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 218 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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INTERVENING STORIES 189 as R膩va峁嘺. 艢r墨bh奴ti (Purohita) who was killed by Svayambh奴 was
reborn as a celestial being and from there as Khecara Punarvasu鹿
who died with a resolve to get a certain girl.2 Svayambh奴 was the
enemy of 艢r墨bh奴ti, hence the latter as Lak峁a峁嘺 killed R膩va峁嘺.
Vegavati had once falsely blamed Muni Sudarsana of keeping company
with a woman, but ultimately she had to admit her fault to free the
monk from the false charges. Therefore, she as S墨t膩 was first censured
and then she was proved to be pure and faultless on account of her
confession.
The PCR (106. 10-184, 207-231) mentions
K峁tranagara, Yajnavalkya as
as
驰补箩帽补惫补濒颈.
K峁mapura as
While describing the
their two more rebirths
rebirths of Vasudatta and 艢r墨k膩nta it refers to
viz., as leopards and wolves in place of deer. Gu峁嘺mati is mentioned
as Gunavati, Vajraka帽cu, Svayambhu and Vegavati are called
Vajrakambu, Sambhu and Vedavati respectively. It mentions that
the woman about whom Vedavat墨 spread false news was really the
sister of Muni Sudarsana. She was being instructed in the religion by
the muni and Vedavati took her to have been illicitly associated with
the monk. The PCS (84. 2-22) agrees with the PCR, but cuts short the
story by dropping some rebirths viz. Padmaruci as Nayan膩nanda and
a god, 艢r墨candra as Indra and 艢r墨bh奴ti as Prabh膩sakunda. It does
not refer to some animal-births of the characters.
The RPS (ch. 31) follows the PCR it mentions the name of the
mother of V峁涐梗abhadhvaja as 艢r墨datta. Here Vedavati resolved to be
reborn as Sambhu's daughter to take revenge upon him. It calls
Sudarsana of the PCR as a nun. The TSP (IV p. 336) mentions
Gunamati as Gu峁嘺vat墨. It does not mention various animal-rebirths
of Vasudatta and 艢r墨k膩nta. It gives here the story of Anangasundar墨
(Visalya) and Punarvasu (艢r墨bh奴ti Lak峁a峁嘺).3 Gu峁嘺vati's brother,
Gunadhara is said to have been reborn as Kundalamandita and
thereafter as Bh膩ma峁囜笉ala.
The Uttarapura峁嘺 and the Mah膩pur膩峁嘺 relate different stories about
the previous births of R膩ma, Lak峁a峁嘺, S墨t膩 and R膩vana as follows:-
R膩ma and Lak峁a峁嘺 :-Prajapati, the king of Ratnapura had
begot on his wife Gu峁嘺k膩nt膩 a son, Candracula. He and his friend
Vijaya, the son of
were notorious.
a
1. See Visalya's rebirth-story.
2. Ibid, Anangasar膩.
minister
See the story of the previous birth of Visaly膩.
3.
4.
See the story of the previous births of Kundalama峁囜笉ita.
Once when
