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 581 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
581 (of 671)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
552
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
one thousand arms. The name of the father of R膩ma was Dasaratha
but it never became a belief that he had ten chariots or drove on ten
chariots at the same time. It can mean that he possessed the strength
of ten
笔补诲尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺鹿.
chariots and the same explanation is hinted at in the
Vanaras: According to the PCV the Vanaras originated from the
Vidyadharas. 艢r墨kantha, their first ancestor migrated to the south and
made Ki峁indhipuri as his settlement. The Vanaras formed a branch
of the Vidyadharas and they had brotherly relations with the R膩k峁sas.
They were human beings. Their dynasty was named V膩narava峁僺a
for they adopted the figure of monkey as their national emblem."
According to the VR, the first Vanara originated from Brahma
on the Meru mountain. He was made to settle at Ki峁indhipura in
the south鲁. There is no specific reference that the Vanaras and
R膩k峁sas were related filialy. Mr. S. V. Vi艣vanatha on the evidence of
MB (膧di, 67, 7) says that the V膩naras were akin to the R膩k峁sas both
being descendants of Pulastya4, Even in the VR (5.51.2-3 R膩k峁se艣a
Har墨艣astv膩m bhr膩t膩 ku艣alamabravit) for this reason perhaps R膩va峁嘺
and Sugr墨va are spoken of as brothers or at least as of the same
family. The VR depicts the Vanaras as monkeys with their tails.
But this is not the case every time. They are even depicted like human
beings6.
As regards their migration to the south Mr. Manmathanatha Roy
says that the Vanaras were the aboriginal Vr膩tyas of India who
migrated to the southern plateau after the arrival of the Aryans.
As regards their animal like name it has been taken for granted
that in ancient India there were tribes who bore animal names on
account of their worshipping some animal deity or on account of having
some tribal sign of an animal. The N膩gas, and the Rak峁s also
belong to that type of people.
1. Dasaratho dasarathasam膩narathi mahiyas膩 balena /
2.
sumanasa峁� n膩ma nagara峁� jigami峁y膩......(P膩t膩lakha峁囜笉a, Ch. 112.
Vol. II, p. 732).
See 'Origin of Various Vamsas' and 'Ravana Carita'-(Supra).
3. Ibid.
4. Racial Synthesis in Hindu Culture, p. 83.
5. See AIHT, p. 278.
6. See R膩m膩y膩峁嘺 K膩lina Sam膩ja,
7. Vide Ibid. p. 73.
8. RKSJ, p. 73; See p. 17 also.
