Page Text
________________
HEROES OF THE JAIN LEGENDS. By
(Dr. Harisatya Bhattacharya, M.A., B.L, Ph. D) Contd from Vol. XIII No. II. pp. 18-29.
There was a talk of Sita's being taken back. To disarm popular suspicions, Rāma proposed the ordeal of fire for Sita. Sită agreed. According to the Jaina account, the gods made Sita's fire cool and when Sitä entered it,-lo! there was a beautiful tank and an extensive lotus in it, upon which Sita was found sitting There could not be any possible objection now. But Sita herself was disgusted with the ways of the world; so when her innocence and chastity were established beyond all possible cavils, she took initiations from Prithvimati, the bader of nuns and entered the order. The Jaina account of Prithvimati, the nun, initiating Sita is scarcely less poetic, though more realistic, than Valmiki's story of Prithvi, the mother. earth, taking her away. We need hardly remind the readers that Valmiki's Rāmāyaña discribes Sita's fire-ordeal as happening at Lanka, after the battle with Ravaña and her rescue
As regard the death of Rama and Lakshmana, the Jainas say that a god, wanting to test the affection of the two brothers for each other, came down and kept Rama senseless. He informed Lakshmaña that his brother was dead, which was more than Lakshmana could bear. Lakshinaia died. Rama coming back to his senses became mad at the sight of Lakshmana's corpse. He carried the dead body on his shoulder for full six months on the belief that it was still alive. At last some gods convinced him of the utter futility of his act, where upon he got himself initiated into the religious order. Sugriva, Bibhishaña, Satṛughina etc. did also the same thing. Rama attained Salvation.
Perhaps the most important thing to be noticed in the Jaina version of the Rama-story is the fact that the Rakshasas and the Vanaras there, are not conceived as beings in any way other than They are discribed as Vidyadharas i. e., men, endowed with Vidya or knowledge of extraordinary arts. They are also regarded
man.
| SR No. | 010080 |
| Book Title | Babu Devkumar Smruti Ank |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | A N Upadhye, Others |
| Publisher | Jain Siddhant Bhavan Aara |
| Publication Year | 1951 |
| Total Pages | 538 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Smruti_Granth |
| File Size | 47 MB |