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.
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142
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
conduct. Brahmar眉ci then accepted monkhood. In course of time
Kurmi gave birth to a son and after abandoning him in a forest, she
became a nun. That neglected child was nourished, educated and
trained by some celestial beings. He was also granted the supernatural
power of faring into the sky. Once having observed her mother living
the life of a nun, he accepted the vows of right conduct. Later on he
came to be known as Devar峁. He used to wander from place to place
as he liked.
The PCR (11. 116-158), the TSP (IV. p. 151) and the RPS (p. 46)
agree with the PCV.
According to the Bhagavatapura峁嘺 (1.5-6), Narada was born of
Brahm膩. He was a slave son in his previous birth. He served the followers
of Vedas and Yogins and wanted to meet Hari.
4. Lord Mah膩vira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara:
After having given the contents of the text in the first chapter,
the author narrates in brief in the following canto the life of Lord
Mah膩v墨ra and his sojourn at Vipulagiri where his chief disciple
Gautama related the R膩ma-story to king 艢re峁噄ka (2.21-98).
罢谤颈艣补濒腻
Siddhartha reigned Kun岣峚gr膩mapura (also called Kundapura
20.50). His wife Trisala (also called Priyak膩ri峁嚹� 20.50) gave birth
to a son. He was named Mah膩v墨ra by the Surendras because he had,
in his childhood, sportively shaken the Meru mountain with the
strike of his toe. At the age of 30, he renounced the world and in due
course he attained omniscience. He wandered from place to place
delivering sermons in the Ardham膩gadh墨 language (2.34). Once
being accompained by the Ga峁嘺dharas and the Samgha he sojourned
on the Vipulagiri (at R膩jag峁沨a). On that occasion king 艢re峁噄ka of
the Magadha country went there to pay homage to him. Next day
the king approached Gautama the chief disciple of Lord Mah膩v墨ra
and requested him to clear off his doubts about the R膩ma-story. Then
Gautama narrated the complete story of R膩ma to 艢re峁噄ka. At 20.50
it is mentioned that Mah膩v墨ra attained deliverance at P膩v膩.
The Kalpas奴tra (19-20) refers to Siddh膩rtha as a J帽膩tra K峁triya
(n膩y膩峁嘺峁� khattiy膩峁嘺峁�) and Trisala as his wife. It mentions Priyak膩-
ri峁嚹� and Videhadinna (Su. 109) as other names of Trisala. The
Tiloyapan峁嘺tti (4.549), the UP (74.256; 75.8) the MP (96.6) and the
HVPJ (2.16) refer to the name of the mother of Mah膩v墨ra as Priya-
k膩ri峁嚹�, The Satkha峁囜笉膩gama (Vol. IX. p. 119ff) and the HVPJ (2.18)
name her as 罢谤颈艣补濒腻 also,
