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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8
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
5. At 83.12 Kaikeyi is said to have attained liberation (siddhi-
paya峁� uttama峁� patt膩). At 95.26 it is said that she had ascended to
some celestial abode (tiyasavim膩nuttama峁� patta). In the light of the
latter reference 'siddhipayam' is an interpolation. In the Jaisalameriya
and other two manuscripts the reading is 'sammottam' in place of
'siddhipayam'.
6. The preceding fact leads us to believe that a single reference
in the whole work to a Svetambaramuni at 22.78 (siyambaram) is
perhaps an interpolation. Even, if it be not so, the reference cannot
be exclusively taken as a proof of Vimalas奴ri's belonging to the Svet膩m-
bara sect.
[III] Besides that, some statements in the PCV are contradictory
in themselves and some elements neither favour the Digambara nor the
艢vet膩mbara tradition.
1. It is mentioned at 105.16 that a period of 64000 years elapsed
between the events of R膩m膩ya峁嘺 and the Mah膩bh膩rata虏. At 20.81 it
is mentioned that a period of eleven lakh years intervened between the
advent of Munisu vratan膩tha and Nemi during whose tirtha-k膩las R膩ma
and K峁涐梗峁嘺 were born respectively.
2. At 20.203 Madhukaitabha and Nisumbha are mentioned as
fourth and fifth Prativasudevas respectively but, at 5.156 they 氓re
mentioned as fifth and fourth Prativ膩sudevas respectively.
3. At 20.44 Aran膩tha's birth place is mentioned as Prathamapuri
i. e. Ayodh膩 while at 95.34 it is mentioned as Ku帽jarapura i. e.
Hastinapura
4. T墨rthankara Mallin膩tha's mother is named Rak峁t膩 (PCV, 20.
45) and the Sarala tree is associated with lord Mah膩v墨ra (PCV, 20.50)
but the Samava (Su. 157) Ava N (386) and the TP (4.544 & 4.917)
mention Prabh膩vat墨 as the mother of Mallin膩tha and associate the S膩la
tree with Lord Mah膩v墨ra.
5. The birth time nak峁tra of V膩sup眉jya is said to be 艢atabhisaj
(PCV, 20.38) but, the TP mentions Vi艣膩kh膩 (4.537). The names of
the celestial abodes (PCV, 20.22-25) from which the Tirthankaras des-
cended into the wombs of their mothers do not agree generally with
those given in the TP (4.522-25),
6. The names of the mothers of the three of the nine Baladevas
(PCV, 20.196) and those of fathers and mothers of two out of nine
1. See revised edition of PCV by Prakrit Text Society,
2. In the new edition of Punyavijayaji (1968) it is more than 6 lakh years.
