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

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Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
demons with fearful and hideous appearances. Nor are the Vanaras animals having long tails living on fruits etc., and using their nails and teeth as their weapons. They are in reality a race of the Vidyadharas, a class of beings endowed with many supernatural qualities, if not human beings in the correct sense of the term. Beastly and uncouth behaviours and appearances are not therein attributed to them. On the other hand, they are depicted as having been highly civilised, who, far from killing and devouring all animals that they could obtain, strictly adhered to the vow of Ahimsā. "22 The dynasty of Vidyadharas at Lankā came to be called Raksasas after the celebrated and great Vidyadhara hero named Raksasa. The Vidyâdharas of Kişkindhipura received the name of Vānaras because of their custom of wearing the pictures of monkeys as symbols on their banners and crowns.
This conception of Vimala is born of the growing spirit of rationalism of his age. The fanciful and exaggerated poetic descriptions of the Rākşasas and the Vánaras given by the Valmiki-Ramayana were unacceptable to Vimala, a champion of rationalism. He, therefore, portrays the Rákşasas and the Vānaras as Vidyadharas, possessed of supernatural powers and gives realistic interpretations of the appellations "Rāksasa' and 'Vánara' and of Rāvana's name Dasamukha.
These aims satisfactorily explain the changes effected by Vimala in the Rāma story of Vālmīki.
Apart, however, from any question of aims, there is one single episode which establishes beyond any shadow of doubt the fact that Valmiki-Rāmāyana is Vimala's source, and it is that of indra's defeat by Råvana.
At the end of Canto 2 Vimala says: "Indra, though he rules over gods and men, is said to have been taken captive to Lanka by Rávana! One will be reduced to a heap of ashes at the mere thought of him who has the best elephant -Airavata and the unfailing weapon thunderbolt. At that rate we might as well affirm that the lion is overcome by gazelle, the elephant by the dog. The Ramayana stories are most certainly lies."
Now Vimala in Canto 7 tells us of Indra, the Vidyadhara-chief. Here he describes Indra in such a way as to lead us to believe that he is another Indra (especially read his appointment of four Lokapálas, his elephant Airavata, his minister Brhaspati, his weapon Vajra, his son Jayanta, etc.). But this very Vimala when he describes the fight between Rävana and Indra, employs so many times such words as 'Suravai', 'Surabhada: 'Surinda', 'Surabala', 'Surasenna', 'Sakko', 'Suraņāho', 'Suráhivai' for Indra, the overlord of Vidyadharas. The use of the words Surendra etc. clearly demonstrates the truth of the remark made above that although Vimala professes to give the faithful story of Rama as handed down by Jaina tradition, in actual practice he reveals, though unconsciously, his source viz., Vālmīki-Ramayana. Otherwise how could he
22.
Tradition about Vanaras and Raksasas'-Chakravarti c. in II. g. Vol. 1 (1925).