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 36 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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INTRODUCTION 7 艢vet膩mbara tradition Sudharmasv膩min narrates to Jambusv膩m墨n.
But in the Vasudevahindi we find both the traditions of introducing
the narratives.
(i) Tattha t膩va Suhammas膩mi峁嚹� Jamb奴n膩massa pa岣峢am膩峁噓oge
...... Vasudevacariya峁� kahiya峁�-VH, p. 2.
(ii) Tato Bhayava峁� Seniyassa ranno savvan峁噓maggena dhammi-
llacariya峁� kaheum膩raddho-VH, p. 27.
2. There is a reference to Anudi艣a Vim膩nas (t膩峁嘺 vi a峁噓ddis膩i峁�
purao 膩iccapamuh膩i峁�, PCV, 102-145) situated above the Graiveyaka
Vim膩nas. They are four-Vijaya, Vaijayanta, Jayanta and Apar膩jita.
Then Sarv膩rtha is called the best of Ahamaindra vim膩na (ahaminda-
varavim膩峁嘺峁� savva峁弓ha峁� ceva
ceva
n盲yavva峁� PCV, 102.146). These
vim膩nas are not referred to as Anudi艣a in the Svet膩mbara tradition,
The Tiloyapan峁嘺tti states that there are three layers of Kalp膩t墨ta
Vim膩nas Graiveyaka, Anudi艣a and Anuttara (TP, 8.117鈥攇evajjama-
峁噄ddisaya峁� anutta峁� iya huva峁僼i tivihapp膩). But in the Jaisalameriya
manuscript of PCV鹿 the reading is 鈥榯膩峁嘺 vi ya uddis膩m墨 purao purao
盲icchapamuh盲im' and so the reference to a峁噓ddis膩i峁�. Next at 102.171
and at 2.84 the PCV does not make any difference between Anudi艣a
and Anuttara but all the five are mentioned as Anuttaras. The PCR
also calls them as Anuttaras (105. 170). Therefore, it can not be
maintained that the PCV is following the Digambara works exclusively.
3. The PCV (20.57-58) states that Mah膩v墨ra renounced the
world as a Kum膩ras卯ha. Kum膩ras墨ha does not mean that he did not
marry but it indicates that he renounced the world before becoming a
king (see JSI. p. 100-101).
4. It cannot be maintained that there should be 'vattha' in
place of 'tattha' in the PCV (83.5) to justify that Bharata gave up orna-
ments and clothes just before renouncing the world to observe nudity.
At 114.13-15 & 108.46 R膩ma and Hanumat are referred to as giving
up their ornaments but there is no reference to any clothe.
A峁噓mannio gur奴峁嘺m Bharaho (K膩奴峁嘺?) mott奴峁嘺 tattha la峁噆膩ra峁�/
Nissesa sangarahio lu帽cai dh墨ro niyayakese//-PCV,83.5.
The reference to 'nissesangarahio' cannot be taken as nudity as
suggested by Pt. Parmanand Shastry (See op. cit. Anekanta).
In the Uttar膩dhyayana (Ch. 35) it is laid down that when one
gets ordained he should give up all the 'sangas' but, there the giving up
of sangas does not mean accepting nudity.
1. See revised Edition of PCV by Prakrit Text Society-
