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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370
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
visit her house (77.19). There seems to be no rigid restrictions in
permitting the royal women to go outside the house. The wives
(anta岣ura) of R膩vana are referred to have gone to the battlefield to
mourn the death of their husband (74.6) and there .R膩ma is said to
have consoled them (75.3). Even the wives of Dasaratha visited the
temple in the city where R膩ma, Lak峁a峁嘺 and S墨t膩 had stayed for the
night before their departure to the forest. It is said that on that occasion
many other people also had gathered there (31.121-122). They are
further mentioned to have paid their homage to a monk staying in the
garden where
many citizens had gone for the same purpose (82.8).
R膩ma, Lak峁a峁嘺 and S墨t膩 meet various persons and kings during their
journey. They are welcomed and received by them with respect and
honour. But on no occasion there is any slightest clue to maintain
that S墨t膩 put veil or felt shy in the prensence of unacquainted males.
During her long stay in Lank膩, she is never said to have observed purdah
whenever R膩va峁嘺 approached her. When Vibh墨峁峁嘺 met her, she
freely talked with him (46.56-47). S墨t膩 conversed freely with Hanumat.
who was quite an unknown and unacquianted person to her (53.12-74).
Mandodari had free discussion and then verbal duel with Hanumat.
Further we find that on the Va峁兣沘giri hill R膩ma played on a flute and
S墨t膩 danced there to pay their respects to the monks who were sojourn-
ing there (39.22). Thus the PCV reveals that no veil was put on by
the ladies. And for that the observations made by Lak峁a峁嘺 on the
occasion of Rama's decision to abandon S墨t膩, are noteworthy because
they support
our conclusion. He tells that women should not be
charged with (dosa-do峁) infidelity on account of their being seen by
other persons (94.22)鹿.
Thus on the whole woman were not rigidly restricted from
moving out of doors and there was no custom of putting on veils as
far as the PCV reveals.
This freedom of women can be corroborated by other evidences.
Shri Gokuldas De summing up the conditions found in the J膩takas
says that women lived under seclusion and they were guarded hence
they were called Orodha (lit. living in guarded house). But on occasions
they were free to move about like men and excursions to public places
were also not forbidden2. The Buddhacarita refers to "anta岣ura"
(8. 19) as well as to women engaged in various works on the royal roads
1. Parapurisadarisa峁噀峁嘺峁� na ya doso havai n膩ha juva墨na峁�.
2: S17, p. 117.
