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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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
(12, 86; 57. 22; 99. 53), and by announcing the words of victory (4. 40).
It was the sound of the instruments which indicated the arrival of the
army of the enemy (44. 15). The fight commenced with the blowing
of warhorns (8. 92) and during the actual fight the soldiers were
encouraged by appropriate music (12. 118). In the end the victorious
king returned with joy in the midst of the sound of the musical
instruments (6. 235).
Banners and Ensigns:-Armies representing the particular kings had
their own banners with distinctive emblems marked on them. The
V膩nara army had its own banner which bore the emblem of the figure
of a monkey (59. 16). Besides the state banner, the kings, leaders and
soldiers had their individual ensigns which were marked on their
respective flags. Thus the flags of R膩ma and Lak峁a峁嘺 had the ensigns
of a lion and an eagle respectively (99. 68; 60. 1-2). These flags
regularly unfurled on the chariots accomodating the respective kings
(12. 122; 24. 25: 61. 64). Apart from the kings other leaders (n膩yaga
59. 70) of the army had their own individual ensigns. Thus the
garland, the banyan tree, a lion and an elephant were the ensigns of
Vir膩dhita, Jamb奴nada, Simhavara and Meghak膩nta respectively
(54. 36). The fighting feudal lords maintained their seperate emblems
on their flags (59. 11). Last of all the soldiers of repute also had their
own respective signs. The soldiers of R膩vana are mentioned to have
various ensigns (n膩h膩cindh膩 56. 47). The Mleccha invaders also are
said to have been holding the flags marked with the figures of lion, bull
elephant (27. 35) etc.
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Battle: -Whenever there was an apprehension of some attack, it
was the duty of the king to make proper arrangements for the defence
of his capital. Thus the Paumacariya峁� mentions that when Vibh墨峁峁嘺
saw the danger of the probable attack of the army of Rama, he made.
Lanka well-fortified. He alerted his country men, called for his feudal
lords, installed war-machines on the fort and garrisoned the soldiers to
protect the fort (46;96.52.4). The rampart was sometimes equipped
with the fire around it (aggipauro p膩y膩ro 12.45). Nalak奴bara had also
made such defensive arrangements when he apprehended an attack from
R膩vana (12.48) on his capital.
In the actual battle, alike columns of the army faced each other
(hatthi hatth墨n膩 sama峁� rahavaro alaggo saha rahe峁嘺m, turae峁嘺saha
turango p膩ikkasaha payatthe峁嘺峁� 12.113). Fighting soldiers sometimes
took recourse to wrestling also (bhuyajujjha峁� 99.59).
There were occasions when kings tried to avoid the vast human
massacre by arranging a personal (bout) duel between themselves.
