Amar Chitra Katha Vol. 683 Bahubali : Kannada

Bahubali's tale unfolds in two intertwining narratives: one, the saga of the illustrious son of the first of the 24 Jain prophets, and the other, the legend of his colossal statue, hewn from granite and towering tenfold over mortal stature.

The progenitor prophet, a once-reigning monarch, anointed Bahubali's brother, Bharata, as his successor before renouncing worldly attachments. Driven by boundless ambition, Bharata subdued all kingdoms, save for his brother's. In a poignant display of ultimate renunciation, Bahubali, too, relinquished his worldly ties. When challenged to single combat by Bharata, Bahubali emerged victorious. Yet, in an act of profound magnanimity, he returned the kingdom to his brother, a gesture immortalizing his supreme renunciation.

This act of unparalleled selflessness earned Bahubali eternal reverence and adulation, securing his revered status among the worshipped.

In the 10th century, a devout Jain woman's fervent desire to witness Bahubali manifested in physical form spurred her son, Chavundaraya, a king's general, to commission the monumental statue. Perched upon a hill in Karnataka, this awe-inspiring figure, entwined by symbolic vines representing the years of Bahubali's meditation, stands as a testament to his enduring legacy.