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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SOCIAL CONDITIONS 327 114.20 & many other queens 114. 22). Then there were others who
became T膩pasas viz, prince Anuddhara (39. 84) etc.
Vaisyas: The Sanskrit Dictionary mentions that the word
'Vai艣ya' is derived from 'Vis'. 'Vis' means the people who settle on
the soil and 'Vaisya' means the working man (MWSED). Thus the
Vaisyas were the producers of wealth in various ways. On them
depended the prosperity of the country. The Aryan society as a
whole is called 'Vis' and their king as 'Vis膩mpati' in the Vedic
literature (MWSED). Out of this universal society the other castes
developed on account of their specialised pursuits (learning-Br膩hma峁嘺,
arms鈥擪峁triya and service-艢奴dra). Thus the Vaisyas constituted the
real society, the backbone of all the other three castes whose subsistence
depended upon the wealth produced by the former class. Therefore,
the Vaisya class becomes the most important one of all the four castes.
The PCV mentions that the Vai艣yas consisted of the people who
were engaged in the profession (v膩v膩rapar膩ya峁嘺) of trade, agriculture,
or cattle-breeding (v膩峁噄jjakarisa峁嚹乮峁� gorakkha峁嘺p膩la峁噀su ujjutt膩
3.116). Manu also corroborates it (v膩峁噄kpa艣uk峁浥沬岣� 10.79). They must
have been highly esteemed because they constituted the productive
and the economic strength of the state and the complete material
prosperity of a nation depended on them. The Paumacariya峁� states
that the s盲rthav膩has; 艣re峁ａ弓hins; g峁沨apatis (66. 8) and kau峁璾mbikas
(80. 12) enhanced the prosperity of the Magadha country (2. 3). There
is also a reference to the
the
'jyesthakas' who enhanced she 艢ri of
S膩ketanagara (80. 12) and the city of R膩jag峁沨a was adorned with the
activities of the merchants from various neighbouring states (2.10).
These were the financiers, merchants and the agriculturists of those days
who held prominent position in the society. The 'Satth膩ha' was the
chief merchant leader of the Caravan, who controlled extensive trade
inside and outside the state. The 'Setthis' were the Aldermen of guilds
(probably merchant鹿). About a 'gahavai' it is mentioned in the PCV
(48.79) that his sons were engaged in the work of agriculture and
cattle-breeding. Its mention along with the 'Setthis' (66.8) and the
'Satth膩has' (2.3) indicates that the 'g峁沨apatis' were the persons of
wealth. In the Buddhist J膩takas they are forming a land-owning and
mercantile class. The 'ko岣島mbiyas' have been explained as the
representatives of the middle class which had the duty of offering to the
1. BI, p. 50.
2. Gihapasukhett膩墨su-ku峁嘺i kamma峁�.
3. OGCI, Vol. I, p. 269.
