.
Understanding Jain Stories
Jain mythology and history contain stories, symbols, rituals and philosophical ideas that have developed over centuries. These narratives can be understood not merely as accounts of the past but also as reflections on human behaviour, attachment, ambition, pride and spiritual growth.
The stories of Rishabh, Bharat and Bahubali offer different approaches to the same fundamental question: how can a person move beyond the attractions and hierarchies of worldly life?
Their journeys suggest that knowledge alone is not enough. True spiritual progress requires self-awareness, discipline, humility and freedom from ego.
The purpose of exploring these stories is therefore not to establish one tradition as superior to another, but to understand Jain thought with curiosity and openness. Jain sages have long encouraged seekers to examine ideas from different perspectives rather than approaching them with hostility. This spirit of inquiry provides a meaningful way to explore Jainism, its traditions and its enduring philosophy.
