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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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
6. Mixed Influence:-Story No. 20
(Sumukha and VÄ«raka)
is influenced by the PCV, AP and TSP. Story No. 51 (previous
births of Bharata) is confusive. It is influenced by the PCV and TSP.
Story No. 54 (previous births of RÄma and SÄ«tÄ) in influenced
by the TSP and (Manṇimati's resolve) by the UttarapurÄṇa.
7. Other Sources:-Story No. 9 (Sagara's sons) is based on
Guṇabhadra's UttarapurÄṇa, No. 21 (MÅ«ni Sañjayanta) on Puspadanta's
Mahapuraṇa and No. 22 (Śrīvardhana and Jvalanasimha) on the
HarivaṃśapurÄṇa of JinasenasÅ«ri).
(5) Influence on Jinasenasuri and Hastim alla :
The Harivamsapuraṇa (HVPJ) of Jinasenasūri is a work of 783 A.D.
The author of this work remembers his predecessors and mentions
Raviṣena (1.34), but there is no reference to Vimalasūri. Various lists
of dynasties given in his work resemble those of the PCR. While writing
on the Paumacariyam, Shri Nathuram Premi in his book JSI proposes that
it is proble that the Harivaṃsapuraṇa is based on the work of the same
name composed by VimalasÅ«ri as referred to in the KuvalayamÄlÄ of
Udyotanasuri. The Harivamsapuraṇa of Vimalasūri has not been discovered
so far, still the influence of the PCV is visible on the genealogical list of
the Iká¹£vÄku and the VidyÄdhara Vamsas of the HVPJ (See Supra, Ch 5).
It indicates that Jinasenasūri had consulted the Paumacariya�.
Story no 22 (Previous births of Sañjayanta and Vidyuddaṃṣtra)
and No. 57 (Madhu and Kaiá¹abha) in the HVPJ reveal that their
source is the Vasudevahiṇá¸Ä«.
Hastimalla (13 th century A. D. has adopted in his
Maithili KalyÄṇa the incident of Rama's success
among various
candidates in stringing the bow (Supra, Ch. 3.2E) from the tradition
of the PCV and has based his AñjanÄ-Pavanañjaya-NÄá¹aka on the
tradition of the PCV.
(6) Minor Influence of Paumacariyaá¹� on the MahÄpurÄṇa of
Puá¹£padanta :
Puspandanta was a poet of the 10th century A. D. He followed
the Rama-story of Uttarapuraṇa. His main contribution is the changing
of the prosaic form of Rama-story of Gunabhadra into a highly
artistic style of poetry.
Main changes affected over the story of the UP are as
follows:-(1) Satrughna as the son of the fourth queen of Dasaratha.
(2) RÄma is called Padma also. (3) Naming of Laká¹£maṇa after hsi
