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 391 The Kalpas are 12 in number namely, Saudharma, I艣膩na,
Sanatkum膩ra, Mahendra, Brahma, L膩ntaka, Mah膩艣ukra, Sahasr膩ra,
Anata, Pr膩峁嘺ta, Arana and Acyuta (102.143-144). This account is
corroborated by the Svet膩mbara tradition鹿. The Digambara tradition
mentions 16 Kalpas, the four more being Brahmottara, Kapistha, Sukra
and Sat膩ra. But the TP (8.120-121, 127-128) records both the traditions
and the Sarv盲rthasidhi (4.19) mentions that there are 12 Indras only.
It is in agreement with the Svet膩mbara tradition. The PCV though
12 Kalpas, yet it has a stray reference to Brahmottara
enumerates
(82.76) also.
Above these Kalpas there are situated nine Graiveyakas followed
The four Anudi艣as are
by 4 Anudi艣a and one Anuttara Vim膩nas.
called Vijaya, Vaijayanta, Jayanta and Aparajita vim膩nas while
the Anuttara is called Sarv膩rthavim膩na (102. 146). These five are
said to be Anuttaravim膩nas in the Svet膩mbara tradition鲁 while the
Digambara tradition differentiates them into Anudi艣a and Anuttara-
vim膩nas鹿 But the PCR states them as five Anuttaravim膩nas
(105. 170). At 102. 171 of the PCV also there is no separate
mention of the Anudi艣avim膩na but the Anuttaras are mentioned
just after the Graiveyakas. At 2.84 the Anuttaravim膩na is referred to
in plural.
Thus it is clear that four vim膩nas are called Anudi艣as
because they are situated in four different quarters and the fifth one
is situated above them in the middle. Thus to call all those five
as Anuttaravim膩nas or separately as Anudi艣as and Anuttaravim膩na
difference,
no
because beyond them there
makes
惫颈尘腻苍补.
is
no more
The PCV further gives the number of vim膩nas in each Kalpa
(102.152). The Graiveyakas have in all 318 vim膩nas (102.153)
and then there are the separate five Anuttara or four Anudi艣a and one
Anuttara (Sarv膩rtha)
The
vim膩nas (102.146).
TP (8.153-154)
also mentions that the Graiveyakas, Anudi艣as and Anuttara have
in all 323 vim膩nas.
The PCV mentions in general that the span of life of the gods
increases from 2, 7, 10, 14, 17, 18, 20, to 22 S膩garas successively
1.
2.
3 4.
5.
Uttara, 36.209-210; TS, 4. 20.
TS, 4. 19.
Uttara, 36.215; 7'S, (Bh膩峁a)-4. 20.
TP, 8. 117f.
Gevejjag膩峁嘺 tatto ahiya峁� tu a峁噓ttar膩峁嘺 dev膩峁嘺峁�,
Sokkham anantyam puna siddhana sivalayatth膩峁噈."
