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 184 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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INTERVENING STORIES 155 When Vasistha went out that R膩k峁sa assumed the form of Vasistha.
He asked Saud膩sa to feed him with human flesh and disappeared. Real
Vasistha was served with it. He cursed Saud膩sa to become a R膩k峁sa, but
at the request of the former the latter moderated efficay of the curse to
the period of twelve years only. Saud膩sa wanted to recurse Vasistha by
sprinkling water over him. But his wife prevented him from doing so.
Hence he poured the water on his own feet and as a result of it his feet
got burnt.
Thus he came to be known as Kalm膩峁p膩da. In course of
time he developed the nature of a R膩k峁sa and started devouring the
human-beings. Once he devoured a muni copulating with his wife,
just like a 'vy膩ghra' would devour an animal (4.4.63). The wife of that
muni cursed the R膩k峁sa that he would die the moment he tried to
satiate his sexual desire. After 12 years he regained his original nature.
His wife Madayanti reminded him of the curse given by the Br膩hma峁嚹�.
Saud膩sa then never copulated with his wife. It was Vasistha who
helped the birth of an embryo into the womb of Madayanti. When
the child was not born even after the lapse of seven years, her womb
was struck with a stone (a艣man膩) and the new born child was named
础艣尘补办补.
C鈥昐tories of Genesis.
16. Origin of the Br膩hma峁嘺s:
Following the episode of the duel between Bharata and Bahubali,
艢re峁噄ka requests Gautama to tell him the origin of the fourth Var峁嘺
(caste). Gautama relates the following episode (4. 64-84).
Once Bharata invited the disciples of R峁bha to accept food from
his house. R峁bha refused to send them because the food particularly
prepared for the monks was not acceptable to them. Then Bharata
sent for the lay-votaries. The real votaries did not enter his house
with the fear of causing 'himsa' to the living beings of the barley seeds
sown in his courtyard whereas the followers of the wrong-faith trampled
on them and went to his house. The real followers were marked on
their bodies with the K膩ki峁嚹玶atna to distinguish them from the
pretenders. They got puffed up on account of being greeted by Bharata.
Matis膩gara informed Bharata of the prophecy of the Jina that those who
have been honoured by him would later on, after the deliverance of
Lord Mah膩v墨ra, compile the Vedas full of lies and propagate animal
sacrifices. Bharata then turned out of his city all those lay-followers
and got them beaten by the people. They all took refuge under 峁氠梗abha
and the latter prevented Bharata from torturing them (ma-ha峁嘺).
Therefore, they came to be known as the M膩ha峁嘺s (Br膩hma峁嘺s).
