Paumchariu Part 1

SR No.: 002523
Original Sutra Author: Swayambhudev
Author: H C Bhayani
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 1953
Total Pages: 458
Language: Sanskrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 11 MB

Page 92

INTRODUCTION
51
responding to this in RP. (VII 287-290). (13) Some of the names of the Vidyās acquired by Rāvaņa are common between PC. and VP. only. (14) According to PC. 9 13 7 Ravana having found Svayamprabha city, got constructed a beautiful shrine called Sahasasihara. RP. or VP knows nothing of this. (15) In PC. Khara and Dūşana are two different persons as in the Rāmāyana of Valmiki (see PC. 12 3 3, 13 11 7, where Khara-Düşaņa appear in the plural; 12 4 9b, where appears only Khara, 17 11 4, where Khara is said to be fighting against Citta and Düşaņa against Cittanga), but RP. (see X 30) and VP. (see IX 10, 12, X 17) know Kharadūşana as one person. (16) The name of the princess from Nityaloka city married by Rāvana was Rayaņāvali according to PC. (13 1 la) and VP. (IX 52b), but Rambhāvali according to RP. (IX 1026). (17) Vāli engaged in meditation is described in PC. as Meru va akampu (13 2 8a); so also in VP. (IX 62b) as Merum piva niccalan. But RP. simply says suniścalam (IX 128a). (18) According to PC. (13 11 5-11) Rāvana while on march against Indra comes to Pātāla-lankā and reminded of the misbehaviour of Khara and Dūşana flares up and wants to punish them. But Maya pacifies him. RP. and VP. have nothing corresponding to this. They simply say that as Rāvana reached Pātäla-lanka, Kharadūşaņa and Ravaņa greeted each other cordially. (RP. X 31-32; VP. X 17-18). (19) Sahasrakirana's city is called Māhesara in PC. (14 4 9c) and VP. (X 34a) but Māhismati in RP. (X 65a). (20) In PC. the incident of Uparambha is narrated considerably differently from RP. and VP. (21) The beginning portion of the episode of Añjanāsundari in PC. (17 1 5) and RP. (XV 6-82) is somewhat different from each other. (22) According to PC. 19 4 6 Pavana takes a vow that if no intelligence of Añjanā reaches him, he would become a recluse, while according to PC. 19 18 16 Pavana writes a stanza to the effect that if Añjana is dead, he will not live. In RP. and VP. there is no mention of becoming a recluse. There Pavana says that if he does not get back his beloved, he will die (RP. XVIII 54, VP. XVIII 27).
The differences between PC. and RP. detailed above reveal two facts. Firstly the division IV above makes it probable that Svayambhū had casually consulted Vimalasuri's work also. Of course we cannot be quite definite on this point because we have no knowledge of the Rāmāyana literature available to Svayambhū. Secondly in certain cases Svayambhū disagrees with both Ravişena and Vimalasuri and we cannot explain all such cases as innovations. This means that Svayambhū had consulted other sources also.
One of these sources was probably Caturmukha's Paümacariu, quotations from which are found in SC. Of course no Ms. of this work has yet come to light. But Svayambhū has admitted that he was indebted to Caturmukha for the structure and metrical form of his epics. For in the beginning of his Ritthanemicariu, where he mentions some of the previous poets and scholars from whose works he derived some sort of help or benefit, we are told that Caturmukha bestowed on him the Paddhadiyā 'studded' with the Chaddaniya, Dvipadi and Dhruvaka'. In view of this it is not also unlikely that Svayambhu's poetical works contain echoes from Caturmukha's works, and especially because three works of both the poets treated commonly the themes of Rāmāyana, Hariyamsa and Pañcamīcarita. This is confirmed by one accidental identifi
(1) See Section 4. (2) Appendix I, passage 57, line 10.