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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INTRODUCTION 15 during the Gupta period. Dr. A.S. Altekar鹿 states that Dasapura
was ruled by Jayavarman and Simhavarman as independent rulers du-
ring the later half of the 4th cent. A.D. Naravarman and Vi艣va-
varman (404 & 423 A.D.) were also independent rulers of Ma峁囜笉asora
(asapura) and there is nothing to show that they acknowledged the
supremacy of the Guptas The last record of Mand岣峚sora (No. 52)
mentions Kum膩ragupta as overlord of Da艣apura, which was being
ruled by Bandhu-varman, the son of Vi艣vavarman. He says that
Bandhuvarman was probably a feudatory chief of Kum膩ragupta I
ruling from 414 to 454 A.D. He further remarks that towards the
close of the reign of Kum膩ragupta I, his kingdom was disturbed
by wars but the exact adversaries are not well established. The
Gupta emperor was threatened with utter ruin. Dr. H. C.
Rayachauduri鲁 associates the title Vy膩ghraparakrama with Kum膩ra-
gupta. In the Paumacariya峁� the king of Ujjaina is named as Sim-
hodara. Both the
Both the
terms have some similarity. These events reveal
that Dasapura came into political importance in the 4th and 5th
century A. D.
The PCV (Ch. 37) narrates that when Ativ墨rya of Nandy膩varta-
pura sought a battle with Bharata of Ayodhy膩, R膩ma and Lok峁a峁嘺
left Vijayapura for helping their brother and subdued Ativ铆rya. The
Poona Copper plate Inscp. of Prabh膩vat墨 Gupta refers to Nandi-
vardhana which is identified with modern Nagardhan or Nandardhan
near R膩mateka about 13 miles north of Nagapura. 4 Nandivardhana
was the capital of the V膩k膩峁璦kas. Pravarasena II shifted his capital
from this place to Pravarapura in about 430 A. D." Narendrasena, the
son of Pravarasena II is said to have been overwhelmed with a
debacle on account of the invasion of his dominions by Bhavadatta-
varman, a Nala king about the middle of the 5th century A. D.6 Thus
the history reveals that there was some political tussle in that area and
the PCV also speaks of a political tussle in that area.
Haradeva Bahari' regards that the evidences such as D墨n膩ra,
艢vet膩mbara and planetary position might be interpolations and hence
the date third or fourth century A. D. assigned to the Paumacariya峁�
cannot be maintained.
But we have to say that the above stated
1. See VGA, pp. 166, 167.
2.
Ibid. pp. 159-160.
3.
See PHAI, p. 480 (Fourth edition) vide VGA, p.161.
4.
See AGAI, p. 323 & SI, Vol. I, p. 407.
5. See VGA, p. 105.
6. Ibid.p. 107.
7. Pr膩k峁泃a aur Usak膩 Itih膩sa, p. 66,
