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 470 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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EDUCATION AND ARCHITECTURE 441 ply. The m盲rgas were the streets and lanes. There is a reference to
perhaps the regular cleaning of the roads and streets of Lanka (13.5).
or
were
Catvars and Trik膩s:鈥昑hese were places where four and three roads
streets intercepted respectively. Catvaras and Trikas
generally teeming with various kinds of spectacles and performances
relating to dance, music, song and acrobatics (2.13).
Narendrapatha:-It is variously called as R膩jam膩rga, (76.3),
Narendram膩rga (16.38), N峁沺atim膩rga (79.19). This was the main
road of the town. It was the royal road which led from the main gate
to the palace. It extended outside the city and connected other towns
of the country.
Houses and mansions could be seen lined on both the sides of the
road. They were equipped with windows wherefrom house-wives
peeped out to look at the occasional processions (8.276-282;70.19-25).
Types of Buildings:-Ghara-G峁沨a denoted the common house for
residence (3 57). In the PCV the terms Ghara, Bhava峁嘺 and P膩s膩ya
are used indicriminately (23.17;77.23-25). Elsewhere it is explained
that Bhavana belonged to kings and Pr膩s膩da to gods. The former's
height was less than its width while the latter's height was greater than
its width. Bhavana is also called as a kind of rectangular building鲁
and Pr膩s膩da as a religious or residential building or a royal palace.
A峁弓膩laka was the apartment on the roof or an upper storeys. Thus the
PCV mentions that Ayodhya (80.1-14; 78.49), Dasapura (33.19),
Ki峁indhipura (6.45), Lank膩 (53.85), Mahendranagara (15.10), and
Rajag峁沨a (2-9) abounded in these types of buildings. Buildings of
seven and eight storeys are mentioned. Da艣apura abounded in white
buildings of seven storeys (sattataladhavalesu ya p膩s膩yasaesu 33.19).
Dasaratha's palace had seven storeys (sattatale bhava峁嘺p s茫e 23.17)6.
A general reference to eight-storeyed buildings is made in the PCV (102.
116). In Laik膩 buildings having turrets or spires (s奴rei Pava峁嘺putto
aneyap膩s膩yasihar膩i峁� 53.85) and having artistic designs carved on
them have been referred to (a峁弓膩layavivihacittatu峁僩膩i峁�).
The roof of the building was generally supported on raised walls.
Besides that, pillars (colu 1 ns) were also constructed to support the
1. Sammajjovalit嫂膩, k膩奴峁嘺 mahi im茫e nayar茂e/
Kusumehi acciyavv膩 surahisugandhehi divvehi峁�//.
2. Bhag. Su, (Abhaya-5.7);
3. EHA, p. 380.
4. Ibid, p. 364.
5. Ibid, p. 12.
6.
See 15.61.
Abhidh膩nar膩jen dra-Ko峁.
