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’s version.
Page 188 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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INTERVENING STORIES The MB (12.335-337) contains the story as follows:- 159 Vasu, also known as Uparicara was a great king of the Satya age.
He was a disciple of Bṛhaspati and a devotee of Viṣṇu. He followed
the tenets of Satvata and the Pañcarātra system. He performed an
Aśvamedha without killing any animal. He offered the oblations
with the forest-produce. Once he was appointed as an umpire to
decide a controversy between the Gods and the sages over the inter-
the
‘aja'. He showed partiality for
Gods
pretation of the word
'aja'.
and maintained that it meant a goat and not the grains of corn.
Thereupon the sages cursed him to get born in a hellish region.
While living in the hell, he was nourished by a stream of clarified
butter. It was poured for him by the priests. It was an obtation offered
in the sacrifices and was named as 'Nasordhārā'. Being advised by
the Gods, he continued to worship Visṇu. In due
In due
course he
attained freedom by the favour of Viṣṇu and ascended to Brahmaloka.
The MB (13.6.342) also mentions that Vasu attained hell
account of being cursed by the Rṣis. The Matsyapurāṇa
on
(ch.142)
contains the story.
Here the controversy is between the Indra and
the Rsis. The point is whether the 'jangama' creatures or the 'sthā-
vara' objects should be oblated in the sacrifices. Vasu, the son of
Uttānapāda advocated 'himsātmaka' yajña i.e. the oblation of living
beings. He attained hell on being cursed by the Rṣis.
18. Srikantha and Puṣpottara :
19. Amaraprabha and Guṇamati:
20.
Sumukha and VÏraka :
For stories Nos. 18, 19 and 20 see 'Origin of Vänaravaṃśa',
"Adoption of Vāhara-emblem" and "Origin of Harivaṃśa' in the
chapter "Origin and Genealogy of various Vaṃśas".
3. DIDACTIC STORIES
A-Religious cum Moral Stories.
21. Muni Sañjayanta's torture at the hands of Vidyādhara
Vidyutdaṃṣṭra :
While enumerating the names of the kings of the Vidyadhara
Vamsa. Gautama relates the following episode illustrating the con-
sequences of torturing a muni (5,20-26).
Once Vidyutdaṃṣṭra (Vijjudāḍha), the Vidyādhara lord of the
Vijayārdha mountain kidnapped muni Sñjayanta who was meditating
