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 66 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE R膧MA-艢TORY 37 The Ananda R膩m膩ya峁嘺 mentions the episode of the marriage of
Da艣aratha with Kau艣aly膩, which partially agrees with that of the PCV.
R膩va峁嘺 comes to know from Brahm膩 that the son of Dasaratha born of
Kausaly膩 would kill him. He foils their marriage by demolishing
their boat in the Saray奴 river, kidnaps Kausaly膩, puts her into a trunk
and leaves it into the custody of Timingala Matsya. When the Matsya
is away to face his enemy, Dasaratha goes there and performs Gandharva
marriage with Kausaly膩. R膩vana comes to know of it and he tries to
kill them, but Brahm膩 intervenes and saves them. Thereafter Dasaratha
marries Sumitra and Kaikey墨 (1.1.37-74). This account is found in
the interpolated portion of some of the recensions of the Svayambhuva
and Tulasi R膩m膩ya峁嘺.
According to the Satyopakhy膩na, N膩rada praises the beauty of
Kaike y墨 before Dasaratha and predicts that a great son would be born
of her. Dasaratha manages to win the heart of Kaikey末 through a Deva-
yogin墨. Kaikey墨s father marries Kaikey墨 to Dasaratha on the condition
that her son would inherit the crown of Ayodhy膩 (Bulcke, p. 278).
There are certain non-Jaina works which associate war-chariot
with the promising of boons to Kaikey墨. Kaikey卯 was granted two
boons by Dasaratha for she prevented, in time, the dislocation of a
wheel from the war-chariot by putting her hand in place of the axle
which had fallen down broken when Dasaratha was fighting in the
Dev膩sura battle. This feat of Kaikey墨 was commended and rewarded
by Dasaratha. This account is found in the Brahmapur膩峁嘺 (Anand-
膩艣rama, ch. 123. p. 300), Padmapura峁嘺 (Bengali version, vide-Bulcke,
the Ananda R膩m膩ya峁嘺
p. 322), Adhyatma R膩m膩ya峁嘺 (2.2. 66-72) and
(101.75-84).
The Rama Kiyena2 (ch. 14) also has the above account. According
to the Seri R膩ma鲁 and the Hikayata Maharaja R膩va峁嘺, Dari a concubine
of Dasaratha holds up the wrecking litter of Dasaratha when he marries
Mandu-dev墨 (chief queen). Dasaratha makes Dar墨 her queen and
promises the kingship to her son (Bharata).
There are some non-Jaina works which refer to one boon only.
The VR4 also indicates that upon the strength of one boon Kaikeyi
1.
Vide Bulcke, p. 277.
2. Vide Bulcke, p. 322.
3. Ibid. pp. 278, 3 3.
4. P奴rva峁� dattavar膩 dev墨 varamenamay膩cata/
Viv膩sana峁� ca R膩masya Bharatasy膩bhi峁canam// 1.1.22.
