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.
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INTERVENING STORIES 175 the murder of her brother. She reviled Dandaka and became a nun.
Skandaka (deva) then burned Dandaka, Pālaka and the people of that
city to ashes. Daṇḍaka was reborn as the bird ¹.
According to the VR (7. 79-81), Muni Agastya narrated the story
of the Danḍaka forest to Rāma as follows :�
Danda, the youngest son of Ikṣvāku was a stupid fellow, hence
he was granted the kingdom lying between the Vindhya and the
Śevāla mountains. Danda established a capital there. It was named
Madhumat. Once Danḍa raped Arajā, the daughter of Rṣi Bhargava.
Then Bhargava cursed Dandaka as a result of which Dandaka, his
relations and his country were burnt to ashes. After his name that
region came to be known as Daṇḍakāraṇya.
About Jatayu, it is said that (VR, 3.14) Kasyapa married six
daughters of Prajāpati Dakṣa. One of them namely Tamrā gave
birth to Kronci, Bhāsī, Syenī, Dhṛtarāṣtri and Suki. Suki's daughter,
Natā gave birth to Vinatā whose sons were Garuda and Aruṇa.
Sampāti and Jatayu were the sons of Aruṇa and Syeni (probably
another Syenī) Jaṭāyu is further introduced as friend of Dasaratha.
The Sarabhanga Jātaka (V. p. 134) mentions Danḍakī as a powerful
ruler of the kingdom of Daṇḍaka in the Vindhya region. His capital
is said to be Kumbhavati. The kingdom of Daṇḍaki was destroyed by
a natural catastrophe.
41. The story of Rucirā and Pravara:
Follwing the previous birth story of Jatayu or the story of king
Dandnka, Muni Sugupti who along with Trigupti was received by
Rāma in the Daṇḍakāraṇya, narrated the (cause of their renouncement)
story to enlighten the vulture (Jaṭāyu) (41.40-64) by illustrating the
futility of the worldly bonds.
Being requested by Śrī, the wife of king Acala of Banaras, a
monk named Sugupti prophesied that she would be blessed with two
sons. In course of time two sons were born and they were named
Trigupti and Sugupti.
Purohita Soma of Gandhāvatinagarī had two sons Suketu
and Agniketu. Suketu became a Jaina monk under Anantavirya
while Agniketu became a Tāpasa at Banaras. Suketu on being
instructions given by his teacher, went to
equipped with
the
1. This story of the TSP is found in the Niśītha Cūrṇ�, 16.
p. 1113.
