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�
R膩ma and sixteen to Lak峁a峁嘺 (UP, 68.47,48; MP, 70.13) after their
returning from Mithil膩.
厂墨迟腻.
According to the Dasaratha J膩taka, R膩ma marries his own sister,
SECTION III
EXILE OF R膧MA
A. Dasaratha's decision to crown R膩ma :
According to the PCV Dasaratha realises his old age and asks his
ministers to enthrone R膩ma so that he himself may become an ascetic
(31.56). This realisation comes to him at the sight of the pitiable
condition of his chamberlain Ka帽cuk墨 (29.20-29) emaciated by old
age. His desire to renounce the world is intensified after listening to
the religious discourse and the account of his previous life from a
monk (30.36 to 31.49). On this occasion all the four sons of Da艣a-
ratha are there.
In the VR also it is the old age which inspires Dasaratha to
announce R膩ma as his heir-apparent (2.1. 36; 2.4.12), though the
cause of its realisation is not given. Sumantra tells at one place that
he and Dasaratha would have entered the life of anchorites after
installing R膩ma on the throne (2.35.35). Here Dasaratha wants to
enthrone R膩ma as soon as possible in the absence of Bharata who is
away from home (2.4. 18-27). Dasaratha apprehends some intrigue鹿
from Bharata, He is said to have seen some inauspicious dreams.
R膩ma also while persuading Lak峁a峁嘺 to stay behind at home,
expresses his suspicion in Bharata's faithfulness to his mother (2.31.14).
In the TR the realisation of old age comes through the observation
of a grey hair growing near his ear (2. 2). There is no reference to
any suspicion of Dasaratha in Bharata. On the contrary it is mentioned
1. This suspicion seems to be quite appropriate when one comes across R膩ma
telling Bharata on the Citrak奴峁璦 hill that their father while marrying
Kaikeyi, had promised her father that the kingdom would be entrusted to
蝉补尘耻诲惫补丑补尘/尘腻迟腻尘补丑别
her son (Pur膩bhr膩ta岣� pit膩 na岣� sa m膩tara峁� te
sam膩艣rausidr膩jyasul kamanuttamam 2. 107. 3). The Pratima Nataka also
corroborates it: Bharata tells the Devakulika that Kaikey墨 might have de-
manded kingdom for him remembering the 'sulkado峁m' (3.11), At another
place (3.19) Kaikeyi admits it before Bharata (J膩da sukkaluddh膩 na峁噓
pucchidavvaa). According to the Satyopakhy膩na, Kaikaya married his
daughter to Dasaratha on a promise from the latter that the crown of the
kingdom would pass to the son of Kaikeyi (Bulcke, p. 278).
