Essay name: Paumacariya (critical study)
Author:
K. R. Chandra
Affiliation: Research institute of Prakrit, Jainology and Ahimsa Vaishali
This is a critical study of the Paumacariya: the earliest Jain version of Rama's life story, written in Prakrit by Vimalasuri dating to the 4th century AD. In this text, Rama (referred to as Padma) is depicted with lotus-like eyes and a blooming face. The Paumacariya places emphasis on the human aspects of characters rooted in Jain values, contrasting with the divine portrayal in Valmiki鈥檚 version.
Page 102 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RAMA-STORY 73 he suspects the safety of S墨t膩 and both the brothers speed up towards
the Asrama and find that S墨t膩 is not there (3.60). Further in search
He informs
of S墨t膩 they meet Ja峁亂u who is in a precarious condition.
Rama that R膩vana has kidnapped S墨t膩 and has gone towards the south.
Saying so he dies then and there. R膩ma and Lak峁a峁嘺 proceed
further to the west and then to the south. They enter the dense
Kro帽c膩ra峁噛a (3.69.5)鹿 and reach the a艣rama of Matanga (3.69.8).
There they encounter Ayomukh墨 R膩k峁s墨. Lak峁a峁嘺 disfigures her.
Then proceeding further they meet a dreadful R膩k峁sa or D膩nava
Kabandha (3.69.27,43). Both the brothers fight with him and cut
off his limbs. He tells them that he was cursed to this state by
Sth奴la艣irar峁 (3.71.4). He further advises them to go to Sugr墨va who
will help them in recovering S墨t膩 (3.72), R膩ma arrives at Padm膩-
sarovara. (3.74.3), meets Sabar墨 and proceeds towards the 峁氠梗yam奴ka
hill (3.75).
Thus we find that Ayomukhi, M膩tanga, Pamp茫 and Sabar墨 of
the VR do not find mention in the PCV. The R膩mop膩khy膩na also
does not refer to Ayomukhi, the M膩ta峁僩a-膩艣rama and Sabar墨
(MB 3.279,280). The other recensions of VR except the southern one
do not mention Ayomukhi (Bulcke p.330).
The TR agrees with the VR. About Jatayu it tells us that he
assumed the form of Hari at the time of his death and was granted
Haridhama by R膩ma (3.32-33). It does not mention Matanga-膩艣rama
and Ayomukhi. Further Sabar墨, not Kabandha, requests R膩ma to go
to Pamp膩 and make friends with Sugr墨va (3.36).
The PCS additionally mentions
king of his paternal kingdom of
The TSP and the RPS follow the
The PCR agrees with the PCV.
that Vir膩dhita was installed as the
Alankarapura (40.18.6) by R膩ma.
PCS in this respect. The PCS further mentions that when R膩ma
becomes hopeless and dejected about the recovery of S墨t膩, two C膩ra峁嘺
munis console him by the way of delivering a religious discourse
(39.3-10)
According to the Vasudevahindi the Jatayu tells R膩ma that R膩va峁嘺
has kidnapped S墨t膩, Then R膩ma and Lak峁a峁嘺 proceed toward the
碍颈峁颈苍诲丑颈驳颈谤颈.
1.
In the PCV there is a reference to the river Kro帽carav膩 (Ku帽carava) flowing
into the heart of the dense forest of Dandak膩ra峁噛a (42.5.14.5) (See Sec. 5A).
2. It reminds us of Ratnaja峁璱n (PCV 45.32) of Kambudvipa whom Sugr墨va meets
in search of Sita. Sugriva takes him to Rama. He informs R膩ma of the
kidnapping of Sit盲 by R膩va峁嘺 (See Sec.6D).
