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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ORIGIN AND GENEALOGY OF VARIOUS va峁偱沘s 207 which is 28th. On the whole Nos. 44,60.61 and 62 of the PCV can be
compared in the same order with No. 19 of the Pur膩峁嘺s, 20 & 21 of
the VR and again 22 of the Pur膩峁嘺s as given in the above consolida-
ted list.
lists of other Jaina
In all there are 27
痴补蝉耻产补濒补尘补丑腻产补濒补
number comes to
Now we compare the list of the PCV with the
works so as to find out how far they are identical.
kings from R峁bha to Mrg膩nka in the PCV.
should be taken as two persons then the total
27+1=28. The PCR mentions 32 kings and the HVPS agrees with
the PCR. Out of them Prabh奴tatejas and V墨tabhi should be taken as
adjectives, and 鈥楽膩gara' and 'Bhadra' should be taken as the parts of
one name as S膩garabhadra. Thus the total number comes to 32 - 2 = 30.
Out of them 27 names agree with those of the PCV. Sitaya艣as of the
PCR is mentioned as S墨hajasa in the PCV and as Smitaya艣as in the
HVPJ. Atibala is the only name in the PCR which does not find
mention in the PCV. If Atibala and Am峁泃a of the PCR are taken
together as one person i. e. Atibala-am峁泃a then the person becomes
identical with Amiyabala of the PCV. Thus the PCR agrees with the
PCV. Bh. Somasena agrees with the PCR except that he mentions
Pavanav墨rya additionally and does not refer to Tejasvin, T膩pana and
Prat膩pavat. The name of Am峁泃abala (9) in the HVPJ indicates the
influence of the PCV on the HVPJ.
Now we take up the ancestors of R膩ma from Vijaya to Da艣aratha.
Commencing from Vijaya, R膩ma's place is 37th, 36th, 34th and 36th,
in the PCV, PCS, TSP and RPS respectively. Naravasaha (46) of the
PCV may be dropped as an adjective. In all 29 names of the PCV
(excluding nos. 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 55 & 56) agree with those of the
PCR and the TSP. In the latter work No. 49 does not agree but that loss
is replaced by No. 42-Induratha who, is just identical with Sa艣iratha
of the PCV. In all 33 names of the TSP are identical with those of
the PCR. The additional four kings, viz. Sataratha, Udayap峁泃hu,
V膩rin膩tha and Dvirada are taken by the TSP from the PCR because
they are not mentioned in the PCV. So it may be concluded that
Hemacandra has followed both the PCV and the PCR while it is quite
apparent that Bh.
Somasena completely agrees with Ravi峁峁嘺 and
he is influenced by Hemacandra's TSP (See Udayap峁泃hu between Nos.
41, 42 and 57 also) as well as the PCV (See No. 9 & 24). The PCR
additionally mentions Aja and P峁泃hu who find place in the Brahmanical
tradition.
