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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INTERVEN陌NG STORIES 165 wealth to the king and further pacified his younger brother. The
elder was then reborn as the lord of the celestial beings while the
younger one was reborn as a celestial being only. From there the
younger one was reborn as 艢r墨kantha and that Indra (celestial lord)
enlightened 艢r墨kantha because of having regard for the younger
brother.
The PCR (6. 155-160) mentions that the younger brother lived
the life of a hunter. The elder one through a test found out that the
younger one had affection for him. Therefore, the elder one gave
the latter's
some wealth to the younger
and ameliorated
one
conditions.
29. The previous birth of R膩k峁sa Taditke艣a or the story of
Datta and a hunter:
閭�
It is narrated following the adoption of the figure of Vanara
(monkey) as the state emblem by Amaraprabha. Once the wife of
Ta岣峣tke艣a, the R膩k峁sa king of Lank膩, was injured by a monkey while
sporting in a garden. That monkey was killed by the king. The
monkey then being reborn as Udadhikum膩ra, a celestial being again
disturbed the king sporting there. When Taditka艣a questioned the
celestial being, the latter related the previous incident. At this both of
them proceeded to a monk and enquired about the cause of their
transmigration. The monk
the story illustrating the
consequences of nursing the feeling of revenge (6.134-147). Having
listened to the story Ta岣峣tke艣a installed his son Suke艣a and himself
renounced the world.
narrated
Two persons killing each other were reborn one as a hunter in
Banaras and the other as Datta, the son of a minister in 艢r膩vasti,
respectively. The latter became a monk and sojourned at K盲sipura in
He
a garden. When he was meditating, that hunter arrived there.
abused and beat the monk. As the monk became angry and thought
of beating the hunter in his turn, he lost the valuable fruits of his
Therefrom he
penances and was reborn as an inferior celestial being.
descended as Ta岣峣tke艣a while the hunter was reborn as a monkey.
The PCR (6.227-328) and the PCS (6.10-16) agree with the PCV.
The RPS (ch. 4) contains minor differences as regards the places of
rebirth. The TSP (IV. p. 110) states that the hunter killed the
mendicant. The hunter is said to have first passed through the hellish
life and then was reborn as a monkey.
