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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SOURCES, CONTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF PCV. 299 5. Failure of various princes and Rama's success in stringing the bow
(Supra, Ch. 3.2.E). 6. Exonerating Kaikeyi from the charge of exiling
Rāma by Rāma's decision to enter forest rather than accepting
kingship (Supra, Ch. 3.3.B), repentance of Kaikeyī for her folly and her
requests to Rāma on the Citrakūta hill to pardon her (Supra, Ch.
3.3. C). 7. Killing of Surpanakha's son, Samba by Lakṣmaṇa (Supra,
Ch. 3. 5. B). 8. Association of Lakṣmaṇa with the test of Rāma
taken by Sugrīva, and the prophecy about the destined killer of
Vāli (Supra, Ch. 3.7. B). 9. Hanuman's seeing of Vibhīṣaṇa during
his mission to Lankā (Supra, Ch. 3.7.D). 10. Hanuman's proposal
to carry Sītā on his shoulders (Supra, Ch. 3.7.E). 11. Disturbing
of Rāvaṇa sacrifice (Ch 3.8. G). 12. Rāma's Digvijaya (Supra, Ch.
3.9.B). 13. Madanasundari's marriage with Yüpaketu, the son of
Satrughna (Supra, Ch. 3.9. B). 14. Kuśa and Lava's marriage in
a 'svayamvara' (Ch. 3.9.D). 15. Chandravadanā's marriage with a
son of Lakṣmaṇa (Supra, Ch. 3.9.D). 16. Kusa and Lava's battle
with Rāma (Supra, Ch. 3.9.D). 17. Rama's fight with the grandsons
of Kumbhakarna (Supra, Ch. 3.9.E iii). 18. Preparing a lute with
the parts of his body by Ravana for eulogising Siva (Supra, Ch. 4.1.x).
19. Son of Hanuman (Supra, Ch. 4.2).
Here for the first time in a Brahmanical work the father of
Kausalyā and the wife of Janaka are introduced (Nos. 1 & 4) speci-
fically. Point No. 2 is influenced by the episode of Nārada and
Kaikyi's marriage; No. 12 by the Digvijaya of Lakṣmaṇa; Nos. 13,14,
15 by the marriages of Lakṣmaṇa and the sons of Rāma and No. 17
by the attack of the grandsons of Chandranakhä on Rāma.
This work describes Rama's water-sports with Sītā.. The PCV
is the earliest work in the whole of the Indian Literature, which
describes the water-sports of Rāma and Sītā (PCV, 42. 18-24) in a
river flowing in the forest of Dandaka.
In the PCV (102. 29-31) on the occasion of her fire-ordeal Sītā
is raised on the divine throne, and she is saved. Then she renounces
the world. In the VR (7.97) the throne on which Sītā is seated enters
the earth and Sitā disappears for ever. But in the Ananda Rāmāyaṇa
the deity of earth raising Sītā on the throne offer her to Rāma and
Sītā gets reunited (5. 8. 77) with Rāma.
In the PCV (6. 165) on the occasion of the 'svayamvara' of Śrīmālā
Vidyadharī, her foster-mother Sumangalā introduces to her various
princes who came there to seek her hand. Similarly in the Ananda
Rāmāyaṇa on the occasion of the 'svayamvara' of Campikā, her foster-
mother named Sunanda introduces to her various princes (6. 2. 31).
