Jain

*The essential nature of any substance is Dharma.

*Fight with your own self,what will you gain by fighting with the external foes?One who conquers one’s own self alone experiences supreme bliss.

*

“Kolavidu halugolanovidu amurtagolanovidu, Gange nadiyo Tungavodriyo Mangala-gauryavidu, rundavanavovidu shrangartotavo, Ayi ariya ayi ariye vale tutta vale tirlta jaya jaya jaya jaya ! “

                                                                                                                              Inscription No. 123

      In the sixteenth century when a pious pilgrim visited the sacred Shravanabelagola, he became wonderstruck and enchanted with the beauty of the spot exclaimed, “Oh, is it a pond of milk or panacea? Or is it one of the rivers whether Ganges, Tungabhadra or Mangalagauri? Or is it Vrandavan or Viharopavana? Oh, look, how wonderful is this Tirtha?”.

      In fact Shravanabelagola with its amazing Bahubali colossus is a wonder of the world. The opinion of the pious pilgrim of yore as depicted in the inscription cited above, has been supported and supplemented by a modern foreign traveller as well. He remarked,”In the whole beautiful State of Mysore it would be hard to find a spot where the historic and the picturesque clasp hands so firmly as here.” The Jain Shramanas had a rare conception of scenic beauty and a gift of selecting delightful sports which were suited for religious meditation as well as for furthering the cause of material existence. Shravanabelagola

certainly is such a spot. It is rather a national treasure.

chandragiri_7thc_oldkannada_inscription