Story Of Rama In Jain Literature

SR No.: 022775
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Saraswati Pustak Bhandar
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 278
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 27 MB

Page 217

The Ramayana of Acārya Hemacandra
199
hurting him mounted his hand, Laksmana discharging it killed Rāvana. 25
Rávana's Death CANTO VIII :
Canto VIII narrates the account of Vibhîşana's lament over Rāvana's death, the release of Kumbhakarna and Ravana's sons, the past births of Ravana's sons related by Muni Aprameyabala, initiation into the Order of Kumbhakarna, Mancɔdari and Rávana's sons, reunion of Rama and Sitā, Vibhişana's coronation, the arrival of virgins betrothed and their marriage with Lakşmana; Rāma, Laksmana and Sita's stay in Lanka for long six years; obtaining of Nirvāņa by Kumbhakarna and Rāvana's sons, the sad plight of Dasaratha's queens at Ayodhyā, returning to Ayodhyā of Rama and party, their happy uinon with their mothers, the episode of Elephant Bhuvaná-lankara and Bharata and Kaikeyi's renunciation; Lakşmaņa's coronation; the overthrow of Madhu, king of Mathurá by Satrughna, Ruin of Mathurā by a god-friend of Madhu, the past births of Satrughna and Krtāntavadana, rehabilitation of Mathurā, Rāma and Laksmana married to Sridāmā and Manoramā respectively; the glory and splendour of Rāma and Lakşmana-Lakşmana's 16000 wives (8 of them chief ones): 250 sons (8 of them being the chief ones); Rama's four wives, Sita's dream, her conceiving of twins, the jealousy of her co-wives, their prevailing upon Sitā to draw Rāvana's portrait, poisoning of Rāma's mind against Sītā; the scandal given publicity to, evil reports about Sità obtained by Rāma, Rama's repudiation of his beloved Sita, Sita's piteous lamentations, and her message couched in moving words to Rāma.26
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The account told in this Canto is in agreement with the Pauma-Cariya (Cantos: LV-LXXIII both inclusive) but for a few unimportant changes : e.g., Hemacandra drops the account of the past lives of Nala, Nila, Hasta and Prahasta and also of Višalyä (as given in the PaümaCariya - Cantos LVIII and LXIII), the explanation of the word Akşauhini (Pc. Canto LVI). The contents of this Canto agree with the accountas given in the Pauma-Cariya (Canto LXXVKCIV, both inclusive). Hemacandra drops the tale of Priyankara related by Vimala in Canto LXXIV, and the episode of May given in Canto LXXVII of the Paüma-Cariya; he describes the decoration of Ayodhyā to welcome the brothers in one line, (v. 73) when Vimala devotes 8 stanzas (Canto LXXVIII, w. 47-55) to that topic; he speaks of four Mahadevis of Rāma (v. 253), whereas Vimala explicitly mentions that Rama had 8000 wives of whom four were the principal ones (Canto XCI, w. 17-18). Hemacandra makes a very important addition to the story of Rama: Sitä is to be a mother; Räma loves her all the more; naturally her co-wives become jealous of her. Those deceitful co-wives ask her to show how Rāvana was - by drawing his portrait. Sità told them that she had not seen Rāvana's whole figure but only his feet. They asked her to draw his feet only in a picture to satisfy their curiosity. That straight-forward Sitā