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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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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RÄ€MA-STORY 81 MahendrarÄja of Mahendranagara to take revenge upon the latter
who had deserted his own daughter, AñjanÄsundari, the mother of
Hanumat. Further Hanumat conciliates with MahendrarÄja and
sends him to RÄma sojourning at (50) Kiá¹£kindhapurÄ«. Proceeding
further Hanumat meets king Gandharva of the Dadhimukha island
and informs him of the death of Sahasagati. Gandharva goes
to Kiá¹£kindhapuri to marry his three daughters to RÄma (51) as
foretold by a Naimittika (ch.51). Hanumat on his way enters into
the belly of AsÄlikÄvidyÄ through her mouth and tears open her
belly. She was requistioned there to defend the rampart of LaṃkÄ.
He further kills Vajravadana, the chief guard of the rampart and fights
with LankÄsundarÄ«, the daughter of Vajravadana but her amorous
advances win his heart. He stays there for the night, enjoying with
her and the next day he enters the city of LaṇkÄpurÄ« (ch.52)
On
According to the VR, the ring is given to Hanumat but he is not
asked by RÄma to bring the braid-jewel of SÄ«tÄ (4. 44. 12). Hanumat is
said to have gone towards the south along with TÄrÄ, JÄmbayat and
Nila under the leadership of Angada. Sugrīva sends other generals to
the east,
west and north but they return unsuccessful¹ (4. 47).
Herefrom the details of the account differ from that of the PCV.
their way Hanumat etc. make a search for SÄ«tÄ on the Vindhyas
(4. 48. 2). Angada kills Asura Suranirbhaya considering him to be
RÄvaṇa (4. 48. 20). Further they move to the south of the Vindhyas
(4. 49), enter into the Ṛká¹£abila (cave) and meet TÄpasî SvayamprabhÄ
(4. 50-52). From there they reach the seashore and meet SampÄti, the
elder brother of Jaá¹­Äyu, who informs them of the name and the place of
the kidnapper of SÄ«tÄ (4. 53-59). The episode of humiliating the king
of Mahendranagara is not found in the VR.
VR.
Here Hanumat alone
(leaving all others behind) climbs the Mahendragiri (4. 67. 39), magni-
fies his body (5. 1. 10) and takes a flight across the sea, In course of
his flight he converses with the MainÄka mountain (5. 1. 89), enters
into the mouth of SurasÄ RÄká¹£asÄ«, mother of the NÄgas (5. 1. 156) and
deceives her by coming out again after assuming a small form. He
further slays SiṃhikÄ RÄká¹£asÄ« (5. 1. 188) and jumps on the Lambagiri,
on the other side of the sea (5. 1. 200). There is no reference to
Dadhimukha island but the VR mentions that Hanumat, on his way
back from Laá¹…kÄ, ruins Madhuvana in a frenzy of excessive joy and
fights with Dadhimukha who is the maternal uncle of Sugrīva and the
gardener of Madhuvana (5. 61). Dadhimukha comes to know the
1.
It can be compared with the unsuccessful return of the warriors of VirÄdhita as
mentioned in the PCV (Sec 5 E).
6

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