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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GENERAL EDITOR'S NOTE
In the Jaina tradition R膩ma has been called Padma
also and so by Padmacarita or Paumacariya, R膩macarita is
meant. Allured by the great popularity of the R膩ma-legend
the Jaina poets also based their works upon it. Among
these Vimalas奴ri is the pioneer. His Paumacariyam is the
first R膩m膩ya峁嘺 in the Jaina tradition and also the first epic
written in Prakrit. His work has been the source for the
later Jaina writers, on the R膩m膩ya峁嘺, like Ravisena, Sva-
yambh奴, 艢il膩c膩rya and Hemacandra. Apart from the
salient features of the Jaina religion Vimalas奴ri's epic con-
tains enough cultural material pertaining to the contem-
porary life.
The present work is the approved thesis of Dr. K. R.
Chandra. He worked on this subject for nearly four years
as a Research Scholar of the Institute, first under its
eminent ex-Director Dr. H. L. Jain, and
present Director and obtained his Ph. D. Degree from the
Bihar University.
then under the
In
He
Dr. Chandra has divided his work in two parts.
the first part he has given a resume of the narrative materi-
als in the Paumacariyam and in the second he has dealt with
its cultural and literary aspects. The author has duly
classified and lucidly narrated the intervening stories.
has compared and contrasted the R膩ma-Story as found in
Vimalas奴ri on one hand and in V膩lmiki and Tulsi on the
other. The author endorses Vimalas奴ri's claim that he has
purged the traditional R膩ma-story of its lies-the irrational
exaggerations-and cleared the characters of blemishes.
One wonders whether the replacement of the mythical and
unbelievable feats of the v膩naras and the r膩k峁sas by the
equally unbelievable supernatural powers of the Vidy膩dharas
