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’s version.
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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RĀMA-STORY 41 In the Marāṭhī Bhāvārtha Rāmāyaṇa¹ Bharata and Satrughna are
uterine brothers as in the PCV.
2 The PCR mentions Satrughna as the son of Suprabha, the fourth
queen of Dasaratha. The name Lakṣmaṇa is christened on account of
his bearing good marks (sulakṣmyā 25.26).³ The Vasudevahinḍ�
(I.p.241) agrees with the PCV as regards the seniority and the respec-
tive mothers of all the four brothers. The PCS follows the PCR and
calls Rāma as Rāmacandra also (Ramacandu 21.4.9) Hemacandra's
TSP (IV.p.192-195) follows the PCR but it mentions that Padma and
Lakṣmaṇa are born at Rajagṛha when Dasaratha after marrying
Kaikeyi goes there and stays there with his wives. Somasena's RPS
follows the PCR and also mentions the date of birth of Padma as the
thirteenth day of the dark half of Phālguṇa (p.86).
According to the UP of Guṇabhadra, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are
born of Subālā and Kaikeyī respectively. They are born at Vārāṇasī
and their dates of birth are the thirteenth day of the dark half of
Phālguṇa and the first day of the bright half of Magha respectively.
Rāma is nowhere mentioned as Padma. Bharata and Satrughna are
born of the third queen and they are born at Sāketapura (67.149.165).
The MP (69.12-14) of Puspadanta follows the UP but Bharata and
Satrughna are born of the third and the fourth queen of Dasaratha
respectively. In it Rāma is called Padma also (78.13.8;78.29.3)
as well as Rāmacandra (78.26.2). The first son of Dasaratha is
named Rāma on account of his charming body (taṇurāmu) and the
second is named Lakṣmaṇa (Lakkhaṇu 5) because of his having
qualities (lakkhaṇalakkhaṃkiyau 69.12).
E.
Rāma's Teacher :
According to the PCR, Rama and his brothers receive education
in various sciences and training in archery at Ayodhya under Airakucchi
(25.26) of Kampilya nagara. His parents are named to be Bhargava
1.
2.
3.
Bulcke, p.279.
The Brahmanical Padma Puraṇa, which mentions four queens of Dasaratha
tells us that Bharata and Satrughna are the sons of Surūpā and Suveṣ�
respectively (Vol. 2- 8. 733) But at another place Suveṣ� is said to be the
daughter of the king of Kekayadeśa. She demands kingdom for Bharata and
the exile of Rāma (p.739).
The B. G. K. edition reads 'Sulakṣmā'.
4. Svayambhu is the first author among the Jainas to call Padma as Ramacanda.
See also Mahaviracaritam 2. v. 20.1.3 ha deva candamuha Rāmacanda' and
1. v. 26, 1 2. jaya jaya ‘jagatpate Rämacandra'.
5.
See the reason assigned in the PCV.
