A traditional acount of Gommata is given in an inscription of poet Boppanna of circa 1180 A.D. and is repeated with some additions and variations in the details in several literary works such as the Bhujabalisataka, Bhujabali-Charite, etc. The particulars mentioned about Gommata in the inscription are that he was the son of Purudeva, the first tirthankara and the younger brother of Bharata and that his name was Bahubali or Bhujabali. In a struggle for the empire between the brothers, Bahubali won, but generously handed over the kingdom of the earth to the defeated elder brother and retired from the world in order ro do penance. He thus became a ‘Kevali’ and attained such eminence by his victory over Karma that Bharata erected at Paudanapura an image in his form. In course of time the region around the image became infested with innumerable Kukkuta sarpas or cockatrices. The image afterwards became invisible to all but the initiated. But Chamundaraya having heard a description of it, set out with the desire of seeing it. Finding that the journey was beyond his power, he resolved to erect such an image himself at Shravanabelagola. An arrow shot by him from Chandragiri struck a boulder on Indragiri, which appeared to him in the form of Gommata. With great effort Chamundaraya succeeded in getting this statue made under the supervision of the monk Arishtanemi. The literary works mentioned above support this tradition but differ only in minor details.